Jumbo Jet nostalgia (Telegraph article)
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Europe
Programs: Costa Coffee
Posts: 112
Jumbo Jet nostalgia (Telegraph article)
An article in the Telegraph on the slow demise of the beloved Jumbo Jet might be of interest to some readers here.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/news/slow-death-747-where-are-they-now/
The relevance to this forum is that BA has the largest remaining fleet.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/news/slow-death-747-where-are-they-now/
The relevance to this forum is that BA has the largest remaining fleet.
Last edited by Amygdala28; Jan 6, 2018 at 6:37 am Reason: insert hyperlink
#6
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: UK. BAEC AAdvantage
Programs: Mucci Des Oeufs Brouilles et des Canards
Posts: 3,668
No longer used for passenger flights, but if Wikipedia and other sources are correct,still used by their cargo arm.
#7
Join Date: May 2007
Programs: BA GFL. AA EXP. Amex Plat. Mucci.
Posts: 187
About 1,500 Boeing 747s were ever built. About 500 are still flying, but increasingly the use is for cargo. Not a single North American carrier now uses the 747 for passenger travel (the last was a Delta flight a few days ago).
#9
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: London
Programs: Sir Ratechaser Seigneur de la Patience d'un Saint (Mucci), BA Silver, Starbucks Gold
Posts: 2,514
Always loved being on a 747 to/from the Caribbean, or anywhere else where you get to use steps rather than an airbridge. Magnificent beasts. Think my Easter flights to MBJ with Virgin will give me that pleasure again...
And at the risk of straying OT on the BA board, the Virgin J layout in the nose of their old LHR 747s was definitely one of my favourites. Acres of aisle space!
And at the risk of straying OT on the BA board, the Virgin J layout in the nose of their old LHR 747s was definitely one of my favourites. Acres of aisle space!
#11
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 740
#12
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Brighton, UK
Programs: BA Gold, IC Ambassador, HH Gold, SPG Gold, Fairmont Platinum
Posts: 3,166
Two things strike me here - since the introduction of the 747 nearly 50 years ago airline speeds have got no faster and what progress there has been has revolved around fuel efficiency and passenger density.
You could argue that both result from the fuel crisis of the mid-70s which put fuel efficiency on the agenda.
However, it also seems to me that airline design must be a pretty larthegic business, if the current iteration of a 50 year old design really is not worse than any modern design and in many ways better.
To my mind much of this is down to how airlines fit out planes, but I personally really enjoy F and UD CW on BA’s 747s. I have absolutely no fondness for F or CW on 777s, A380, 757s, or 767s. I’ve not tried 787s, but I can’t imagine it is a better experience that a 747.
The shame about this are so many idiots crave the new for novelty’s sake that this skews business decisions and leads to the better option being discontinued. It’s a shame that the latest 747-900s (?) didn’t cut it in the market. Now we are doomed to an endless cycle of fashion chasing nonsense, like you get in the pub industry. This week XYZ’s business seat will be so good it bets anyone’s F; next week it will be pass. Meanwhile, perfectly good airframes will be sitting in deserts awaiting scrapage.
You could argue that both result from the fuel crisis of the mid-70s which put fuel efficiency on the agenda.
However, it also seems to me that airline design must be a pretty larthegic business, if the current iteration of a 50 year old design really is not worse than any modern design and in many ways better.
To my mind much of this is down to how airlines fit out planes, but I personally really enjoy F and UD CW on BA’s 747s. I have absolutely no fondness for F or CW on 777s, A380, 757s, or 767s. I’ve not tried 787s, but I can’t imagine it is a better experience that a 747.
The shame about this are so many idiots crave the new for novelty’s sake that this skews business decisions and leads to the better option being discontinued. It’s a shame that the latest 747-900s (?) didn’t cut it in the market. Now we are doomed to an endless cycle of fashion chasing nonsense, like you get in the pub industry. This week XYZ’s business seat will be so good it bets anyone’s F; next week it will be pass. Meanwhile, perfectly good airframes will be sitting in deserts awaiting scrapage.
#13
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 140
Does anyone have any experinces of touring the "graveyards". We are traveling from California to Arizona next month and I see there is one in Mojave that you can drive past to view from the road but more excitingly you can get a tour of the one in Tucson (Tour Boneyard)
We were planning to stay North of phoenix (grand canyon, monument valley - yes I know it will be cold) but now I'm wondering if it's worth a slight change of plans to try to make it down to Tucson...
We were planning to stay North of phoenix (grand canyon, monument valley - yes I know it will be cold) but now I'm wondering if it's worth a slight change of plans to try to make it down to Tucson...
#14
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: UK, Peak District near MAN
Programs: BA- blue, BD,DL
Posts: 2,027
Two things strike me here - since the introduction of the 747 nearly 50 years ago airline speeds have got no faster and what progress there has been has revolved around fuel efficiency and passenger density.
You could argue that both result from the fuel crisis of the mid-70s which put fuel efficiency on the agenda.
However, it also seems to me that airline design must be a pretty larthegic business, if the current iteration of a 50 year old design really is not worse than any modern design and in many ways better.
To my mind much of this is down to how airlines fit out planes, but I personally really enjoy F and UD CW on BAs 747s. I have absolutely no fondness for F or CW on 777s, A380, 757s, or 767s. Ive not tried 787s, but I cant imagine it is a better experience that a 747.
The shame about this are so many idiots crave the new for noveltys sake that this skews business decisions and leads to the better option being discontinued. Its a shame that the latest 747-900s (?) didnt cut it in the market. Now we are doomed to an endless cycle of fashion chasing nonsense, like you get in the pub industry. This week XYZs business seat will be so good it bets anyones F; next week it will be pass. Meanwhile, perfectly good airframes will be sitting in deserts awaiting scrapage.
You could argue that both result from the fuel crisis of the mid-70s which put fuel efficiency on the agenda.
However, it also seems to me that airline design must be a pretty larthegic business, if the current iteration of a 50 year old design really is not worse than any modern design and in many ways better.
To my mind much of this is down to how airlines fit out planes, but I personally really enjoy F and UD CW on BAs 747s. I have absolutely no fondness for F or CW on 777s, A380, 757s, or 767s. Ive not tried 787s, but I cant imagine it is a better experience that a 747.
The shame about this are so many idiots crave the new for noveltys sake that this skews business decisions and leads to the better option being discontinued. Its a shame that the latest 747-900s (?) didnt cut it in the market. Now we are doomed to an endless cycle of fashion chasing nonsense, like you get in the pub industry. This week XYZs business seat will be so good it bets anyones F; next week it will be pass. Meanwhile, perfectly good airframes will be sitting in deserts awaiting scrapage.