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British Airways First Class Lounge. Talking point: have you given up on airport WiFi? Aircraft: Boeing B 747-400 Cabin: First Class Seat: 2K. Thai Airways’ first class lounge. In 1978 my wife and I headed to Hawaii for our honeymoon and upgraded each other to First as a wedding present on the 747. Ignorance can be bliss. Think maybe only 4 were allowed upstairs during landing and takeoff.. We too were dressed up with jacket etc.. great days. T&Cs apply. They   still   continue   to    bleed    government    coffers    with   business   class   flights    for  uncessary     overseas   travel ,   while   the   government    struggles   to   find   money  to   fund    healthcare! The extremely wide staircase between the decks could be narrowed, with perhaps a relocation of the CSMs office on the other side, could result in a very usable space for a decent J/F lounge or bar. We were all welcomed, birthday drinks were provided once they confirmed I was old enough. Offer ends 31st March 2021. The lounge is divided into a Senator Lounge and a Business Lounge. Loved the retro lounge and would welcome a mock up somewhere, where we could come and enjoy. Already have an Executive Traveller account? Here are the best watches of the year: should you care? I have used it when wanting to talk to a collegue, but the seating is not very suitable for that purpose. Of course, these lounges were primarily the purvey of carriers prior to the introduction of Business Class. I remember lufthansa had this upstairs lounge for a short time too and this seemed super glamourous.. now I think people want sleep and privacy most! Factually, Cook's Endeavour reached Australia in April 1770 and landed at Botany Bay. Lufthansa business class 747-400. American also had a small (4 person) First Class lounge in their B707-323C which served SYD during their initial Australian foray in the early 1970's. Login now. Signing up with Executive Traveller only takes a second and lets you Vintage Airline Seat Map: United Airlines Boeing 747 with First Class lounge (1979) December 21, 2011 by Darren 6 Comments I should have asked for a time machine for Christmas because I really would like to fly on the aircraft featured in this edition of Vintage Airline Seat Maps – a United Airlines Boeing 747 from 1979. THAI fly three different First Class products: Boeing 747 new version. As borders come down, where can you travel across Australia? Yes, the lounge at the front area is probably residue space and the airlines make do with it as best as possible. It was not just Qantas which provided a great lounge space on the early 747. Closer to home, Virgin Australia has a popular bar on its Boeing 777s flying between Sydney, Melbouirne and Brisbane to Los Angeles. Boeing designed the 747's upper deck to be a first class lounge or just extra seats. That would give her her golden jubilee and the grandest hurrah. Boeing designed the 747's hump-like upper deck to serve as a first class lounge or (as is the general rule today) extra seating, and to allow the aircraft to be easily converted to a cargo carrier by removing seats and installing a front cargo door. Yesterday we published a brief history of the Boeing 747.Today, we want to focus on how the Boeing 747 helped shape the story of British Airways. The Sydney to Seoul leg was on an Airbus A380, which was temporarily put on the route; normally, it’s an older Airbus A330 flying the daily morning service departing Sydney at 9am and arriving in Seoul at 5:30pm. Featured in this review, this product with nine individual suites is the best of the three and tends to fly to/from Sydney and within Asia. The Captain Cook lounge, on the upper deck of the first Qantas Boeing 747s. Campari, Vermouth and Johnnie Walker) have outlasted the likes of Pan Am, Ansett, Swissair, Compass, etc.. We’ll send you an email containing the activation link. Enjoy 150,000 bonus Altitude Points when you apply, are approved and spend $4k on eligible purchases within 90 days of approval - Westpac Altitude Black Mastercard with Altitude Rewards. The first-class lounge a Qantas Boeing 747, 1971. How time has changed. I dare you! The Lounge. I think inflight lounges are a waste of premium space which would be better used for more revenue earning seats or improved comfort of existing seats. While the paddling is excellent, the seat itself is totally exposed and lacks privacy since there is no shelf. Airbus A380. And it's not as if Qantas' crew uniforms from the same era were any less 'fashion-forward'. All of these photos are taken from the top of the spiral staircase (near the cockpit door), looking back towards the aft of the aircraft. Seoul airport is not too busy and neither is the lounge. It is available in passenger, freighter and other versions. But unlike those aircraft which have a 1-2-1 configuration over two rows, the 747-8 is located in the nose of the lower deck. Once Qantas was able to obtain approval for passengers to sit on the upper deck during take-off and landing, the aspirational allure of the Captain Cook lounge made way for reality of revenue-raising seats, while Qantas also coined the term 'business class' in creating a new level of service between the rarified first class cabin and the entry-level economy class experience. Also read: Emirates, Etihad and Qatar face off in A380 'bar wars'. Let's start a movement to "Banish The Bar" and have all that space given over to more spacious Business Class seating! My  ,  how   things   change! Love the pics of well heeled gents wearing ties and jackets on long haul flight ... today is