United: Final Boeing 747 flight will be to Hawaii on Nov. 7

Ben Mutzabaugh | USA TODAY

UPDATE: United's farewell flight for the Boeing 747 sells out in less than 2 hours

Original post

United Airlines will make its last-ever Boeing 747 passenger flight on Nov. 7.

The carrier has added a special “farewell” flight from San Francisco to Honolulu that will serve as its final passenger operation on the beloved jetliner.

There will be a “throwback” theme for the flight, with United’s crews donning 1970s-era “retro” uniforms and serving “1970s-inspired” menu options. In-flight entertainment options also will hail from the 1970s. It’s all part of an effort by the airline to recreate the atmosphere passengers would have been experienced on United’s first-ever 747 flight in 1970, which also flew from San Francisco to Honolulu.

That retro vibe, United says, “will help send the Queen of the Skies off in true style.”

As of Sept. 18, 13 374-seat Boeing 747s were still flying for United.

YOUR TAKE: Boeing 747 photos from readers (story continues below)

The newly added San Francisco-Honolulu flight will supplant United’s Oct. 29 Seoul-to-San Francisco as the final 747 flight for the airline. That flight from Seoul – United Flight 892 – will be United’s last-ever international flight on the plane.

As for the domestic San Francisco-Honolulu that’s been added for Nov. 7, seats went on sale on Monday shortly after 3 p.m. ET. Seats began at $551 for economy and $1,958 for business. They appeared to be selling briskly.

United says it will not sell the business-class seats in the upper deck so that all onboard the farewell flight have “the opportunity to spend time in this iconic space.”

Those seats won’t go completely unused, however. Customers paying extra to sit in United’s first- or business-class cabins will automatically be entered into a gate-side drawing for an opportunity to occupy one of a “select number of seats” in the upper deck during the flight.

TODAY IN THE SKY: Photo tour: Planespotting at San Francisco International (SFO)

United’s final 747 flight on Nov. 7 will depart San Francisco at 11 a.m. local time and is scheduled to land in Honolulu around 2:45 p.m. local time. The flight time is 5 hours, 45 minutes.

United says it plans celebratory festivities at the gate in San Francisco before departure and in Honolulu after landing.

While the Nov. 7 flight will be United's final 747 flight, it's not the first time United has surprised customers with a special domestic flight on the jet. In July, United flew one of its 747s on a special one-time segment from Chicago O'Hare to San Francisco.

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That flight was announced with just two day's advance notice, but it gave 747 enthusiasts (there are many) with the flexibility to travel on short notice an unexpected opportunity to fly on the jet within the U.S. Like other most other widebody planes, the 747 is typically used on longer, more-expensive overseas routes.

“With all the new planes we have, (the 747 is) getting somewhat outdated,” United Capt. David Smith said from about that flight. “The airplane has a lot of loyalty to it, not just from the passengers, but from the pilots. We love flying this thing, and we’re going to miss it dearly.”

Now, there'll be one more domestic encore before the plane is finished flying United.

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United Airlines 747 pilot reflects on jet's retirement United Airlines Captain David Smith talks about the retirement of Boeing's 747 by the end of 2017.

TODAY IN THE SKY: Photo tour: Planespotting at San Francisco International (SFO)