Hello from Honolulu. I’m resting up after a great journey from San Francisco to Honolulu that marked the final United 747 passenger flight.
Later today I’ll have two stories on the final flight, followed by a full trip report tomorrow. Put simply, it was an exceptional flight. Here’s a selection of pictures from the pre-flight gate festivities and the flight itself that will be explained in detail in the trip report.
The trip report will take time to compose, but you don’t have to wait for the best pictures. Here they are:
Again, I’ll provide a full trip report with many additional pictures and much commentary tomorrow.
Great, great post. We all have our moments of utter disgust with airlines, traveling, delays, poor service, etc. But it would seem that moments like this remind us of how awesome it is to be able to get into an aluminum tube, sit in a half comfortable seat, enjoy a meal, and walk off some hours later in a new place. This is what it’s all about.
Totally bummed I couldn’t make it. I had to LOL at that J upgrade list, though!
I have to “second” Andy K’s comments; from all of the stories and blog posts seen, this send-off/tribute/thank-you to the “Queen” was executed brilliantly!
And this morning, while having coffee, for some reason, this example of just how well United can actually do things when it wants to reminded me of the flight I took earlier this year a few days after the Dr. Dao incident, when United, facing relentless and withering criticism for the incident itself and its initial PR gaffes immediately after, was at its best.
I’ve noted here and elsewhere (long ago amd a few times since) just how good that flight was (apart from the appalling 31” inch row pitch that at just 5’ 8” I found hard to squeeze into), but it really was an example that, to me, demonstrated that this airline truly can get things right when it wants to!!!
From check-in to baggage claim, even the hour long ground stop before pushing back, everything was virtually flawless.
The plane, despite this being an 8pm flight, was spotless…and I mean “old school” spotless…this bird was cleaner than any plane, on any airline, anywhere, that I’ve been on in more than 20 years. And it was hardly brand new. It was a 737-700 with every bit the look and feel of an older version…except it was CLEAN…CLEAN…CLEAN! So clean, it was hard to miss…
The pilot kept us updated about the delay in a timely fashion saying nothing more and nothing less than mecessary…
And the inflight beverage service was so pleasant, and executed so well, it too, could NOT go unnoticed for just how well it was done.
So, with this brilliant execution of the 747 Farewell, and the week I flew when United had to be on its “best behavior”, it’s becoming clear this airline COULD be good…EXCEPTIONALLY GOOD…
…if only it really wanted to…
Oops! Of course, that’s ‘NECESSARY’ in the prior comment and NOT ‘mecessary’…
With apologies for the typo…