There Are Only 5 747 Passenger Jet Operators Remaining In 2024

I do 2-3 trips from SFO to FRA a year and always fly on Lufthansa with the 747-8. Upper deck is great with no middle row of seats. It feels like a private jet. I hope they keep them going for a long time.

I'm probably being an overly nitpicky jerk by pointing this out, but wouldn't Atlas Air count towards this? It's not scheduled service, but they run a good amount of passenger charters on 74's.

Last 747 I flew was a -400 LHR-IAD on Virgin Atlantic, sitting upstairs in Premium Economy back in 2000.
Big contrast to my first 747 flight with PanAm back in 1971.

They forgot to mention Atlas Air, no -8 passenger versions but still several -400s.

I cleared the very first 747 (PA) to land at ORD, back in early 1970. SEA to ORD. They parked it at Butler Aviation, for public viewing. Aircraft landed on 14R!

We were in Mo Bay, Jamaica, in 1970 when the first 747 (Pan AM) landed at the airport. We, along with half the population of town, were at the airport to see it land--quite a sight.

A few years later we flew RT first class from Toronto to Vancouver, B.C., and also RT Montreal to Acapulco, also FC. Over the years we also made several flights in gen-pop, but FC was the way to go...

Nothing like sitting in 1K on a LH 747-8i

Loved being a passenger on the Jumbo jets fantastic plane

Well ok, my last 747 ( 200 or 3000) was a 1986 UTA flight open ticket from LAX to PPT to AKL to NOU to NSW to CGK to SIN... after Singapore never completed the last legs (to CDG).. got off everywhere spent some time, after weeks or months would check in and fly again in a plane I did not appreciate then and realize my privilege to have experienced that time in commercial aviation..

I made a point of booking a 747 for a flight to Amsterdam in 2019 from Los Angeles to Amsterdam, because I knew they were getting phased out and I had never been on one. So I splurged a bit for Seat 1A. It was superrrrb, and I'm glad I did it! What a great plane.

As fellow contributors are reminiscing here, I will submit my own twopenny worth.
1st flight was on a B747-100 of British Airways in 1st class (so I also experienced the upper Lounge Bar) LHR to Barbados in Oct 1977.
Flew on SPs (Pan Am) -200s (BA) and -300s(South African Airways), lastly -400s (BA) last flight being Dubai to LHR in March 2019, so 5 years ago, and I guess there will be no further opportunities.
whilst on the subject of these Queens of the Skies, many of the BA -400s were flown to Kemble for scrapping and my son who lives not 20mls away regularly visited to watch their demise, week by week. (there is one BA B744 preserved there at Kemble in a special retro livery) and to finish off this contribution, just 2 days ago, a 40 year old Cargo -200 took off from my local airport and is still on regular worldwide ops registered in Kyrghistan (this airline also has at least 1 A300-B4F in use).

I remember my first flight on a 747. I was returning to the US from Geneva on April 18, 1970, stopping for a connection in Frankfurt. I was running late so I had no idea what equipment they had for that flight. While waiting at the gate, I looked out the window and saw the Lufthansa jumbo jet. I was thrilled.

I was an Army helo pilot and was stationed at Fr Riley, Ks for brief time before heading to Nam. During winter of 69-70 United was training their pilots on the 47 at Salina, Ks. Spent many hours watching several 47’s shoot approaches, landings, go arounds. Sometimes they they were approaching each other on same runway then both broke right. Majestic is definitely the right word for them! What an airshow.

My 1st ride was from LAX to ORD in 1970 returning from an engineering school just outside of LAX. My most memorable ride was in early 1972. I was stationed in Nam during the troop withdrawals and GIs were being put in any open seat of any plane returning to the world. I got assigned an upper deck 1st class seat on a Pan Am 747 from Saigon to Honolulu. It sure beat the chartered cattle car 707 that took me over there.

Such a shame - it is a beautiful aircraft. Myself and my family flew it many times with Virgin from London Gatwick to Orlando and Las Vegas. And a lot of times, that was upstairs in Premium Economy, and to avionik99, we are very ordinary working people. If you were prepared to be a bit flexible with the times, and to spend the time searching the 'net and talking to Virgin on the phone, there was almost always deals to be had for Premium Economy and upstairs seats. I watched a TV programme last year where they were breaking them for scrap, and I almost cried, as did the ex pilot who sat in the seat for one last time. He said it was the most well behaved aircraft he ever flew, and you always felt that no matter what, it was trying to help you. Sad ...

I hope they keep the 747 flying always. It's a majestic plane!!!

We are scheduled for a 747 flight, FRA to LAX in August. It’s been many years so we’re looking forward to it.

While waiting for my departure flight out of LAX this past Wednesday, a Lufthansa 747 arrived from Frankfurt. My eyes swelled up, knowing that I had flown dozens of times on the 747 out of Frankfurt during the 80/90's. It will be tough to see this airplane go the way of the other wide body jets. On my taxiing out to leave I also noticed a Korean Air 747, as well as an A380.

Fortunate enough to have flown on a Tower Air 747-200 (I think) that according to the seat belts was formerly operated by Air France from JFK to LAX. It was shortly after the TWA 800 incident. It was a warm day and I was thinking about the vapors in the center tank that I was sitting close to...

It was my first flight ever when i was 11 years young.All the wat from Amsterdam to JNB on SAL.(SAA)
Got my first (and last) equator certificate (KLM)

Nowadays my son is a FO on ASL airlines on our big love. The 747.

Am turning 60 this year .....

I never did have the experience of flying on a 747. Probably never will. Such a beautiful airplane. I'm sure the experience would be awesome.

I like 747 very much!

"And we'll only tell you about four of those operators, leaving you to wonder who was/is the fifth?"

I was hoping to fly IAH-FRA out and back this year as my one and only 4-7 trip. Alas, as noted, that is no longer available. I'm thinking about doing Southwest to MIA then FRA-ICN-HNL and back to HOU on SWA. Circumnavigate, with three 4-7 flights.

Well then. Firstly, the ridiculous 3-4-3 Economy -- good riddance. Secondly, we flew PHX-LHR in First, only to have the emergency oxygen system fail us pre-take-off, and the plane flew back empty to London. We went home and did laundry; got re-routed in non-747. Returning from London on Brit Air, the First cabin was so dilapidated as to make us think we were flying Air Afrique or some such. The 787 is now best Boeing product, unless you count the 757, my favorite.