Nov 20, 2016, 11:21 am
Last edit by: Juventini
United to retire 747 by end of 2017
Current scheduled 747 routes
Currently 14 left, retirement plan as follows(updated Aug 2017):
N127UA Owned - Exit 15-Aug-17 Age 18.0
N181UA Lease -01-Nov-17 -Exit 15-Oct-17 Lease return Age 26.0
N117UA Owned - Exit 30-Oct-17 Age 18.8
N174UA Lease- 09-Dec-17 Exit 30-Oct-17 Lease return Age 27.8
N105UA Lease- 09-Dec-17 Exit 01-Nov-17 Lease return Age 23.4
N107UA Lease- 01-Jun-18 Exit 01-Nov-17 Lease return Age 19.2
N175UA Owned - Exit 01-Nov-17 Age 27.2
N116UA Owned - Exit 10-Nov-17 Age 18.9
N118UA Owned - Exit 10-Nov-17 Age 18.7
N128UA Owned - Exit 10-Nov-17 Age 17.5
N119UA Owned - Exit 20-Nov-17 Age 18.7
N121UA Owned - Exit 20-Nov-17 Age 18.6
N178UA Lease - 01-May-18 Exit 20-Nov-17 Lease return Age 27.1
N180UA Owned - 20-Nov-17 Age 26.3
See details at United Fleet Site.
Current scheduled 747 routes
Currently 14 left, retirement plan as follows(updated Aug 2017):
N127UA Owned - Exit 15-Aug-17 Age 18.0
N181UA Lease -01-Nov-17 -Exit 15-Oct-17 Lease return Age 26.0
N117UA Owned - Exit 30-Oct-17 Age 18.8
N174UA Lease- 09-Dec-17 Exit 30-Oct-17 Lease return Age 27.8
N105UA Lease- 09-Dec-17 Exit 01-Nov-17 Lease return Age 23.4
N107UA Lease- 01-Jun-18 Exit 01-Nov-17 Lease return Age 19.2
N175UA Owned - Exit 01-Nov-17 Age 27.2
N116UA Owned - Exit 10-Nov-17 Age 18.9
N118UA Owned - Exit 10-Nov-17 Age 18.7
N128UA Owned - Exit 10-Nov-17 Age 17.5
N119UA Owned - Exit 20-Nov-17 Age 18.7
N121UA Owned - Exit 20-Nov-17 Age 18.6
N178UA Lease - 01-May-18 Exit 20-Nov-17 Lease return Age 27.1
N180UA Owned - 20-Nov-17 Age 26.3
See details at United Fleet Site.
UA to pilots: We're considering retiring all 747s by end of 2018 (Phaseout EOY 2017).
Jul 22, 2017, 8:42 am
#691
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 88
https://imgur.com/a/bBLYC (these are all my photos) ought to be just about everything (except the pictures on the *back* of the displays visible only from the travelators). Sorry about the glare 
Jul 22, 2017, 12:35 pm
#692
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Ottawa and Montreal
Programs: SPG Gold / IHG Spire / Emerald Executive Elite
Posts: 457
I'lI always remember those long passengers reservation print out at the check-in counter. They would just check your passport, scratch out your name (with a pen) from that print out. You actually paid the fare (about $115 with tax) only later, once on the airplane.
Jul 22, 2017, 3:01 pm
#693
Join Date: Feb 2012
Programs: Hertz PC
Posts: 657
Is there still a 747 flight out of ORD? Seen a United plane Wednesday at International Terminal. charter maybe?
Jul 22, 2017, 5:54 pm
#694
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: WAS/TYO
Programs: UA 1K, AA EXP (3MM), DL PM, BONVOY TITANIUM, HYATT GLOBALIST, HILTON DIAMOND, IHG DIAMOND AMB, et al
Posts: 5,913
Jul 22, 2017, 8:37 pm
#695
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: LAX, EWR, LHR
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 227
http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N...155Z/EDDF/KORD
Jul 22, 2017, 9:54 pm
#696
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: ORD
Programs: United Premier 1K , Marriot Titanium, Hilton Diamond, IHG Platinum
Posts: 114
SFO is the last place to see these old birds. At Ohare however Lufthansa parks a 747-8 everyday and I can only dream that UA picks one of those up.
Jul 23, 2017, 6:03 am
#697
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: PSM
Posts: 69,232
Jul 23, 2017, 7:20 am
#698
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: DFW
Programs: UA peon (+decades 1K), AA Exec Plt
Posts: 1,117
Jul 23, 2017, 7:36 am
#699
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: PSM
Posts: 69,232
The line will stay alive with freighters. Also, it will be the new US presidential transport option. But it would be foolish to expect any future commercial aircraft orders for it. I'm actually not sure Boeing is even marketing it. I believe the "Very Large Aircraft" segment (748/380) was revised to a 30-year prediction of zero new frames as of the Paris Air Show last month, though Airbus still has hopes for the A380.
Jul 23, 2017, 8:04 am
#700
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: DFW
Programs: UA peon (+decades 1K), AA Exec Plt
Posts: 1,117
The line will stay alive with freighters. Also, it will be the new US presidential transport option. But it would be foolish to expect any future commercial aircraft orders for it. I'm actually not sure Boeing is even marketing it. I believe the "Very Large Aircraft" segment (748/380) was revised to a 30-year prediction of zero new frames as of the Paris Air Show last month, though Airbus still has hopes for the A380.
Has Airbus recouped their initial investment in the A380?
Jul 23, 2017, 8:37 am
#701
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Portland OR & Bangkok
Programs: United GS, Marriott Ambassador
Posts: 662
Why are some older 747 (e.g. delivered 1990-92) are still in service, while newer 747 (e.g. delivered 1998) are retired? What's the logic?
Jul 23, 2017, 8:46 am
#702
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: MBS/FNT/LAN
Programs: UA 1K, HH Gold, Mariott Gold
Posts: 9,630
Jul 23, 2017, 10:35 am
#703
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Somewhere in EWR
Programs: UA GS, HH Diamond
Posts: 858
Ten years after its first flight, Brégier said it was "almost certainly introduced ten years too early". While no longer losing money on each plane sold, Airbus admits that the company will never recoup the $25 billion investment it made in the project. - Fabrice Brégier
This statement was made in 2015.
This statement was made in 2015.
Last edited by AugustusM; Jul 23, 2017 at 2:34 pm
Jul 23, 2017, 2:14 pm
#705
Join Date: Nov 2014
Programs: UA 2MM
Posts: 1,679
It will be interesting to see if Super-Jumbos (747 and A380) or similar size planes, ever have a renaissance in the future with increasing number of people flying for the first time every day, in 30 years Air China may need to fly 6x a day from PEK-PVG on a 744 due to slot constraints and the number of pax wanting to fly.