more likely to be dressed in PJ's. Dad's already taken the furs...... cheeky bugger. The lurid colours and patterns were on-trend for the early 1970s, as was the nautical theme of lanterns and globes, a ships' wheel and faux wood dividers. Seat pitch was what seemed huge in Economy however First had large armchairs, poor by today's pampered standards and Qantas had not yet invented business class. How things have changed. parties. This aircraft is currently serving the Aucklan… Didn’t receive an activation email? At no time were we ever questioned nor asked to leave. Choosing the best First Class product. British Airways did not exist in its current incarnation when the Boeing 747 was launched in 1970. I've often thought that the grand staircase on the A380 is a stunning architectural feature that serves little purpose. Several versions of each variant have been produced, and many of the early variants were in production simultaneously. And yes ironic that QFs Captain Cook Lounge of a bygone era some 30yrs ago (I just adore the nautical colonial theme) was and still is infamous versus the utter useless and forgettable waste of space they have today on the A380. 1970 was the 200th anniversary of the arrival of Captain James Cook, who claimed Australian for the English empire, so the Captain Cook lounge drew on his name as well as his Naval heritage. First Flight of the Boeing 747 on Feb 9th, 1969 (50 years ago) Today, February 9, 2019, is the fiftieth anniversary of the first flight of the Boeing 747, aptly nicknamed the Jumbo Jet (after an enormous nineteenth century Sudanese bush elephant in PT Barnum’s circus). Read more: Creating Virgin Australia's swanky new Boeing 777 bar. Sometimes, Brisbane also has First Class. 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Factually, Australia was founded in 1788, so adding 200 years means the date should be 1988, not 1970. I just want to avoid raising wrong expectations. Recall leaving my drink downstairs and the Steward bringing it up to me. What at rotten shame that as Qantas's first commercial flight of a Boeing 747 was in August 1971, the last should fly out in the same month in 2021, fire engines spraying her, bands playing and the crowds cheering and/or crying? I can recall Qantas flying to Rome and Athens back then as well as other European cities and the 747 would sweep by both Melbourne and Sydney to pick up passengers on certain long haul flights to fill the plane. Thank God the things that really matter (e.g. I remember struggling up that spiral staircase, but when you got to the top - it was so comfortable and elegant. A vlog of our BA First Class experience flying from London Heathrow to Las Vegas McCarran airport. Thank you. Obviously this year isn’t the best time, but if I wanted to fly a Boeing 747 the future, which airline(s) cargo/passenger would be my best bet. Looking at the pictures I was wondering the exact same thing - looked like a chair in front of the cockpit door! Only a swinging door separated the the cockpit to this lounge however I cant recall it having a lock, certainly nothing like today's security doors. The spacxe could also be used for an extra 1-2 rows of seats. My flight kangaroo-hopped via a "shocked at the humidity" Bangkok and Bahrain where the Petroleum Flare stacks lit up the night sky and where the tarmac walks of these cities made embarking and disembarking by Tullamarine's new aero-bridges look like 1st world luxury. Hi Guest, join in the discussion on Blast from the past: the Qantas Boeing 747 'Captain Cook lounge', Executive Traveller is published by Business Travel Media Pty Ltd, a corporate authorised credit representative (#515763) of MGS FINANCIAL PTY LIMITED (#337568). 45 years later, only a handful of airlines still boast a proper inflight cocktail bar, foremost among them being Emirates' Airbus A380... ... while Qatar Airways' superjumbo also does a classy number. Such luxury didn't last long. The 747-200 soon followed, with its launch in 1968. Would have loved to have flown the 747SP. Go on! Normal companies would never pay for this even for their CEOs on business trips. The comfort of our individual seats is so much better in today's biz class seats compared to the "first class" of the 1970-s.Come to think of it, maybe Etihad use the front space as part of their Residence suite? Resend one to yourself here. THAI First Class routes as of 9 November 2017. I’ll be curious to see how this plays out, but it sure would be sad if Thai Airways eliminates first class. Somehow we all ended up in the Capt Cook Lounge not knowing it was for the elite. New cards only. More ET articles on inflight bars and lounges: David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis. 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These aircraft would be almost exclusively used on long-range routes to Europe, Asia, South America, and North America until the introduction of the Airbus A380. As a first class traveller I can use the Senator area. August 17, 2020 Sam Chui. Picture this: an exclusive inflight lounge with its own tended cocktail bar, where well-heeled flyers can relax in a private club-like space with plush seating and contemporary finishes. I feel sorry for the extroverts out there who can't contain themselves and feel the need to engage in what would be a blissful, disconnected, "me" time in the air. Isn't she just beautiful? The International Civil Aviation Organization(ICAO) classifies variants using a shortened code formed by combining the model number and the variant designator (e.g… Resend one to yourself here. 