United 747 Domestic Flights
Jan 30, 2014, 8:25 pm
#31
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Ahhh Yes, the good old days
Last time there was 747 DEN- EWR service was probably one of the "predecessors"
http://www.flickr.com/photos/caribb/5402942547/
$250 for upper deck. Flew it a couple of times.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/caribb/5402942547/
$250 for upper deck. Flew it a couple of times.
Last edited by xzh445; Jan 30, 2014 at 8:35 pm
Jan 31, 2014, 10:52 am
#32
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It had to have been positioning because I don't recall United EVER having ANY of their own 747s at IAD. With that in mind, the OP probably has a minuscule better shot at an unexpected 747 if they live at a UA hub but where these airframes usually aren't. You'll probably never get surprise jumbos at SFO, EWR, ORD, or IAH because they're constantly in use, but at IAD, DEN, or CLE, someday, you might get lucky!
Jan 31, 2014, 11:10 am
#33
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I believe the 744 was a charter. I saw it arrive at EWR and it parked at the cargo area. It was met by a bunch of buses and flashing lights.
Jan 31, 2014, 12:39 pm
#34
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Sorry I was unable to... spotted it from a distance! 
I think this is/was the Broncos family charter. Typically, the teams will travel in the same aircraft they use during the regular season/playoffs (764 for the Broncos) and then a later charter flight bringing families and staff is arranged, typically with a bigger airplane, in this case a 747.
.I think this is/was the Broncos family charter. Typically, the teams will travel in the same aircraft they use during the regular season/playoffs (764 for the Broncos) and then a later charter flight bringing families and staff is arranged, typically with a bigger airplane, in this case a 747.
Feb 1, 2014, 9:24 am
#35
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I think it was a charter, too. I did a search by DEN-EWR that day and it didn't show up on the arrivals/departures page on ua.com, but when I put flight 1826 in directly it appeared.
Feb 1, 2014, 9:31 am
#36
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Feb 1, 2014, 5:16 pm
#37
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Feb 1, 2014, 5:41 pm
#38
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This experience is a bit dated, but on June 8, 2012, I was scheduled on UA951 from IAD to ORD departing around 17:30 on an A320 (I believe). When I got to the gate, a 747-400 (N177UA) was waiting for us! (You can actually verify this with RITA/BTS!) If I remember correctly, the entire upgrade list got cleared and there were still seats available in F and J.
It had to have been positioning because I don't recall United EVER having ANY of their own 747s at IAD. With that in mind, the OP probably has a minuscule better shot at an unexpected 747 if they live at a UA hub but where these airframes usually aren't. You'll probably never get surprise jumbos at SFO, EWR, ORD, or IAH because they're constantly in use, but at IAD, DEN, or CLE, someday, you might get lucky!
It had to have been positioning because I don't recall United EVER having ANY of their own 747s at IAD. With that in mind, the OP probably has a minuscule better shot at an unexpected 747 if they live at a UA hub but where these airframes usually aren't. You'll probably never get surprise jumbos at SFO, EWR, ORD, or IAH because they're constantly in use, but at IAD, DEN, or CLE, someday, you might get lucky!
Actually that's wrong.
Some years ago, both ORD-IAD and IAD-ORD had a delicated time slot for widebodies, ORD-IAD would be 1:15pm, and the return IAD-ORD would be 5:30pm, it was either 3 class 763 or 3 class 772 (that is the same time slot as yours, and I sure flew many UA 951 on a 3 class 777 !). Then around 2003-04, it was switched to 744 at that same time slots, and I even remembered the flight number was UA 382/383. (there was a thread on FT in the PMUA forum about this too) I did buy a efare ticket to fly both outbound and inbound on this short 744 segment, and also used 2x e-500 to upgrade to C. Back then UA still serve meals for this pair of cities during meal times, it was a cold chicken breast plate with some potatoes.
sUA did use 744 to fly int'l out of IAD as well, either 1 or 2 flights a day, I know one was IAD-PEK, and the other was IAD-FRA ??? I can't remember for sure.
Feb 2, 2014, 10:14 pm
#40
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Correct one of them was IAD-FRA in summer time. This included the 744 flying IAD-LAX in the evening arriving around 8h00 p.m. and then going on to SYD later that night. LAX-IAD in the morning around 8h00 a.m. was a 744 as well in summer time. IIRC, the flight numbers were UA 946/947 and/or 950/951. The former was a thru flight AMS, the latter to BRU.
Feb 2, 2014, 11:03 pm
#41
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UA charter 747, typically used for US military personnel transport
photo
http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N194UA
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...ts-2012-a.html
Feb 3, 2014, 12:16 pm
#42
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Correct one of them was IAD-FRA in summer time. This included the 744 flying IAD-LAX in the evening arriving around 8h00 p.m. and then going on to SYD later that night. LAX-IAD in the morning around 8h00 a.m. was a 744 as well in summer time. IIRC, the flight numbers were UA 946/947 and/or 950/951. The former was a thru flight AMS, the latter to BRU.
Feb 3, 2014, 5:22 pm
#43
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Feb 3, 2014, 6:56 pm
#44
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Watched a B747 take off on 4L today out of EWR at approx 1530 Eastern Time. Not sure if the Broncos were on the plane or if it was extra lift to somewhere other than Denver because UA's schedule didn't have a 747 to DEN.
I caught a pic of it on my iPhone from the plane I was sitting in but because of the crappy weather the window was covered in water droplets.
Only thing interest to note: this was the first aircraft to use 4L after they re-opened it due to snow removal. EWR was using 4R for takeoff and landing up until this point (for at least an hour before the 747 took off).
-RM
I caught a pic of it on my iPhone from the plane I was sitting in but because of the crappy weather the window was covered in water droplets.
Only thing interest to note: this was the first aircraft to use 4L after they re-opened it due to snow removal. EWR was using 4R for takeoff and landing up until this point (for at least an hour before the 747 took off).
-RM
Feb 3, 2014, 7:59 pm
#45
Join Date: Aug 2013
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Watched a B747 take off on 4L today out of EWR at approx 1530 Eastern Time. Not sure if the Broncos were on the plane or if it was extra lift to somewhere other than Denver because UA's schedule didn't have a 747 to DEN.
I caught a pic of it on my iPhone from the plane I was sitting in but because of the crappy weather the window was covered in water droplets.
Only thing interest to note: this was the first aircraft to use 4L after they re-opened it due to snow removal. EWR was using 4R for takeoff and landing up until this point (for at least an hour before the 747 took off).
-RM
I caught a pic of it on my iPhone from the plane I was sitting in but because of the crappy weather the window was covered in water droplets.
Only thing interest to note: this was the first aircraft to use 4L after they re-opened it due to snow removal. EWR was using 4R for takeoff and landing up until this point (for at least an hour before the 747 took off).
-RM
Supposedly the AC flew in from IAD, which I found interesting because I don't think 47s are too common there either.