Sep 18, 2017, 1:29 pm
Last edit by: expert7700
News Release Issued: September 18, 2017 (3:17pm EDT)
"Friend Ship" Will Recreate the Journey of the First United 747 Flight from 1970
United's final international 747 flight from Seoul to San Francisco departs October 29
CHICAGO, Sept. 18, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- In celebration of United Airlines retiring the Boeing 747 from its fleet, United flight 747, on Tuesday, Nov. 7 from San Francisco to Honolulu will be the airline's farewell flight to the 747 fleet.
This journey will serve as the ultimate throwback for customers, employees and invited guests as it recreates the first 747 flight operated by United in 1970. From a 1970s-inspired menu to retro uniforms for flight attendants to inflight entertainment befitting of that first flight, passengers will help send the Queen of the Skies off in true style. The original United 747 aircraft that first made this journey from San Francisco to Honolulu was named the "Friend Ship," the same name bestowed on this farewell flight.
Seats on this special, one-way trip, United flight 747, are available for purchase now at united.com or through the United app. The seats in the upper deck will not be sold, giving all guests the opportunity to spend time in this iconic space.
Customers seated in United Polaris first class and United Polaris business class will be entered into a drawing that will take place at the gate prior to boarding for an opportunity to occupy one of a select number of seats in the upper deck during the flight.
The journey will begin with a gate celebration at 9 a.m. local time at San Francisco International Airport, featuring a Boeing 747 gallery, remarks from United employees and executives, as well as refreshments. The flight will depart San Francisco International Airport at 11 a.m. local time, landing at Honolulu International Airport at 2:45 p.m. local time. Upon landing in Honolulu, local employees will welcome the aircraft with final festivities to close out the historic day. Customers and fans of the Queen of the Skies are encouraged to use the #UA747Farewell hashtag in social media posts.
United and the Boeing 747 through the Years
April 13, 1966: Boeing announces it will build a 490-passenger 747 transport. Construction is set to begin in June on a new plant in Everett, Washington.
January 3, 1967: The first production workers for the 747 program arrive in Everett. The 50,000 who would produce the world's largest civilian airplane were known as The Incredibles, and they earned the label by bringing the Jumbo Jet dream to reality in only 16 months.
September 30, 1968: The first Boeing 747-100, City of Everett, is rolled out at their Washington plant, painted with the insignias of the 27 airlines that had already ordered the aircraft including United.
February 9, 1969: The Boeing 747-100 makes its first flight.
January 21, 1970: The Boeing 747 makes its first commercial flight from New York to London for Pan American World Airways.
June 26, 1970: Continental Airlines becomes one of the first carriers to put the Boeing 747 into U.S. domestic service, flying from Chicago to Los Angeles and onward to Honolulu.
June 26, 1970: United Airlines receives its first Boeing 747-100 complete with a christening ceremony fit for a luxury liner.
July 23, 1970: United makes its first Boeing 747 commercial flight, with a trip from San Francisco to Honolulu.
January 1977: A modified Boeing 747-100 is delivered to NASA to serve as a carrier vehicle for the Space Shuttle.
April 22, 1985: United announces its plan to acquire Pan Am's Pacific routes, as well as 11 Boeing 747SP planes. The 747SPs feature a 48-foot-shorter body and fly higher, faster, and farther than standard 747 models.
January 29-30, 1988: Friendship One, a Boeing 747SP owned by United Airlines, sets the around-the-world air speed record of 36 hours, 54 minutes, and 15 seconds. This special flight raises $500,000 for children's charities through the Friendship Foundation. Tickets cost a minimum of $5,000, and special guest passengers included astronaut Neil Armstrong, famed test pilots Bob Hoover and Lieutenant General Laurence C. Craigie, and Moya Lear, the widow of Lear Jet founder Bill Lear.
June, 1989: United Airlines receives their first Boeing 747-400 which provides increased range.
August 23, 1990: The first of two modified Boeing 747-200Bs is delivered to the Air Force for presidential transport. Better known as Air Force One, these planes still serve the president today, having replaced the Boeing 707-320Bs that had served as the presidential aircraft for almost 30 years.
September 1996: A 747SP previously flown by United is transformed into NASA's SOFIA, or Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, which carries a 17-ton, 8-foot-wide infrared telescope mounted behind an enormous sliding door.
June 28, 2014: Boeing delivers the 1,500th 747 to come off the production line. The 747 aircraft is the world's first wide-body airplane in history to reach the 1,500 production units milestone.
January 11, 2017: United announces that it will retire the Boeing 747-400 fleet in the last quarter of 2017.
July 28, 2017: United schedules a special domestic flight from Chicago O'Hare to San Francisco to allow more people to say farewell to the Queen of the Skies.
October 29, 2017: United flies its last international 747 flight from Seoul to San Francisco.
