United's final 747 flight from San Francisco becomes hot ticket
SAN FRANCISCO, California -- United Airlines flew the last flight of its venerable, four-engine 747 jet. Call it a victim of changing times and more efficient aircraft, but the airline sent it out in style.
"Ladies and gentlemen, can I have your attention please?" a voice cooed over the plane's speaker.
You've been there and done this -- crammed and waited to board a giant 747, but chances are you've never seen passengers dressed like this.
One week after Halloween, we've returned to the 1970s as United Airlines both celebrated 47 years of 747 service and ushered it out at the same time.
Normally, a packed flight implies misery. Tuesday, it was back to the past experience as United sent the 747 to Honolulu one last time, much to the delight of aviation geeks who flew in from around the world to experience it.
"For those of us who love the plane, it is like saying goodbye to an old friend," said passenger Seth Miller of New York City.
The 747 was, and will always be iconic. The first wide-bodied jet that flew long distances with hundreds of people. Boeing built more than 1,500 of them.
The plane we rode in was built in 1999, 80,000 cycles, millions of passengers -- it will probably never fly again.
And as we concluded the plane's journey -- there was a beginning on the upper deck, just past the halfway point to Hawaii, Sean Worsley proposed to his girlfriend Christine Ellis.
Her answer: "Of course."
It was fitting that on the day an era ends, another one was beginning.
