While browsing the wonderful Pan Am digital archive at the University of Miami Library I came across this paragraph in the 1943 System Passenger Service Manual :
Many passengers feel that Pan American should establish money-changing facilities at the airport. In many instances this would be contrary to the banking laws of the country in which your station is located. Always be sure the passenger thoroughly understands this and where such facilities are available in the form of a government concession be certain the passenger is aware that the business is not part of Pan American's organization.
The use of Clipper Air Checks should however be widely publicized and all personnel should be familiar with the regulations governing their sale and disposition. Refer to Passenger Traffic Manual Bulletin 1407.
I was unable to find Bulletin 1407, or any relevant google results. So, what was a Clipper Air Check? How were they used, and when were they discontinued?
I can answer some of this, but hopefully someone with more knowledge of economics can jump in and fill the many blanks I’ll leave.
During and after World War 2 there were economic restrictions in place in a lot of countries. Some of these restrictions included limiting the amount of foreign money into the country or in the form of currency exchange controls (for the same purpose). I know as much about economics and how things like that work as a toddler so I’m hoping someone can hop in and answer the why and how on this aspect.
In an effort to help their travelers avoid these inconveniences, Pan American came up with the idea of the Clipper Air Check (also Clipper Air Cheques), which passengers could buy in $50 booklets that came with 8 $5 denominations and 10 $1, and could be used to exchange for goods in the foreign country. In some they could take the check to a bank and have it converted to the local currency which bypassed some of the fees and rates or “overages.”
PanAm used the Boeing 314 Clipper planes which was kind of their signature style and they embraced being the Clippers. The plane was designed for them by Boeing for the purpose of luxury transoceanic travel. Also Eleanor Roosevelt was the first person to receive a Clipper Air Cheque.
Unfortunately I don’t know when they were discontinued/phased out, but hopefully you’ll accept these as an apology:
NYT Article, February 22, 1944 (paywall)