Review: TWA Hotel and TWA Lounge, Part 2

Arrival Announcement

“Ladies and Gentlemen, TWA is pleased to announce the arrival of flight 1962 at the TWA Hotel and Terminal. During your stopover, please feel free to walk about the Terminal and check out all of the TWA exhibits and memorabilia. We’ll see you back onboard TWA flight 1962 shortly. Thank you.”

Yesterday, I reviewed the TWA Hotel. If you missed it, you can see it here.

Welcome to the TWA Terminal and the year 1962

Your first stop should be at the TWA information desk. At the desk, you will be greeted by the TWA Ambassadors and receive a copy of the terminal map. The information desk is the same information desk used by TWA. Above the desk and at the Sunken Lounge, you will see the flight status “flapper board”. Listen to the music. There is a soundtrack of 100 hours of 1960’s music curated by Chris Betz of the TWA Lounge.

a woman sitting at a table with a suitcase — The “information desk”.

The “TWA Ambassadors”

What made TWA special was its Ambassador Service and the people behind Ambassador Service. At the information desk, TWA Ambassadors are there to answer your questions, show you the memorabilia at the desk and pose for photos. The pilots and flight attendants are dressed in the same uniforms worn by the flight crews. These vintage uniforms were donated by former employees. Since alterations are impossible on these vintage uniforms, the flight attendants had to fit into the uniforms to be hired as Ambassadors. The Ambassadors are busy interacting with guests during prime-time hours.

a man and woman in uniform saluting — Captain Edvin and Flight Attendant Nicole in her uniform by Stan Herman.

a woman in a uniform — Flight Attendant, Jackie’s uniform is by Ralph Lauren.

a man in uniform saluting with two women — Captain Leo with Connie wearing a uniform by Valentino and Kitty wearing her Dalton of America uniform.

a man standing behind a white sign — The parking valets wear the historic “ramp agent” coveralls.

a man in a striped suit — The parking valets wear the historic “ramp agent” coveralls.

The Terminal Layout

a building with a curved roof — The terminal with its massive glass prows. Hotel wings are in the rear connected by tunnels.

The main floor has:

The information desk
Hotel check-in (former TWA check-in counter)
The TWA shop
Two bars
The Intelligentsia Coffeebar
Food hall
Sundries shop
Vintage photobooth
Vintage magazine rack, shoeshine and vintage payphones
Steps down to The Sunken Lounge

people sitting in a red area with tables and chairs — The Sunken Lounge.

The Mezzanine Level:

The “London Club Bar” museum
The Paris Cafe restaurant (Review will be part 3)

The Saarinen Wing corridor takes you to the office of TWA CEO Howard Hughes.

The Hughes Wing corridor takes you to the design office of Eero Saarinen and the recreation of your home from 1962.

The Convention Center on the bottom floor has museum exhibits of the TWA Royal Ambassador service.

The crown jewel of the terminal is outside, the restored Lockheed Constellation – Star of America. (Review will be part 4)

a plane on the ground — Restored Constellation – Star of America.

The “London Club Bar” Museum

On the front mezzanine level, you will find the London Club Bar. This museum shows the history of pilot and flight attendant uniforms that TWA used.

a sign with text on it — Entrance to the uniform museum.

a display of a dress and luggage — The older uniform collection.

a mannequins with uniform and luggage — The later uniform collection.

a suitcases with clothes and a bag — Pack your bags back to 1962.

TWA uniforms were created by leading designers of the time:

Howard Greer (1944 – 1959)
Don Loper (1960 – 1967)
Dalton of America (1968 – 1970)
Valentino (1971 – 1974)
Stan Herman (1975 – 1977)
Ralph Lauren (1978 – 2001)

The Convention Center Level Exhibits

Don’t forget to take the elevator for floor number 1. You will find setups depicting in-flight Royal Ambassador service.

a display of a room with mannequins and dresses — TWA Royal Ambassador in-flight service.

a mannequins in a store — Your flight attendant would be wearing one of these uniforms.

a tray with food and utensils on it — Your first class gourmet meal.

Architect Eero Saarinen’s Office

Located at the end of the Hughes Wing corridor is the design office of Eero Saarinen.

a room with a desk and chair — Eero Saarinen’s drafting table.

a blueprint on a table — Terminal drawing.

a drawing of a building — Terminal drawing.

HomeLife Back in 1962

Across from the Saarinen office is a fascinating look back to what your home looked like back in 1962. Let’s take a look . . .

a room with a couch and chairs — You have to love the wallpaper.

a room with a yellow chair and a yellow rug — The entertainment wall of the living room.

a bar counter with various drinks and glasses — The home bar for perfect entertaining.

a table with a record player and a television — The black and white CRT tube TV and record player. Vinyl records from Buddy Holly, Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles and Pat Boone.

Howard Hughes’s Office

At the end of the Saarinen Wing corridor, you will find the Office of CEO, Howard Hughes.

a desk in a room with a globe and pictures on the wall — The office of the CEO.

a desk with a typewriter and a model airplane on it — Howard Hughes’s desk complete with a cigar and glass of Scotch.

a man sitting at a desk — Assuming the position of CEO, I am pondering the next great route for TWA.

a wall with pictures of airplanes and text — The wall showing the history of TWA.

The Vintage Photobooth

There is a working, vintage photo booth on the main floor. You can have your pictures taken in color and/or black and white. The booth will allow you to print photo strips there and/or email your photos to you.

a chair and a table with a camera on it — Check out the vintage cameras. Have a seat in the futuristic chair.

a room with a photo booth — The photo booth.

a collage of a man and woman — Photos that were sent to me by email.

The Cars of 1962

a woman sitting in a small red car — A rag-top Fiat.

a car parked in a showroom — Chrysler New Yorker.

a small red and white car — A one-door BMW. The front is the door.

Other Exhibits to See

a store with many items — The TWA Shop. Get your TWA memorabilia here.

a display of magazines and magazines on shelves — Magazine rack with magazines from the 1960s.

a cardboard cutout of a family with luggage — Your family at the airport in 1962.

a shoe shine room with a sign — Do you need your shoes shined?

a row of telephones on shelves — The bank of payphones. A local call cost 10 cents for the first three minutes.

The TWA Hotel is a Must-See When You Are in New York City

If you are staying at the TWA Hotel, you are already at the destination. If you are staying in Manhattan or elsewhere in New York City, plan on taking a ride on the MTA and Airtrain to JFK to see this monument to the golden age of flight. If you are on a layover at JFK, hop on the AirTrain to Terminal 5 and take the corridor from the baggage level at Terminal 5. Use the elevator at the blue “Welcome Center” sign to access the TWA Hotel. There is no charge to visit the exhibits at the TWA Hotel. Come by and step back to air travel in 1962.

Where is TWA Flight 1962 Headed To?

Wednesday: Breakfast at the Paris Cafe.

Thursday: The restored Lockheed Constellation – Star of America. We will have a drink in the “Connie Bar”.

Friday: A Travel Codex exclusive tour of the TWA Lounge on the 86th floor of #1 World Trade Center.