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John Byrne
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Grumpy Old Guy

Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 133248
Posted: 08 December 2022 at 12:25pm | IP Logged | 1 post reply
Farewell 747

Flew this big bird round trip to Italy once. My only experience of the 747–but what an experience it was. A convention was covering the costs, but I used my own money to upgrade to “Top Class”, a super luxury cabin located in that distinctive hump behind the cockpit.

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Michael Penn
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Joined: 12 April 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 12694
Posted: 08 December 2022 at 2:08pm | IP Logged | 2 post reply
My family flew many times on 747s back in the 1970s, and even us poor folk were treated to... space. This pic is not a lie!


(As a little kid I at least got to visit both the "Top Class" area and even the cockpit!)
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Dave Kopperman
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Joined: 27 December 2004
Location: United States
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Posted: 08 December 2022 at 2:13pm | IP Logged | 3 post reply
When I was a tween, my stepmother worked for Pan Am, so we would take trips on standby - that is, whatever seats weren't sold, we would get for free.  Frequently, this meant First Class, as it was the least likely to sell out. 

Those top cabins were pretty swanky - the details have stayed with me for all these years, particularly the menus with the dramatic illustrations of clipper ships (when I was a kid, I was crazy obsessed with 19th century nautical art, so I was a good audience for it). Somewhere, I'm sure I still have the little amenities pouches they handed out, with the toothbrush and silken blindfold.

It was definitely THE way to travel - only problem is, I'm now ruined for all other flying experiences.
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James Woodcock
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Joined: 21 September 2007
Location: United Kingdom
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Posted: 08 December 2022 at 3:33pm | IP Logged | 4 post reply
I've travelled a few times on 747s, a couple of times in
business class. Amazing plane.
I saw it being replaced by the A380, which is another
amazing plane (my favourite to travel on), but even that
has already fallen out of favour.
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John Byrne
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Grumpy Old Guy

Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 133248
Posted: 08 December 2022 at 3:43pm | IP Logged | 5 post reply
I was once bumped up to First Class, in my early days of flying to conventions, and my reaction was basically Oh-hhh, now I get it!

It wasn’t until the Image boys began demanding First Class that I finally switched permanently—even when I was flying on my own dime. (Since MidOhioCon was a charity affair, I paid the difference for the bump up.)

One nightmare flight I actually sat in the waiting area while the airline went out of business!

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Dave Kopperman
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Joined: 27 December 2004
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Posted: 08 December 2022 at 4:36pm | IP Logged | 6 post reply
 JB wrote:
One nightmare flight I actually sat in the waiting area while the airline went out of business!

I'm picturing you played by Tom Hanks in the movie version.
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Peter Martin
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Joined: 17 March 2008
Location: Canada
Posts: 15935
Posted: 08 December 2022 at 4:43pm | IP Logged | 7 post reply
Beautiful planes. Four engines give you a great level of safety in terms of the risk of engine failure, but fuel efficiency is a big draw back. I used to fly a lot, but it's been a long time since I was last on a 747. I think it may have been when I went to Australia via Japan all the way back in 1999.  
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John Byrne
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Grumpy Old Guy

Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 133248
Posted: 08 December 2022 at 4:46pm | IP Logged | 8 post reply
I'm picturing you played by Tom Hanks in the movie version.

•••

Well, Hanks has been making a career out of playing people he doesn’t look like!

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