12/27/2023 0 Comments Air hong kong 747 cockpitThe takeoff run felt rather bumpy due to my proximity to the nose gear. Almost one hour after pushing back from the gate, we lined up on Runway 10R and took to the skies at 9:26 am. While I have flown ahead of the nose gear previously (757s come to mind), it is always fun to see the aircraft go pass the centerline before making the turn.Īs we taxied up to the main taxiway, we joined the conga line to the runway amidst the morning rush. As we moved forward, since the seat was at an angle to the direction of travel, it felt weird moving sideways. It felt like an amusement park ride as we made our taxi around the airport. The view out of both sides were as close to panoramic as one could get as a passenger. Now that we were underway, I could fully appreciate the unusual sight out of the window. There for the next half hour, we sat on the ramp. However, there were no announcements from the cockpit regarding the hold. I knew the storm had caused SFO traffic to go opposite directions (Runway 10 departures and Runway 19 arrivals), which typically translate into delays. ![]() After push back, we just sat on the ramp. My flight would be departing from the International Terminal, which made the experience even more special. Luckily, being a Saturday morning, there was no traffic on the road in spite of the rainy weather. After purchase confirmation, I was automatically assigned to seat 1A. I could not choose my seat before payment (which was bad), so I quickly (but accurately – didn’t want to make a typo) entered my credit card information. Sure enough, I was offered to upgrade to First Class for $199. At exactly departure minus 24 hours, I checked in. Fortunately, based upon other’s experiences, I would get the offer to upgrade to First Class again at time of check-in.Īt departure minus 24 hours 30 seconds, I doubled checked the seat map to ensure seat 1A was still open. I had buyer’s remorse! I searched the web to see if there was a way to get that offer back. After everything was said and done, I thought about it and realized I could have had seat 1A for just $199 more. I was only concerned about upgrading to Business Class, so I ignored it. When I purchased my ticket, I was offered to upgrade to First Class for $199. I ended up paying $306 roundtrip for a Saturday daytrip with a confirmed Business Class upgrade on the return flight for 20,000 miles plus $75 fee. In addition, I wanted to upgrade to Business Class on the upper deck, so I had to also consider availability for a confirmed mileage upgrade. Since the same aircraft would be flying the SFO-ORD-SFO roundtrip, I picked a weekend date when the fare was the lowest for a same day return. With her days numbered, how else was I going to fly in a 747 without spending a lot of time and money (and without whipping out my passport)? When I found out that United would be operating a B744 flight domestically between San Francisco International (SFO) and Chicago O’Hare (ORD) beginning in March, I was not going to let the opportunity pass to take a fun flight on the queen of the fleet. He was a VIP for the day! And as any grandfather would do for his airline-loving grandson, he gave me his boarding pass for my collection. He gushed how surprised he was when the gate agent at the last minute assigned him seat 1A. I remember fondly my grandpa proudly telling the story: about how 1A is always blocked for VIPs and typically flies unoccupied. Upon his return, as a reward, the airline gave him seat 1A on that 747 flight back home. ![]() When I was young, my grandfather, who was a mechanic at China Airlines, went to Singapore on an one-year work assignment. Back in the day, when there was First Class on every airplane, 1A also meant you are first of the first.Īt a personal level, 1A also felt like something inaccessible. Why is 1A special? Maybe it has to do with the lowest number with the lowest letter making one feel like a winner. But for someone like me who grew up in the 70s watching jumbo jets flying overseas – seat 1A was something special. Sure, anyone can grab that seat this day and age when flying on an all-economy or regional airline. There is something prestigious about seat 1A.
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