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mahatmakanejeeves

(56,904 posts)
Fri Sep 22, 2017, 01:15 PM Sep 2017

United Airlines Set To Retire Iconic Boeing 747 Fleet On Nov. 7 With Vintage Honolulu Flight

Hat tip, WTOP.

SEP 19, 2017 @ 01:35 PM

United Airlines Set To Retire Iconic Boeing 747 Fleet On Nov. 7 With Vintage Honolulu Flight

Grant Martin, CONTRIBUTOR



A vintage United livery on the Boeing 747. (Source: United)

Boeing's 747 jumbo jet has been a staple of long-haul flight for more than 50 years, but as new, more efficient aircraft have reached the market, the onetime Queen of the Skies is slowly being replaced. This year, both Delta Air Lines and United Airlines are retiring the aircraft within their liveries, effectively winding down the entire commercial fleet of 747s owned by domestic, commercial carriers. On Sept. 7, Delta flew its last commercial domestic flight with the aircraft. Now, United has scheduled its own final flight -- and it's going to be a party.

With the flight scheduled to depart from San Francisco International at 11 a.m. on Nov. 7, United plans on making the aircraft a tribute to the years the aircraft was in service at the carrier. Flight attendants will don retro uniforms to serve "1970s-inspired" meals while the in-flight entertainment will pump out vintage content. United is also reserving the top deck for community space, although it's running a raffle at the departure gate to upgrade a few passengers.

Prior to the flight, there will also be a party at the aircraft's departure gate in San Francisco International. ... The tribute flight has already garnered special attention from the aviation community, and according to United, tickets are selling fast. As of publication, award and revenue tickets for the flight are completely sold out, although some availability may reappear prior to the departure date.

United Airlines received its first Boeing 747 in 1970 and operated the fleet on mostly long-haul flights between the United States and Asia and Europe. It has mostly replaced those legacy aircraft with more fuel-efficient Boeing 777 models.

Two U.S. Airlines Detail Final 747 Flights

Sep 19, 2017 Madhu Unnikrishnan | Aviation Daily

Delta Air Lines and United Airlines have revealed plans for events to commemorate the retirement of the Boeing 747s. United’s last 747 flight will be Nov. 7 from San Francisco to Honolulu. Delta this week operated its final Tokyo Narita-Honolulu flight with a 747, and plans to retire the 747 fleet by the end of 2017. Continental and United took delivery of their first 747s in 1970, and United began operating the 747-400 in 1989. Northwest Airlines, whose 747 fleet Delta acquired in ...

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UA final 747 flight set
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United Airlines Set To Retire Iconic Boeing 747 Fleet On Nov. 7 With Vintage Honolulu Flight (Original Post) mahatmakanejeeves Sep 2017 OP
United has had a lot of bad press madaboutharry Sep 2017 #1
So the last launch customer still flying is Lufthansa? Blue_Tires Sep 2017 #2
British Airways too. I guess Iran Air counts as well. Sen. Walter Sobchak Sep 2017 #7
I was lucky enough to fly an inaugural flight once marybourg Sep 2017 #3
747 from california to honolulu were routinely only half full for many years. the good old days when msongs Sep 2017 #4
Just got back from Oahu on a cramped 737 plane - 3 seats on each side kimbutgar Sep 2017 #5
I flew to Hawaii a bunch of times as a kid on the DC-8 Sen. Walter Sobchak Sep 2017 #8
My Army unit was flown from Germany down to the Gulf in 1991 on a Pan-Am 747. Aristus Sep 2017 #6

madaboutharry

(40,153 posts)
1. United has had a lot of bad press
Fri Sep 22, 2017, 01:31 PM
Sep 2017

lately. The PR around this flight isn't going to help. I hope no one gets beat up.

marybourg

(12,540 posts)
3. I was lucky enough to fly an inaugural flight once
Fri Sep 22, 2017, 02:56 PM
Sep 2017

(of a 747) TO San Francisco. It was a blast. The mayors of every city along the route was there with his (in those days) spouse, all in evening clothes, and it was a champagne/dinner party in the air.

We were put on the plane in something of an accident, of a kind that could happen in those days, but never could now, having decided at the last minute to fly from LA to SF, in daytime dress clothes ( of the kind most people wore to fly in the "old" days ) and having run into the airport, throwing the rental car keys onto the Avis desk with the billing info, and running to the ticket counter, only to be diverted onto this flight!

msongs

(67,199 posts)
4. 747 from california to honolulu were routinely only half full for many years. the good old days when
Fri Sep 22, 2017, 03:21 PM
Sep 2017

you could lay across the center section of seats or even on the floor in the back in a late night flight when the cabin was half full and dark.

kimbutgar

(20,882 posts)
5. Just got back from Oahu on a cramped 737 plane - 3 seats on each side
Fri Sep 22, 2017, 07:04 PM
Sep 2017

I felt so smooshed and missed being spread out on the 747 plane. I loved those half empty flights!
The wide bodies are so much better on those long flights.

And easier going standby. The flight attendant told me those were the only planes flying out of SFO and LAX now. I'd live to fly on that last flight.

 

Sen. Walter Sobchak

(8,692 posts)
8. I flew to Hawaii a bunch of times as a kid on the DC-8
Thu Sep 28, 2017, 01:02 AM
Sep 2017

I don't recall it being horrific. My complaint is that the seating is uncomfortable nowadays and my butt hurts when we arrive.

Aristus

(66,096 posts)
6. My Army unit was flown from Germany down to the Gulf in 1991 on a Pan-Am 747.
Sat Sep 23, 2017, 11:27 AM
Sep 2017

Once we reached cruising altitude, the crew dropped the veneer of professionalism and threw a party for the troops. There were free snacks and sodas for everybody, the pilots allowed us to come up to the flight deck to chat and check out the instrumentation (they were blase about such incredible technology, and were more interested in our stories about crewing tanks...), and they turned the galley into a discotheque, with music, flashing lights, the works.

One of the flight attendants was from Seattle, and we hit it off. I "proposed" to her, and we held a mock wedding ceremony right there in the galley, with a male flight attendant officiating. It was a blast.

When we arrived at King Fahd International at dawn the next morning, the crew wished us well, and insisted that we boost the remaining supplies of snacks, sodas, and bottled water. "We will be very disappointed if there is anything left after you leave. Godspeed, you guys."

What an incredible memory...

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