November 7, 2017: United celebrates the retirement of the Boeing 747 with a fitting full-circle moment. A special retro event sees the aircraft flying from San Francisco to Honolulu—a nod to its first-ever flight back in 1970.
Flight Status Link
(May require multiple attempts to load; close and re-click if website errors.)
FT Handle -- seat (optional)
ORD4R - 2A
tcdtcd and son - 450pm return to ORD - 2K/3K
kevanyalowitz - 3H (will trade for 1A/K!)
jdivenere - 4A
UA1flyer - 4C
CO FF - 6K (return to LAX on HA2 @ 3:45pm or UA 534 @ 9:45pm)
ctownflyer - 7A
JSpira - 9K
EWR764 - 19G - return @ 420pm to EWR UA62
ChiTownMuggle - 20D
Ruhr - 20H
pushmyredbutton - 20K
greg99 - 21D
BThumme - 22A - return @ 945pm to LAX
goldelite8 - 22G
Trijet1011 - 24A
MRY Flyer +1 - 24 H&J
Cybertronic - 25H
Sykes - 33C
ZRS70 - 33H
eklapper - 34A
plc44 - 34K
Pat89339 - 35C
CaptKornDog - 36C
eap+1 - 40HK
ual763 - 51k
expert7700 - 36K
Seatmap below shows FTers in red. Valid as of 11/6.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/rrwq0gdcdb...FTers.jpg?dl=0
SCROLL DOWN FOR LIST OF FLYERTALK MEMBERS ON THIS FLIGHT
"Friend Ship" Will Recreate the Journey of the First United 747 Flight from 1970
United's final international 747 flight from Seoul to San Francisco departs October 29
CHICAGO, Sept. 18, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- In celebration of United Airlines retiring the Boeing 747 from its fleet, United flight 747, on Tuesday, Nov. 7 from San Francisco to Honolulu will be the airline's farewell flight to the 747 fleet.
This journey will serve as the ultimate throwback for customers, employees and invited guests as it recreates the first 747 flight operated by United in 1970. From a 1970s-inspired menu to retro uniforms for flight attendants to inflight entertainment befitting of that first flight, passengers will help send the Queen of the Skies off in true style. The original United 747 aircraft that first made this journey from San Francisco to Honolulu was named the "Friend Ship," the same name bestowed on this farewell flight.
Seats on this special, one-way trip, United flight 747, are available for purchase now at united.com or through the United app. The seats in the upper deck will not be sold, giving all guests the opportunity to spend time in this iconic space.
Customers seated in United Polaris first class and United Polaris business class will be entered into a drawing that will take place at the gate prior to boarding for an opportunity to occupy one of a select number of seats in the upper deck during the flight.
The journey will begin with a gate celebration at 9 a.m. local time at San Francisco International Airport, featuring a Boeing 747 gallery, remarks from United employees and executives, as well as refreshments. The flight will depart San Francisco International Airport at 11 a.m. local time, landing at Honolulu International Airport at 2:45 p.m. local time. Upon landing in Honolulu, local employees will welcome the aircraft with final festivities to close out the historic day. Customers and fans of the Queen of the Skies are encouraged to use the #UA747Farewell hashtag in social media posts.
United and the Boeing 747 through the Years
April 13, 1966: Boeing announces it will build a 490-passenger 747 transport. Construction is set to begin in June on a new plant in Everett, Washington.
January 3, 1967: The first production workers for the 747 program arrive in Everett. The 50,000 who would produce the world's largest civilian airplane were known as The Incredibles, and they earned the label by bringing the Jumbo Jet dream to reality in only 16 months.
September 30, 1968: The first Boeing 747-100, City of Everett, is rolled out at their Washington plant, painted with the insignias of the 27 airlines that had already ordered the aircraft including United.
February 9, 1969: The Boeing 747-100 makes its first flight.
January 21, 1970: The Boeing 747 makes its first commercial flight from New York to London for Pan American World Airways.
June 26, 1970: Continental Airlines becomes one of the first carriers to put the Boeing 747 into U.S. domestic service, flying from Chicago to Los Angeles and onward to Honolulu.
June 26, 1970: United Airlines receives its first Boeing 747-100 complete with a christening ceremony fit for a luxury liner.
July 23, 1970: United makes its first Boeing 747 commercial flight, with a trip from San Francisco to Honolulu.
January 1977: A modified Boeing 747-100 is delivered to NASA to serve as a carrier vehicle for the Space Shuttle.
April 22, 1985: United announces its plan to acquire Pan Am's Pacific routes, as well as 11 Boeing 747SP planes. The 747SPs feature a 48-foot-shorter body and fly higher, faster, and farther than standard 747 models.
