Airplane enthusiasts are mourning the retirement of the Boeing 747, the iconic double-deck jumbo jet that first entered service in 1970. Delta Air Lines gave fans a final opportunity to experience the aircraft on some of its last scheduled routes.
Once a symbol of long-haul travel, the 747 gradually fell out of favor as airlines replaced it with more fuel-efficient, modern aircraft. Last month United Airlines retired its final 747 with a nostalgic, 1970s-themed flight from San Francisco (SFO) to Honolulu (HNL). Delta followed with its own retirement plans for the remaining aircraft in its fleet.
Delta announced that its last Boeing 747 would be retired at the end of 2017, marking the end of 747 service among U.S. passenger carriers. Until its retirement the jet operated primarily on the Detroit (DTW)–Seoul (ICN) route, with the last regularly scheduled flight departing Detroit on Dec. 15.
Following that service, Delta staged a brief “farewell tour” running Detroit to Seattle (SEA) to Atlanta (ATL) to Minneapolis–St. Paul (MSP) from Dec. 18–20. While most of these special flights were reserved for employees, a limited number of customers were able to participate by redeeming Delta SkyMiles. An online auction for those seats closed Dec. 1 at 9 p.m. EST, with high bids reaching as much as 321,000 miles.
In addition to offering employees and retirees the chance to buy tickets for the farewell flights, Delta directed proceeds from the sales to the Airloom Project, a preservation initiative supported by airline staff and retirees.