Departures (magazine)

Departures was an American lifestyle magazine with a focus on luxury and travel that went to holders of American Express platinum and centurion cards. It was published by Meredith Corporation under an arrangement with American Express. On March 25, 2021, it was announced that Departures would cease print publication, and, according to an American Express statement, transition "to a new digital-first editorial platform."[2] American Express announced that it was ending its publishing deal with Meredith.[3]

Departures

Editor	Jeffries Blackerby
Former editors	Richard David Story
Categories	Advertising mail
Frequency	7 times per year
Circulation	1,157,040[1]
Publisher	Journal International GmbH
Year founded	1984 (1984)[1]
Final issue	May/June 2021
Company	American Express
Country	USA
Based in	New York City
Website	www.departures.com

The longtime editor-in-chief was Richard David Story, who had previously worked at Vogue and Esquire. He spent 17 years at Departures before leaving in 2017. "Richard had the essential ingredient required of a great editor – massive curiosity," said Graydon Carter, the longtime editor of Vanity Fair. "It carried him through an enviable run at Departures." (Story died on March 5, 2021, at age 68.)[4] In May 2017, Jeffries Blackerby was named editor-in-chief. From 2002 to 2006, he had been senior editor at Departures before going on to positions at the New York Times and Vogue.[5] In March 2021, with the suspension of the print edition, Blackerby exited the company.[3]

Departures had been purchased from American Express Publishing by Time Inc. on October 1, 2013, along with sister publication Travel + Leisure.[6] In 2017, Meredith purchased Time Inc.'s magazines, including Departures, in a $2.8 billion deal.[7]

At its peak, Departures was said to generate an estimated $50 million a year in revenue.[2] It was known for its colorful layouts and photography, travel essays, and city guides.[8]