In the hands of a brash young pilot and a rebellious head stewardess, Pan Am's state-of-the-art Clipper Majestic jetliner makes its maiden voyage from New York to London, transporting its passengers and crew into a rapidly changing world of romance and international intrigue.

A flight ferrying journalists to Berlin to cover an important speech by John F. Kennedy provides Maggie with a chance to meet the U.S. President. But as Kate tries to help her courier contact escape East Germany, memories of World War II force Colette to confront a childhood trauma.