The retro glamour of jet travel has inspired a spate of swank new places to eat and drink. Lufthansa (lufthansa-usa.com) has opened chic new airport lounges in Frankfurt (with tapas and 70 types of whisky) and Munich (with lamb kebab and sidecars). Jean-Georges Vongerichten's latest restaurant, Perry St., in New York, is modeled after a '60s airport lounge, and servers' outfits are inspired by TWA interiors (176 Perry St.; 212-352-1900). In the center of Chicago, the Jet Vodka Lounge takes its sleek design cues from Boeing's 777, with servers dressed like flight attendants and more than 130 varieties of vodka (1551 N. Sheffield Ave.; 312-730-4395). Airbus has designed an A380 double-decker; rumor has it that the plane will have full-sized kitchens to prepare, not just reheat, in-flight meals (airbus.com).

Published November 2005