Comment by iso1631 | Hacker News Reader

Comment by iso1631 | Hacker News Reader

Flown 39 times on a BA 747 to 3 continents in all 4 classes. One flight in Feb 2014 I remember from Mumbai had water pouring from the ceiling on me on takeoff. the planes felt old then. Most recent flight was down to Nairobi and back in 2018, they've been really showing their age for a long time, especially compared with the A350 and 787s I've been flying more recently on Qatar.

But even the objectively superior business class on QR's new planes can't compare with climbing the stairs to the top deck, sitting in 64A [0] with the table and bins next to you for your flight. I first did this in September 2012, on a flight from Moscow to Heathrow. While we were coming in over the North sea I gave the at-seat phone a go -- it still worked (I think they were removed from service a while ago), certainly an experience at the time to be able to talk to someone from mid-air.

My wife and I had a weekend to Seatle in 2014, and bagged seat 1A and 1K at the very nose[1]. I think the 747 is the only plane you can get where you fly in front of the pilot (the A380 cockpit is at the front), and a unique experience.

I wasn't really flying when Concorde was around, and I've always regretted not flying it, but I'm glad I managed to experience both the upper deck and the nosecone on a 747.

(Oh yes, BA's 747 was one of the few planes I've flown on with a window in the toilet)

[0] https://21stcenturyjourneys.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/dsc0...

[1] https://scottmcgee.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/11-ba747-larg...

I've flown on the 747 only twice.

The last time was just this year before COVID hit, when a Storm Ciara shut down down London Heathrow for 2 days. I 'volunteered' to postpone my flight without making a fuss, since I absolutely didn't mind extending my v̶a̶c̶a̶t̶i̶o̶n̶ business trip by a couple of days.

Though I was half expecting, half wishing for it, BA bumped me up to business class and that too on the upper deck. I like to think they did that because of the inconvenience they thought they subjected me to. It wasn't a window seat but I couldn't care less. There are only 5 rows of seats upstairs, so it really did feel like being in a private jet, with 2 attendants just for those 5 rows. Especially since the upper deck is a comfortable 2-2 configuration with an extra wide aisle, as opposed to the packed 2-4-2 configuration on the lower deck, even for business class. [1]

That was my last flight this year and I'm grateful that I could have been lucky enough to experience this before the 747s were retired; now I'm left wondering how flying again in economy would feel like having experienced this.

[1] https://www.seatguru.com/airlines/British_Airways/British_Ai...

I haven't experienced nosecone on a 747, but have done the Concorde. My partner at the time (1996) worked for BA, and they were struggling to fill the seats for most trips. You probably know, but the BA service was 100 seats, and entirely first class.

The trip was LHR to JFK.

Pricing was ludicrous -- I think around AUD $600 (one way). This would have been 10% of list. The joys of ID90.

I have a handful of recollections. Most of the seats were empty. I could not stand fully upright in the aisle (I'm 188cm, or ~ 6'2"). Breakfast was delicious, and it was five courses. The whole flight was very noisy. At cruising altitude I was sure I was seeing curvature of the planet (I concede this may have been wishful thinking, or an artefact of the windows).

It was about four hours, and you really did land before you took off, on that particular leg.

At the time - young & holidaying - this wasn't as big a deal as it would have been in more recent years, when work obligations transformed travel from enchantingly wondrous, to onerous obligation.

> At cruising altitude I was sure I was seeing curvature of the planet (I concede this may have been wishful thinking, or an artefact of the windows).

Many people have reported this, and it's widely publicised so perhaps not so wishful! https://www.ft.com/content/8a96c13e-2623-11e9-b20d-5376ca521... - for example.

What do you mean by seeing a curve? If I look at the Earth from the top of a mountain I see a curved horizon, same if I look at it from The Moon.

I've had water pour on my on a BA 747. Was quite a few years ago but it's caused by condensation which then finds a way out when the plane takes off and tilts upwards.

This happened to me on an emirates A380, but on landing. The timing was comical because immediately after touching down (and being rained on) the entertainment screen prompts you to rate your flight.

Yes it's condensation and happens on every airliner, but the water is normally contained by the thermal insulation and runs behinds the panels down to the bilge area (at the bottom of the fuselage barrel). Some issues in the insulation condition or installation can result in water dropping in the cabin.

Interesting, thanks! Did always wonder why sometimes you can hear some running water in the panels. I always assumed it was something on the outside of the plane.

On a flight from LAX to China, I saw condensation of nearly a gallon of water pour out of an overhead compartment and drench a row of seats. The flight was full, and the soaked people had to stay put.

Virgin still have 747s with the nose configuration AFAIK, and it felt pretty modern to me. It's unreal how quiet and smooth the ride is in the front of a 747. Well worth the experience.

Virgin retired its 747s in May:

https://thepointsguy.com/news/virgin-retires-747s-closes-lgw...

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