United's final 747 flight sells out in hours | Hacker News Reader

United's final 747 flight sells out in hours

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27 pointshodgesrm18 comments

My father was a pilot for United. I remember in the mid-1970's getting to fly a 747 LAX to Honolulu first class. This was when the upper deck was a piano bar for the enjoyment of the 1st Class passengers. It was magical.

Since we were flying in passes, I think we paid something like $30 a person.

I was so disappointed when the return flight found us in the far back of the horrific 3rd class smoking section.

I'm so glad you mentioned the piano bar. I too remember 747 flights as a child and being amazed that there could be a piano bar on an airplane. I mentioned this to my parents a few months ago and they didn't remember it, or even believe it was possible. I had begun to doubt my own memory, thanks for that!

'business class seats in the upper deck or “bubble” were not sold so everyone can climb up the stairs for a final look-see.'

This is a nice move on their part.

It's sad to see dwindling number of 747 in airline fleet. 747-8 lives on, but it's more popular as a cargo variant.

It will always be the most beautiful passenger jet ever made.

I love it, that's great.

Still trying to get upstairs on a Qantas 747 before they are all gone.. haven't had any luck on upgrades so far :(

Someone was kind enough to tape it :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJUiUaMXi9M

Agreed, the 747 is a marvelous feat of both engineering and design.

But the fall of the 747 (and the A380) is a canary for the best possible improvement in passenger comfort since the 1970s, and that's the upcoming demise of the hub-and-spoke model in favor of point-to-point flying. I will personally trade 8 hours of my life in cramped seating for the untold number of hours I've spent dealing with connections at crowded/unfamiliar airports and the incompetence of the airlines at connecting me to my destination on time.

Not to mention the horrendous safety standards of the regional contractors that keep the hub-and-spoke model spinning.

Me too. I always go for non-stop if one is available, even if it costs 400-500 more. I really hate getting on and off airplane once I'm settled in. So much so, I pick window seat to avoid getting up for people sitting next to me.

It's a shame because I actually looove take off... so I wouldn't mind experiencing more of that for the price of one ticket. :-)

> Not to mention the horrendous safety standards of the regional contractors that keep the hub-and-spoke model spinning.

I can't see that get better with more point to point connections. Planes will get to full bases with own engineering less often, not more...

Statistically speaking, even the least safe airline is very safe compared to just about any other form of transportation.

Awe man, I'll really miss the 747 as I grew up overseas so flying these 6-8x a year was a joy. I remember being a little kid and getting to go up the stairs to the top level to see the cockpit and being in awe of the size. It helped spur my interest in aviation. For those wondering, one of the bigger changes in aviation which hurt the 747 and put the nail in the coffin was the change to ETOPS rules. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ETOPS) -- now that you can do the US -> Europe/Asia and other routes in a twin engine vs the four of a 747, it has become so much cheaper to operate anything but a 747.

I don't know much about commercial planes and I've never flown commercial so forgive my ignorance, but I assume that the 4 engines of the 747 allow for redundancy in case of engine failure in long overseas flights? And is there any sort of redundancy in 2 engine jets and if so, to what degree?

ETOPS is the min distance / flying time you can be away from a suitable airport with only one engine operational. In the past you couldn't take a two engine jet over the ocean or had to fly a far north arc to ensure you were close enough to land. The 747 had increased etops as it had four engines so losing thrust in one or more was not as big of a deal. Now that we have years of data related to twin engine performance we now have etops 180 which allows us to take twins across the Atlantic. I write this sitting on a 777 heading to Europe flying a route that 40 years ago wouldn't have been allowed.

Thanks for your answer. I didn't know single-engine operation in a 2-engine jet was even a possibility. Planes are so crazy.

So much for the boycott http://edition.cnn.com/2017/04/11/asia/united-passenger-drag...

The 747 upper deck was United's best business-class product by far. Shame to see it go.

I consider the 747 to be the pinnacle of human achievement. It represents the work of scientists, engineers, regulators, managers, urban planners, mechanics, designers, and everyone else whose work has been required to make a metal tube weighing 50 elephants to go seven miles up into the sky with the safety of walking down the street, and at the cost of a few hundred dollars in some cases.

And, of course, in the case of the 747, the artistry behind the glorious dolphin-like aesthetics.

Here's an idea: Buy a 747 from United. Run "nostalgia" flights on popular routes - not every day, but several times a year.

A slightly cheaper option would be the "Pan Am Experience" in Los Angeles.

The Experience uses a replica 747 cabin (used in Hollywood productions) and serves a full dinner course with everyone in vintage Pan Am uniforms.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bbRiVuyfDg

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