There is an elegance in the 747 design that no other aircraft has achieved since.  It is a beautiful aircraft to watch.

Proud to say I've been in a Lufthansa 747-8i on a cold Christmas night. Best flight I've ever taken.

This is missing some information- Rossiya runs daily 747 service between AER (Sochi) and SVO (Moscow). Saudia also has 3 747s wet-leased through Air Atlanta Iceland, which run from Jeddah to Surabaya, Batam, Bangalore and Cochin.

there're two plane models that I really wanna fly on before they're retired: the 747 and the a380. they should still operate for a few years, but I shouldn't take for granted that I'll be able to fly on one. and i wouldn't mind flying on a a340 too

It looks like it's bouncing back! I heard that Lufthansa's strategy is to distinguish itself from the rest of the carriers like Emirates with the A380. Just got back from flying another rare bird, the 767-400ER from Delta with it's updated cabins, a must for avgeeks. My next flight will probably be on Lufthansa's 747-8 from EZE-FRA or GRU-FRA. I could save time and money flying Air Europe's 787 or others, but in automotive terms that's like driving a Corolla, modern and efficient. I prefer something more exotic and special... I hope many of you here do too...🙏

This decline is very heart breaking. The 747-400 was my personal favorite. I remember the KLM 747-400 that used to operate to IAH. I still remember that being the first aircraft I ever identified. When it stopped operating to IAH in 2017 I couldn't be anymore heartbroken about it. Even today when I think about it it makes me go into tears. Seeing planes retire is like when people loose a family member. I know they are just planes to most people but to me aviation is a part of me. Even in my most darkest times aviation was the light that kept me going. But seeing the 747s going out of business is like seeing my grandfather die a few weeks ago. I try not to think about it but sometimes I can't avoid thinking about it.

Everyone always forgets about the 400ER only ever ordered by Qantas

Qantas' very first Boeing 747-238B, VH-EBA City of Canberra, was delivered in 1971. Initially complimenting the incumbent Boeing 707-338 'V-Jets' until their eventual retirement in 1979.

From 1979 until 1985 Qantas was an ALL-747 airline

During that auspicious period 747 types included -200Bs -200B-SCDs, SPs, and -300s.
Later, the fleet also included -400s and -400ER

First delivered during the early '70s to mid 80's. Nineteen Boeing 747-238Bs, three Boeing 747-238B-SCDs and two Boeing 747-SPs powered by Rolls Royce RB211-524B-2 engines both delivered in 1980
A feature unique to the -238Bs was a 'lower lobe' galley replacing the galley usually seen at doors 4.
Initially the aircraft delivered between 1971 to 1978 were powered by Pratt and Whitney JT9D-7A and later JT9D-7F(W) engines. All later deliveries from 1979, including the final two -238B-SCD 'Combis' were upgraded to Rolls Royce RB211 -524B2 power plants, and featured upper deck emergency exits on both sides

The introduction of six Boeing 747-338 'EUDs' with Rolls Royce RB211-524D engines followed in 1984 introducing a new all white livery and red tail with gold leading edge, thus phasing out the ochre cheat line and seeing the flying Kangaroo loose its 'wing',

The three configuration variants of the -238Bs:

-238B-SCD 'Combi' There were three in the fleet.  I don't recall the pax cabin configuration.
Aft of Doors 4 was configured as a main deck freighter, the left side of the fuselage was fitted  with a large cargo door. These aircraft carried all manner of palletised and containerised cargo, frequently including race horses.

NB: P/C = First Class   |   J/C = Business Class   |   Y/C = Economy Class

-238B Kangaroo configs with 16 P/C 16 J/C 401 Y/C for European operations via Singapore or Bangkok and Bahrain. Also flights to and within Asia, South Pacific and Trans Tasman.

-238B Pacific with 16 P/C  an increased J/C capacity and reduced Y/C seating. Sorry I no longer recall the exact number of seats per cabin.
Used for operations to the United States West Coast via Honolulu or Papeete

Other Series Types:

-SP Two aircraft in the fleet, used for for operations to Wellington, New Zealand due to their short runway. Non-stop Sydney-Los Angeles services.

-338 Six aircraft in the fleet, used for operations to Asia, Trans Tasman, South Pacific including Honolulu and Papeete etc

The ALL-747 status ceased in 1985 with the introduction of the Boeing 767-238 for Asia and Tasman operations.

The twenty-one Boeing 747-438s all carrying the 'Longreach' title, in honour of Qantas' first operational location in Longreach, Queensland. This fleet was powered by Rolls Royce RB211-524G2 engines and was first introduced in 1989.
VH-OJA 'City of Canberra', operated non-stop from LHR to SYD. The flight took just over 20 hours, consequently holding the world record for many years for the longest non-stop flight. Despite it only carrying the technical crew and a relief crew, not only were there no passengers, the aircraft was also without a great deal of cabin furnishings including seats etc! But a record broken and held nonetheless. In addition to the original 21 Qantas-specific owned and operated, another 4 were purchased from other airlines and along with other leased Boeing 747 -400 airframes.
This longer range aircraft introduced single transit stop services to Europe and non-stop services from Australia to the United States including San Francisco, Los Angeles, Dallas, and  including the continuation of the Los Angeles to New York sector. The glass flight deck required only a dual crew, with the addition of a relief second officer for long haul operations.

