All I want for Christmas is a 747 to HNL
 

It's close enough to the Christmas season that I'm wondering when, or if, a 747 will again make its appearance in the SFO-HNL timetable during the peak holiday travel days?

Last year, I missed the 747's operation by one day and had to make do with a 777, which was very nice too. But with the 747's days of flying for United winding down, I wonder whether there's a chance I could catch one from Honolulu back to the mainland this holiday season?

Does anyone recall when these special up-guages were introduced to the timetable last year? Any predictions on whether Santa might bring those of us in the 50th state for Christmas an upper-deck 747 ride home?

Is O'ahu (HNL) the only island that gets or ever got the 747?

I never had noticed it going even there, but you've now got me dreaming.

It would be pretty surprising to see UA scheduled 744 service to any of the other Hawaiian Islands. Where else can it even work operationally anyways? KOA I suppose - Kalitta goes there with 747s, wonder where else.

It was cool to see the 747s last year, but as a coach flyer I was plenty happy with admiring them in HNL and flying something else, lol.

I don't think KOA or OGG work, but they can do a 777 into OGG, so maybe?! As I said—dreaming. :p

(edit: and they sell it out ORD-OGG)

HNL-NRT-SFO/ORD gets you on the 747 :)

If our 777 to SFO is oversold or goes mx, I'll keep that alternate routing in mind!

When they aren't using 777s (or 787s briefly last year) on HNL-NRT.

As mentioned above, Kalitta goes to Kona with a 747. Saw it when I was last there. A charter out of Minnesota, or Michigan...someplace up there. A regular occurrence, from what I heard.

Back in the day, i used to sit upper deck 747 sfo-koa. Those were the days!
 

Supposedly LIH is extending one runway by 850ft, so that would open up a ton of possibilities.

I love the 747, great airplane, sorry to see it phased out. I will say the Dreamliner is an amazing plane, quite, comfortable and smooth; I think it's becoming my new favorite bird.

747 is becoming UA's not-favorite bird, by the maintenance issues we seem to see.

But then, the same could be said for the 789s as well these past few months...

Festivus miracle?
 

I just saw that Monday's morning 1175 SFO-HNL and afternoon flight back, UA 724, is showing 747

So there is hope yet for those of us traveling on these flights closer to Christmas and New Year's!

I wonder how long ago this equipment change was made?

I believe in miracles!

The change must have occurred this morning. I saw the seat map for a 747, with a 777 header. Interestingly Y was zeroed out, but F and J were wide open for about an hour. I hope this will happen next week!

It's N197UA - http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N197UA

772 HI config carries 344 (per seatguru) vs 744 of 374 people. From the seat map (with its acknowledged limitations), there are 12 unassigned seats.