January 29-30, 1988: Friendship One, a Boeing 747SP owned by United Airlines, sets the around-the-world air speed record of 36 hours, 54 minutes, and 15 seconds. This special flight raises $500,000 for children's charities through the Friendship Foundation. Tickets cost a minimum of $5,000, and special guest passengers included astronaut Neil Armstrong, famed test pilots Bob Hoover and Lieutenant General Laurence C. Craigie, and Moya Lear, the widow of Lear Jet founder Bill Lear.
June, 1989: United Airlines receives their first Boeing 747-400 which provides increased range.
August 23, 1990: The first of two modified Boeing 747-200Bs is delivered to the Air Force for presidential transport. Better known as Air Force One, these planes still serve the president today, having replaced the Boeing 707-320Bs that had served as the presidential aircraft for almost 30 years.
September 1996: A 747SP previously flown by United is transformed into NASA's SOFIA, or Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, which carries a 17-ton, 8-foot-wide infrared telescope mounted behind an enormous sliding door.
June 28, 2014: Boeing delivers the 1,500th 747 to come off the production line. The 747 aircraft is the world's first wide-body airplane in history to reach the 1,500 production units milestone.
January 11, 2017: United announces that it will retire the Boeing 747-400 fleet in the last quarter of 2017.
July 28, 2017: United schedules a special domestic flight from Chicago O'Hare to San Francisco to allow more people to say farewell to the Queen of the Skies.
October 29, 2017: United flies its last international 747 flight from Seoul to San Francisco.
November 7, 2017: United celebrates the retirement of the Boeing 747 with a fitting full-circle moment. A special retro event sees the aircraft flying from San Francisco to Honolulu—a nod to its first-ever flight back in 1970.
(May require multiple attempts to load; close and re-click if website errors.)
ARE YOU ON THIS FINAL 747 FLIGHT?
FT Handle -- seat (optional)
ORD4R - 2A
tcdtcd and son - 450pm return to ORD - 2K/3K
kevanyalowitz - 3H (will trade for 1A/K!)
jdivenere - 4A
UA1flyer - 4C
CO FF - 6K (return to LAX on HA2 @ 3:45pm or UA 534 @ 9:45pm)
ctownflyer - 7A
JSpira - 9K
EWR764 - 19G - return @ 420pm to EWR UA62
ChiTownMuggle - 20D
Ruhr - 20H
pushmyredbutton - 20K
greg99 - 21D
BThumme - 22A - return @ 945pm to LAX
goldelite8 - 22G
Trijet1011 - 24A
MRY Flyer +1 - 24 H&J
Cybertronic - 25H
Sykes - 33C
ZRS70 - 33H
eklapper - 34A
plc44 - 34K
Pat89339 - 35C
CaptKornDog - 36C
eap+1 - 40HK
ual763 - 51k
expert7700 - 36K
Seatmap below shows FTers in red. Valid as of 11/6.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/rrwq0gdcdb...FTers.jpg?dl=0
Official: Final United Boeing 747 Flight Was SFO-HNL on 7 Nov 2017 {SOLD OUT}
Sep 25, 2017, 12:30 pm
#151
Join Date: Nov 2014
Programs: UA 2MM
Posts: 1,679
Total long shot here, but UA should scrap the plans for the 4 engine 747.....
In favor of a rare 5th engine ferry configuration from SFO-HNL. Really would go down in history that way. Since it is a short haul (for a 747), the extra fuel burn due to the drag would still be negligible and not affect range.
I don't believe that UA has ever done this. However, a UA maint technician who postes on airliners.net said they have two such parts/mounting kits in their SFO maintenance facility.... Another post listed only 1 hour install labor, and 3 hour removal labor.
In favor of a rare 5th engine ferry configuration from SFO-HNL. Really would go down in history that way. Since it is a short haul (for a 747), the extra fuel burn due to the drag would still be negligible and not affect range.
I don't believe that UA has ever done this. However, a UA maint technician who postes on airliners.net said they have two such parts/mounting kits in their SFO maintenance facility.... Another post listed only 1 hour install labor, and 3 hour removal labor.
Sep 25, 2017, 12:42 pm
#152
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: USA
Programs: AC SE100K, F9 100k, NK Gold, UA *S, Hyatt Glob, Bonvoy Titanium
Posts: 5,196
Last edited by expert7700; Sep 25, 2017 at 1:02 pm
Sep 25, 2017, 1:53 pm
#153
Join Date: Feb 2016
Programs: Hyatt Globalist | Jumpseat Platinum
Posts: 546
How is the crew assigned to commemorative flights such as these? Is it part of the normal (sic) "bidding" process, or is it something that the airline bestows on long-term employees as some sort of boon. Since I presume the 747 flight crews, in particular, will need to re-train in order to operate other aircraft in the fleet, might this be a "retirement" flight for a senior United 747 captain as well?
