N104UA

That was right after UA took over the PA routes, they had to get them into service so quick that they couldn't do a full repaint.

AZjohns

My United 747 story of maybe 7 years ago SFO-LHR.

Strange, but out of all the international flights I have flown, seven years ago was the first flight on a 747. I love aviation and aircrafts and was so excited to finally get to fly a 747 and luckily got a UG to the upper deck (when I was a 1K).

I boarded and climbed the stairs and sat down with a smile on my face from ear to ear. Flight attendant came to me and said, “you sure look happy today”, and I replied the first sentence I wrote above (first time in a 747). She didn’t say anything and just turned around and walked away.

5 minutes later she came back to me with a very serious straight face and said, “Mr. AZjohns would you please get up and follow me”. I thought oh damn, what did I do now? So I got up and followed her the front of the plane. At the open cockpit door she said to the pilot crew, Captain this is Mr. AZjohns I told you about. The pilot got up and with the warmest smile he welcomed me onboard and said I understand this is finally the first opportunity you got to fly on a 747 and shook my hand.

He proceeded to tell me to sit is his chair and check it out. He then proceeded to explain all the controls and share stories of all his experiences flying the 747. I was truly like a small child in a candy shop and couldn’t believe this was happening (this was post 9/11). 10 minutes later I finally ask him "isn’t time we took off”? He said whenever you think it’s time you just give me the word. We all chuckled and I got out of his seat and thank the crew for their time doing this as this is something I will always remember.

Just wanted to share this on this specific thread because I think it is a great way to one last time to shared experiences on United’s 747.

Cheers,
John

DCA writer

If you don't count flying United from HKG to LAX in 1998 after NW went on strike and rebooked me on UA--or any earlier flights that I don't remember--my formal introduction to UA's 747s dates to 2007, when my wife and I flew the Queen of the Skies from IAD to PEK. And got an op-up to C! I'm probably never going to top that.

After a return from PEK in Y (which I somehow didn't mind so much) and an IAD-SFO flight the next year that got upgauged (ugh, why did I not try to upgrade it?), I only enjoyed United's 747s as a spectator at ORD and SFO. But this May, I finally had a chance to fly the Queen one more time... and my GPU cleared less than two days in advance, allowing me to snag the last seat available on the upper deck. The takeoff was magnificent, and the next 12 hours were pretty great too.

UA_Flyer

Yes, that is the 747SP. A totla of 45 were built.

Pan Am had 11 of them, and they were transferred to United in 1986 when UA purchased Pan Am's transpacfic routes. IIRC, one of them was later sold to Braniff Air. 747SPs were used on routes to HK, Tokyo, London and San Paulo-Rio, and certain Transcon routes (such as MIA-SFO route which I took my first ever United 747 and it was also an SP).

The last United 747SP in service was N147UA (N538PA?), and I beleive it was retired in April, 2001...after entering services with Pan Am in May, 1978.

BThumme

Having never been on a UA 747, I'm about ready to book SFO-ICN-SFO to fly the last two flights it will ever have. I have no way to get into the upper deck, as business is sold out the last flight and the SFO-ICN is about 3k, but am interested in doing this if it is indeed the last flight.

It's slightly frustrating that United seems pretty quiet about what the final days of the 747 will hold - will it get a final "farewell" flight? Or a trip around the US LAX-SFO-DEN-EWR-IAD-IAH?

With that said, wondering if flyertalk would be interested in a 747 DO on board or in ICN for a day (probably before) the last ICN-SFO flight Oct 29th. Would be awesome if United could arrange something for us AV geeks. I would love to see what its like from seat 1A/K, the upper deck, or a chance to see the 747 cockpit.

rflor

Reading this thread, I realize how lucky I've been to be an ORD-based flier. I took the 747 for granted flying back and forth to FRA since the late 90s.

My kids' 2nd international flight was on a UA 747 FRA-ORD in 2014. Now it's even more special for them.

Fredd

What great photos! Flying the 744 has been something special and we've enjoyed our preferred mini-cabin on the upper deck many times over the past 15 years. We don't fly UA that much these days but earlier this year we flew UA59 FRA-SFO in 1A and 1K, the "best seats in the sky" as our terrific purser described them and a very nice finale.

BH62

IIRC, our first 747 flights were a couple in 2010, SFO-SYD in the knee-grinding bulkhead row (19) in E+, but then have had a span of 1k years & somewhere around 30 TPAC legs in Business, the vast majority in a 747 Upper Deck. Latest was earlier this year (ICN-SFO Upper Deck) ... didn't realize until recently that it was our valedictory 747 experience. Farewell ... it was great while it lasted. Wondering if other carriers will be still be using 747s or turning to that great big Airbus? Oh wait, aren't the new POTUS planes 747s ?

Dublin_rfk

My first eight or ten experiences with the Queen started back in 1984 With Virgin Atlantic (RT 199usd). Those where the days early on Virgin flights were packed to the last seat or empty. On EWR to LGW flight the FA's moved everyone to first - all six of us! Then in the 90's it was SFO or LAX to SYD for another dozen or so before moving on to bi-monthly ORD NRT runs. Even a couple of runs with the +1 her first Queen and UD on ORD NRT and ORD HNL. Now in her fading daze of glory I'm down to chasing routes with an extra leg or two. I have two chances left (with UA) Sept PHL-SFO-ICN-BKK-unknown return and Oct PHL-SFO-ICN-HND-SFO-PHL. In a year or so if the bug bites again I'll have to climb aboard an LH -800.

UA_Flyer

Boeing and Air Force just signed a deal to convert two exisitng 748s to Air Force One

Ironically, the two existing 748s were ordered and built for a now bankrupt Russian Airlines, Transaero.

1120

This is a great thread. A family member of mine (since deceased) was one of the four Boeing employees on the original 747 patent. This group went on to win the Sperry award.

I'm more than a little biased, but I've always thought the 747 was remarkably graceful for its size.

That said, these guys (Boeing engineers) were not a group prone to being sentimental; you can only upgrade a given design so many times before it becomes obsolete.

DenverBrian

What, ORD is chopped liver?

LAX-IAH-EWR-ORD-IAD-DEN-SFO makes more sense to me as a trip 'round the US.

BThumme

Not sure how dropped that. But yes. I would gladly pay 5-900 ish to fly a one way SFO midcon/transcon in the UD.

zoegksf

Same here as a SFO based flyer. I can't even begin to count the times I have been on some version of the 747 from here. HNL,ORD,DEN,IAD,LAX,FRA,NRT,HKG (old and new)SIN,JFK - probably more. I have never experienced a smoother ride in the sky. I even will miss the little "wobble" it does right after take off. Never did figure out what it was. Cheers pretty lady!^

gengar

I definitely took the 747 design for granted until the A380 came out.