The final six Boeing 747s to join the fleet were the -438ERs powered by General Electric GE CF6-80C2B5 engines and delivered from 2002 through 2003
Qantas was the only airline ever to operate the -438ER, required for non-stop operations from Sydney to Dallas and Sydney to South America, serving both Buenos Aires and later Santiago de Chile. The ER fleet also operated non-stop return summer charters, from both Sydney and Melbourne down to Antarctica, spectacularly overflying coastal areas of the ice continent. The area being quite familiar to the ER fleet as a frequent visitor on scheduled services between Sydney and Santiago de Chile.


The phased retirement of the Boeing 747 fleet from Qantas commenced in 2014.
In 2015 VH-OJA was donated to a museum near Wollongong south of Sydney. This aircraft entered the fleet with its record breaking non-stop flight from London and ended her service with her final flight operating QF7474 with a flight duration of just 12 minutes.

The non-stop LHR-SYD flight was not repeated again until 2019 when operated by a Qantas Boeing 787 -9 Dreamliner, this time with a full crew compliment and passenger load.

From the very first Boeing 747-238B, VH-EBA delivered in 1971 until the last Boeing 747-438ER, VH-OEJ 'Wunala Dreaming' delivered in 2003, Qantas had owned and operated 57 B747s of various series and configuration variants, and leased additional airframes as required.

Aside from various sporting event promotional liveries, including the boxing kangaroo, the two most famous liveries proudly wore Australian Aboriginal traditional artwork. The first Balarinji Designed 'Wunala Dreaming', from the Yanyuwa people of the Gulf of Carpentaria a red background Kangaroo themed livery telling the story of a Dreamtime Journey from thousands of year's history, the reproduction of all living things through the hormonious contiuation of the seasons. This famous artwork adorned two Boeing 747-438s, including the final aircraft to leave the Qantas fleet, VH-OEJ, a Boeing 747-438ER.
(For the interesting full story explanation please search under Wunala Dreaming)

'Nalanji Dreaming' 'Our Place' a Blue/Green background, balancing harmony and nature with a tropical theme featuring sea turtles, reef fish and rainbow serpents representing Australia's cultural traditions dating back to 40,000 years ago.This artwork adorned a Boeing 747-338

The final Boeing 747 revenue service operated by Qantas was by 17 year old VH-OEJ 'Wunala Dreaming,' a -438ER, operating the QF66 from Johannesburg to Sydney, 27 March 2020, it was also the last Qantas Boeing 747 to depart Australia;  departing Sydney on 22 July 2020.

Wunala Dreaming was paid tribute with a water canon salute by Sydney Airport's ARFF vehicles, following departure she flew along the New South Wales coast a track outlining the Qantas Kangaroo logo, then flew past her record-breaking older sister-ship VH-OJA, now a museum display aircraft, finally and sadly she banked to the east for her final trans-Pacific flight to the United States, destined for Mojave Desert, California to enter retirement. Thus terminating 49 fantastic years of proud Boeing 747 operations with Qantas.  

The Boeing 747 will always be the only true flagship icon of Qantas Airways, nothing else will ever be able to take that place.

The 747 had a long and storied run and will always be a super icon of a plane.  I've traveled on a 747-400 once with British Airways from Cairo to London and I was like a big kid.  I will treasure that memory always.

I'm so glad I was able to fly on the 747.  It was on 2 separate trips LAX SYD upstairs in the bubble.  Quite the experience.

Flew to Frankfurt from Vancouver on a Lufthansa 747-400 a couple of days ago, and on the bus trip from the remote stand to the terminal we passed 7 other 747s (both -400 and -8), with Lufthansa's retro-liveried -8 landing in the background. And the parking space was next to multiple A340-300s. For that moment it seemed like the glory days of the quad jets hadn't yet passed; at the very least that's true for Lufthansa at Frankfurt.

First flew in a 747 in 1989 and the last in 2020 when I got to fly in an upper deck business class seat with KLM.  Goodbye Queen of the Skies.

My first intercontinental, as a still quite young guy was in 1985, a 747-200 by MAS (today Malaysian), from Paris to Kuala Lumpur. I remember standing in the gate and looking up this plane just outside the glass windows. I just stood in awe at how big it was.

12:10 Flying 5 engines is not a design for any special performance but merely a way to ferry an engine from one airport to another. This is common.

By the time I flew on a 747, I had already flown on a 707, 727, DC-8, VC-10, and a couple of propeller planes.  I remember seeing the 747 (BOAC) for the first time, and I couldn't believe how big it was.  It was nearly unbelievable that something this gigantic could ever fly.  I've flown on the 100, 200, 400, and three years ago, the 800.

I flew with 747 on my first trip to USA. My dad booked Eva Air flight from Taipei to LA, he chose economy deluxe seats which has better foot rest and slightly wider seat than normal economy.
After my first flight we were regularly making trips to US visiting my grandmother almost every year and most of the flights was inside 747.

While the 747’s are falling out very quickly, I hope airlines like Lufthansa will keep flying it long into the future

Thinking it might be my last chance to fly on a 747, this last May we went from Denver to London via Chicago to Frankfurt. Kind of a convoluted way to get to Heathrow but that 8 hour flight on Lufthansa's 747-8i was worth all of it. That was my seventh flight on a 747 and just like the other six I will always remember it. There is nothing like the Queen of the Skies.

I have flown on Asiana's last 747-4 in Business class. A highlight of traveling for me. It was originally supposed to be an A380 when I booked, then it changed to an A330 before being changed again to the 747

1:54 what about the 747SP, they only made 45!