Delta has announced their plans to retire the last of their 747 fleet by 2017. Currently Delta has only 16 747s in their fleet. These planes are typically operated on long-haul international flights and are equipped with some of the best of Delta’s business elite seats.
According to Delta’s Third Quarter Conference call, they are taking a $397 charge for retirement of part of their Delta’s 747 fleet.
A $397 million charge for fleet and other items, primarily associated with the decision to accelerate the retirement of Delta’s 747 fleet as part of its Pacific network restructuring
I’ll miss flying the 747s. If you will too, there is still time to make a trip before they retire their last 747 in 2017. Are you planning on flying one of the last 747s before the retire them? If so, comment here what route you plan to take.
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The Weekly Flyer writes about travel from a business traveler perspective. He travels the world every week accumulating points and miles along the way.
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Upper deck is probably DLs best Biz Elite seats. Such a great quiet cabin. Just flew this in September. Did they announce what’s replacing it?
I still remember flying NWA 747 back in the day. Do you know which routes fly the 747?
I grabbed the 747 from LAX to Tokyo and on to bangkok. Coming back it was A330 BKK-NRT but 747 again NRT – LAX. I believe all the 747 routes are via NRT at this point.
So what I’ve gathered from this article is that they are taking a three hundred and ninety seven dollar charge for getting rid of their 16 four-seven-fours. 🙂
Would be great if they could somehow get these into KLM’s hands…those are some 747’s in serious need of retirement… I’ve been making the conscious choice to make connections within the US to fly on Delta for my work flights to and from Amsterdam to try to avoid the uncomfortable KLM 747 fleet.
I will be flying Business Class on a Delta 747 in March from DTW to NRT as the third leg of a 4 leg trip to SIN.
Just flew Delta transpacific in a 767. Cheap.
Weird announcement considering Delta just spent considerable money putting wireless internet into the 747s — it works all the way across the Pacific! To say nothing that many of the 747 aircraft were the last to get all the enhancements of the last few years. I guess it comes down to fuel costs.
They’ve already retired four of them. That’s what the $397mm charge was for. They’re down to only 12 operating now.
I’m taking a 747 from DTW to NRT in July 2015.
Any domestic repositioning flights before they retire. Will like to fly one just cause .