ACA321

Looks like there's a definitive end to this bird's service on US with three flights CLT-DFW-PHL-CLT under the flight number 0737 on August 19th:

http://airchive.com/blog/2014/07/07/...7-400-flights/

I say good riddance. Always did my best to avoid this plane whenever possible...IMO the most uncomfortable of the mainline fleet.

neotope

Correct link:

http://airchive.com/blog/2014/07/07/...7-400-flights/

GotCalcio4

I've always enjoyed my rides on the 734s, especially the ones with the extreme legroom in row 1 of F. Not sure if there are any of those left flying, but they were great. My last 734 flight was CLT-MIA on 12/31/12.

iztok

Bunch of frequent fliers booked seats on that flight. Some of us mostly on the PHL-CLT leg. Bringing the cake and other good stuff.

sbbutler93

I love the 734. Too bad the PHL-CLT lands 29min before the last CLT-PIT flight of the night.

Am trying to get on one or two of the flights though!

PHL

It was my favorite plane to fly in when I was a young lad in college...when I had to call and request a bulkhead seat (and not be charged a fee, and also get it weeks in advance). When there was no internet to do online bookings, unless you count GENIE or Compuserve. When the other birds flying the route I wanted consisted of a 727, DC9 and F28.

I always searched the printed schedule book, my only source for finding flight other than calling a travel agent or USAir, for a 737-400 when I had a trip to plan. On a Spring Break one year, I flew a 737-400 from PHL-LAS-LAX (because it didn't have the range for PHL-LAX nonstop!) on a single flight number with my college GF at the time and we got off to play slots in the concourse near gate A1 on the brief 40 minutes stopover. Back in those days they were still serving hot meals in coach on flights and we had an awesome flight experience as a couple of free spirited 19 year olds. Ahhh to be young...

But I digress...Newer and better planes have replaced the 737-400, just as they have the DC9, MD80, 727 and those Fokkers . We're not all still running computers with a 286 processor and MS DOS, so why should we cry too many tears for a 30 year old airplane? The memories will always last, but we move on.....

BoeingBoy

I believe that only 734's are still flying in US colors. The 733's are all gone.

Jim

LowlyDLsilver

Personally, I'm on the list of folks who won't be sad to see the 734 go. They have been a staple on CLT-TPA for awhile, and they are, well, tired looking. Much better seating options on the 319/321 as well.

What happens to the flight crews, Jim? Anything still in the fleet that won't be a major re-training? Those guy have to be high-timers on the list, I would think.

SCEflyer

I don't disagree with anything in the above, but I do remember when PI introduced the 400 series in late '87 or so. The aircraft were truly state of the art at that time, and when combined with PI onboard service, the flying experience was truly exceptional.

CMK10

I'm going to miss them for nostalgic reasons. They used to run them LGA-GSO and if you flew on a weekend there would be almost no one on them so you could get your own row.

They have been rather ratty for a few years though. I flew one last month CLT-RDU so that will be my sendoff. I considered going on the last flight but it would cost me $800 and I have class that day so I can't do it.

BoeingBoy

For the few still on the 734 when the last one is put to pasture, they'll be retrained on other equipment. As for seniority of those in that position, it depends on how many of the remaining senior pilots hold on until the end versus bail off before that. It will be a full training course with one exception - anyone coming for another plane within a year can go back to that other plane with shortened training.

But training tends to run ahead of retirements until the end, so 734 pilots have been and are in training for their new positions. By the time the last plane is on it's last flights there will probably be only 2-3 crews left - 4-6 people - that haven't started training.

Jim

BoeingBoy

Normal, at least at US, for a fleet being phased out. Do as little appearance/comfort repair as possible. The basic plane is different - the same inspections, mechanical repairs, etc are still required. So while they look ratty, I'd get on one tomorrow or for the final flight with no qualms.

Jim

CMK10

I'm thinking back to 2007 though, long before they knew they were going to be phased out. At least they got their interiors changed out after that. The plane I took last month was at least pretty comfy in F.

phlwookie

I recall one when I was in college on PHL-BOS on a new year's eve to visit a cousin in BOS. It was something like a 9:30pm departure from PHL, getting to BOS just in time for the festivities. I chose it because it was very very cheap - I was the only passenger. Pretty cool to hang out with the FAs for the quick flight up. They got me there in time for the new year turnover.

I believe they replaced the bulkhead walls with the new colors (and a more resilient-to-feet plastic cover rather than carpet) and recovered the seats, which I believe actually reduced legroom a bit as I think the current coach seats have a tad more cushioning due to the covers. IIRC though the "old" (or covered over) seats on the -400 had more cushioning than the -300, and were roughly the same as the cushioning on the ex-Eastern early model 757s (now retired as well). My biggest complaint about the 734 today though is the small overhead bins.

I can't even count the amount of times I flew the US 737 classic fleet - the 737-300 and -400 were the mainstay of the East mainline fleet in the mid 90s through early 2000s on routes under 1,000 miles. While some went to the west coast (remember the -300s with extra fuel tanks that used to do routes like CMH-LAX nonstop?), most plied routes out of the eastern hubs now dominated by the narrowbody Airbus aircraft and the E70/75/90 fleet with an occasional CR7 or CR9 tossed in. They dominated the US eastern routes as the DC-9-30, MD-82, F100, and 737-200 (US then Metrojet, remember that failed experiment?) exited, and the Airbus fleet began to appear.

Unless I happen to book on a remaining 734 (entirely possible as there's still one daily on CLT-JAX and CLT-TPA, places I go to frequently), a PHL-CLT flight about a month ago in F will be the last 734 I fly on, probably anywhere unless I find myself on AS sometime soon.

CMK10

Your memories and experiences are very similar to mine. I lived in New York and my Grandparents were in Winston-Salem so I took yearly trips to GSO during the 1990's. One thing about US Air back then was you could count on taking so many different planes. I went on:

- Fokker-28 EWR-GSO
- Fokker-100, DC-9-30, 737-200, 737-400 LGA-GSO and back
- Shorts-360, ex-PSA MD-80 INT-CLT-EWR. That was my personal favorite

That was the US Air I grew up with and the one I remember. The 757s were for transcons and special routes, I flew the real workhorses of the fleet.

You are right though that they refurbished the planes a little. The first one I flew when I grew up was in 2007 and it still had the old leather recliners and the gray seats with white and red check on the in Y. Then around 2009 they put in blue leather seats in each cabin which made them look a little better.