As far as crews go, flight attendants are required to be qualified on all mainline aircraft types -- this is a new requirement, so a few may be missing a type or two, but I don't think any can be only 747 at this point.
For pilots, I think most are qualified on more than one a/c type, and simply choose what plane they'll fly when bidding each month -- but I don't know that for a fact.
Sep 25, 2017, 1:56 pm
#154
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Honolulu Harbor
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 15,025
Sep 25, 2017, 2:36 pm
#155
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: USA
Programs: UA Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 1,195
Dang, wish I could do this but I'll be flying to Bangkok on the same day. The 747 remains my all-time favorite aircraft to fly on as a passenger.
Sep 25, 2017, 2:37 pm
#156
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 19,508
After TWA, Continental was the second U.S. domestic operator of the 747-100. Continental last flew the 747 sometime in the 1990s. There are plenty of photos online of the aircraft in Continental (later United) "Globe" livery, which made its first appearance in 1991.
I have no idea what route the final Continental 747 flight took or when it took place. Perhaps some of the more knowledgeable airline trivia buffs on the site can shed some light.
I have no idea what route the final Continental 747 flight took or when it took place. Perhaps some of the more knowledgeable airline trivia buffs on the site can shed some light.
Sep 25, 2017, 4:36 pm
#157
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Los Angeles
Programs: UA Plat 2MM. DL Plat, AS MVP
Posts: 12,752
The seat map had shown F as booked full. But now (3:35pm pacific on 9/25), 3H is open (though F= 0 still). So perhaps first person on waiting list has cleared?
(I am on the F waiting list, but I have NOT cleared!)
(I am on the F waiting list, but I have NOT cleared!)
Sep 25, 2017, 4:44 pm
#158
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: COS/DEN
Programs: UA 1P (w/ no expectations whatsoever); Marriott Gold; Hilton Silver; Hertz Pres
Posts: 693
Sep 25, 2017, 4:49 pm
#159
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Los Angeles
Programs: UA Plat 2MM. DL Plat, AS MVP
Posts: 12,752
Currently have a paid F seat on the later flight and have waitlisted for this flight.
To one clear, I am booked into A class on the later flight and waitlisted for Global First on this flight. Not sure if upgrades from Y/C fares are upgraded before waitlists from other flights.
To one clear, I am booked into A class on the later flight and waitlisted for Global First on this flight. Not sure if upgrades from Y/C fares are upgraded before waitlists from other flights.
Sep 25, 2017, 5:02 pm
#160
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 27
At a part 121 airline such as United, pilots can only be qualified on one aircraft at a time. The only exception is the 757/767 and A319/A320/A321, as these aircraft share a common flight deck and type-rating. As their seniority grows, they can certainly bid to move to a different aircraft, but every time they do this, they have to get re-trained on that particular aircraft type. This training takes many weeks. On average, pilots at major airlines will fly the same type for 8+ years. Some fly the same type their entire career. All depends on their personal preferences, but most importantly their seniority. 747 tends to go very senior at United.
Sep 25, 2017, 5:02 pm
#161
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Honolulu Harbor
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 15,025
I know that. I flew many of them. My point is about zero former pmCO 747 drivers are now eligible to fly a 747, unless they quit CO and went to UA. But, that will still make 'em pmUA.
Sep 25, 2017, 5:08 pm
#162
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 14,421
Currently have a paid F seat on the later flight and have waitlisted for this flight.
To one clear, I am booked into A class on the later flight and waitlisted for Global First on this flight. Not sure if upgrades from Y/C fares are upgraded before waitlists from other flights.
To one clear, I am booked into A class on the later flight and waitlisted for Global First on this flight. Not sure if upgrades from Y/C fares are upgraded before waitlists from other flights.
Last edited by findark; Sep 25, 2017 at 5:19 pm
Sep 25, 2017, 5:17 pm
#164
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: YYZ
Programs: UA1K MM, JL JMB SAPPHIRE, Marriott Titanium/LTP, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 1,267
Currently have a paid F seat on the later flight and have waitlisted for this flight.
To one clear, I am booked into A class on the later flight and waitlisted for Global First on this flight. Not sure if upgrades from Y/C fares are upgraded before waitlists from other flights.
To one clear, I am booked into A class on the later flight and waitlisted for Global First on this flight. Not sure if upgrades from Y/C fares are upgraded before waitlists from other flights.
Sep 26, 2017, 1:11 am
#165
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Hawai'i Nei
Programs: Au: UA, Marriott, Hilton; GE
Posts: 7,145
Here is the current Seat Map
Despite the above:
F0 A0 J0 C0 D0 Z0 P0 Y0 B0 M0 E0 U0 H0 Q0 V0 W0 S0 T0 L0 K0 G0 N0
Last edited by 747FC; Sep 26, 2017 at 1:53 am