The last time I flew on board a 747 was in 1999 or 2000. I can’t remember the year, but I do remember the route – Tokyo Haneda to Osaka, a flight of maybe 1 hour. I’ve been looking for the opportunity to fly another 747 ever since. You don’t see many of those during my short-haul domestic travel life, and the longer haul trips I’ve taken have been dominated by the 767, A330 and 777.
In planning an upcoming trip to Paris, I really had BA with a connection in LHR in my mind, primarily because I haven’t flown their first class product in years….many years. ATL-LHR-CDG with a nice break for lounge time in London seemed as fine a way as any to get to Paris, but then I saw this.
I had low-level inventory booked on Air France, but the allure of flying the 747 again taunted me. I checked availability frequently, but the price was always a bit too high. Finally, one Saturday I looked again….and the flights had dropped to 80,000 miles each. While my first inclination is to stick with the option that costs me the lowest amount of miles, the #AvGeek side of me overruled. This very well could prove to be my last real opportunity to fly on a Delta 747-400 as the fleet type is being retired, so I made the call. The Platinum Medallion rep secured my new flights in minutes, I confirmed seats 77A and 77K on the upper deck, and it was done.
I admit I’m checking nonstop options from Atlanta intermittently, and if one were to open up for our date of travel at a reasonable amount of miles, I could be enticed away from the connecting flight just for the sake of flying on a 747. But I’m getting a little attached to the thought of flying on a 747 again. Sometimes it’s OK to let your inner AvGeek have a little fun for a few extra miles.
Image courtesy of Delta Air Lines
-MJ, September 7, 2015
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No worries you did the right thing. I always jump on the opportunity to fly 747 and will be sad when Delta finally retires them.
Is it wrong of me to hope that the A350s have issues, so that Delta is forced to keep the 747s around for a bit longer?
Too bad Delta is retiring the fleet type. I get the reasons of fuel efficiency. But nothing big compares to the Queen. A 747 is magical although the A380 has taken over in interior styling and comfort. The exterior is no comparison, the 747 looks way better than the whale.