Here’s the last Vintage Airline Seat Map of 2012 – a high-density United Airlines Boeing 747-100 seen flying the skies in 1998. I was working for United at the time and recall it primarily doing turns from Chicago to Honolulu and back as UA1/UA2.
I had the pleasure of flying this configuration once from Chicago to Seattle in 1996. And as it so happened I was on N4724U, which was the same aircraft as flight 811 from Honolulu to Auckland on February 24, 1989 where sadly 9 passengers died as a result of a cargo door failure. Its registration at that time was N4713U.
First class offered 42 seats, 16 of which were upstairs. The row of six coach seats behind row 10 was used for crew rest, if I recall correctly. I’m a big fan of the nose of the 747, so you’d find me in row 2 or 3 up front. In 1996, I was in coach seat 46K. But I’d be keener on those two-seaters up in rows 19-21 if this bird were flying today.
Where would you sit?
Related posts:
Top 10 Viewed Vintage Airline Seat Maps
I flew a -100 in 1988 on UA1. Then it had a three class configuration, sold as two class. Grabbing some J seats was one of my first tastes of traveling with a bit of insider knowledge.
@Tom: Those were the days!
@downhillcrasher: Oddly, I don’t recall feeling cramped on this bird, though yes… it was quite packed. And unfortunately that solo “looking” seat in F was a credenza. 🙁
I think the current -400 is rough (at least in Y), this plane looks downright brutal, especially with no E+.
Also, I think I would try for that solo seat in row 4. It reminds me of the ‘Captain Kirk’ chair on AA 762s.
The “-100” appears too many times to be a typo. If UA really was flying this 747-100 as late as 1998, and yes, I believe you, they darn sure got their money out of that hunk of metal, three flight crew and all. The coach configuration of 3-4-3 for a Chicago-Honolulu “Sunshine Flight” (seat pitch measured in millimeters?) must have been a real joy – not. My only personal experience on a real 747-100 was Paris-Chicago RT in Air France, in late ’72. That too would have been hell, but I spent most of both legs in the cockpit jump seat, an arrangement (don’t ask) that could not happen today. I know there are a few 747-100s still flying as freighters; I wonder if any still haul self-loading freight. Nice airplanes, but VERY old.
@Cook: Yeah, they were indeed flying the 747-122 in 1998. It was certainly a hunk of metal.I had unlimited cockpit jumpseat passes in 1993 as an intern, but never flew this bird in the flight deck, I wish I would have. Would have been a fun experience.
I forget – did the -100 require 3 flight deck officers or 4 to operate?
@Tom: I believe only 3 for domestic ops.
Sorry but I have to correct you that UA 1/2 wasn’t for ORD-HNL in 1998, it was UA 43/44 using DC10 not 741. UA 1/2 at the time was used for the signature RTW LAX-HKG-DEL-LHR-JFK-LAX. UA 1/2 didn’t apply to ORD-HNL not til RTW cancel after 9/11/2001. UA ordered 6 of those non-ER 2 class domestic 777 (25xx) just to fly to Hawaii to replace DC10 around 2000. The 741 was used for SFO-HNL and LAX-HNL.
Correction: RTW cancel around 1999, but UA kept 1/2 for the partial RTW routing JFK-LAX-HKG-BKK til after 9/11/2001 when LAX-HKG cancelled. However, UA 1/2 wasn’t supsquently put to use for ORD-HNL, the nonstop was actually suspended for a few years.
Interesting, noting the row of what appears to be coach seats on the upper deck, unlabeled. Wonder if they were for deadheaders?
@Ryan V: I believe those were crew rest seats.
@ Darren: Yeah, that was a thought.