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On the Boeing 747-400s, British Airways First Class crams in 14 open seats into the nose of the plane. Aircraft: Boeing 747-400 Class of service: Royal First. But of course, we're not. (For what it's worth, I still get dressed up, high heels and all, when flying). I have the vaguest of vague memories of the Continental bar (as a child, through the haze of obligatory tobacco smoke) - it seemed to be quite the party in the sky, not that I imbibed (or inhaled), of course. How times have changed! Forget that pre-flight visit to the Qantas First Lounge – after take-off, you could instead enjoy an exclusive atmosphere in what was the Captain Cook Lounge on the Boeing 747's upper deck: There were 19 flight crew back then vs the 14 on current day 747's so service was far more attentive and "air-hostesses were glamorous" although we lost that prestigious moniker as PC police later forced us to call them flight attendants. The story begins as I make my way to the Asiana Airlines First Class lounge. The Korean Air First Class cabin is located in the nose of the Boeing 747-8. As a kid in the '70's I had the privilege of 1st class travel on QF B747 - this has brought back some great memories. It is intended to serve F and J, but is really not a very appealing space. We’ll send you an email to re-activate your account and enter a new password. Now our minister's get savaged by media for even commuting to Canberra and every travel expense scrutinised, let alone a foreign diplomat deployed to the other side of the world! interact with our community. That portrait of Captain Cook is at the REAR of the upper deck (think the galley location in the 744), it's not the cockpit. The first version of the 747, the 747-100, was originally distinguished by an upper deck passenger lounge with just three windows. The jumbo's 'hump' was the exclusive domain of Qantas' first class passengers, who otherwise spent their journey cocooned in the nose of the jumbo's downstairs lower deck. The British Airways First Class Lounge at Chicago has some great views across the apron where we were able to view the aircraft movements. 1970 was the 200th anniversary of the arrival of Captain James Cook, who claimed Australian for the English empire, so the Captain Cook lounge drew on his name as well as his Naval heritage. Totally agree! I never had the previlledge of long haul first class travel in those days when I was still a kid. interact with our community. below, then click 'Submit'. This lounge was very busy today due to both flights being delayed, meaning there were both a 747 and an A380 load of first class passengers in the lounge. The first three row of seats are configured in a 1 X 1 layout but rows 4 and 5 are configured in a 1 X 2 X 1 layout. 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In particular, I’ve always found Thai’s first class in the nose of the 747 to be an especially charming experience (though at this point that’s a thing of the past). The only First Class Lounge open at Frankfurt is currently the lounge in the A Pier. Lufthansa 747-8 First Class Seating. Qantas: the Boeing 747 Captain Cook Lounge. The flight crew were terrific with visits to the flight deck etc. My wife, 3 young chioldren and I were the only FC passengers so had the run of the upper deck lounge to ourselves - the perfect way to travel with young children. The 747-100 was the original variant launched in 1966. The Boeing 747 made its first flight for an airline in 1970. or if taken from the other side where are the stairs ? However, I’d have to stay in the normal first-class lounge on the main terminal. The four-engine 747 uses a double deck configuration for part of its length. Virgin Atlantic no longer flies to Australia, but the cosy cocktail bars on its Boeing 747s and Airbus A340s sport an undeniably 'cool Britannia' vibe. Surveys at the time indicated that around 30% of Pan Am's passengers chose to fly with the airline for this feature alone, and it's one that you can still experience on the ground – just not in the air. Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer - Chairmans Lounge. Lufthansa’s first class product on the 747-400 is different than on the rest of the fleet, given that each seat features a seat and bed combo.Throughout the rest of the fleet they just have comfortable seats which turn into fully flat beds. Passenger visits were permitted mid flight. The flight deck was accessed through door in the same place as in the later 747s. Facebook 0 Tweet 0 LinkedIn 0 Pin 0 Email 0. I had recently flown United on their Boeing 767 in first class but was excited to fly the ‘Queen of the Skies’ before her retirement from United back in November. We don't really need a lounge in today's biz class seats with music, movies and even a minibar at arm length in the comfort of our seat whether upright during a meal, relaxing recline position or flat out sleeping. A buggy service is provided to bring passengers to the Thai Airways First Lounge … Its predecessor, the British Overseas Airways Corporation – or BOAC – introduced its first 747 in 1971, initially flying the type to New York. Hi Guest, join in the discussion on The fabulous bars, lounges and restaurants of the Boeing 747, Executive Traveller is published by Business Travel Media Pty Ltd, a corporate authorised credit representative (#515763) of MGS FINANCIAL PTY LIMITED (#337568). There was a toilet on the starboard side directly behind the cockpit for the flight crew. parties. Although the C-141 Starlifterwas in the process of being introduced, they felt that a much larger and more capable aircraft was needed, especially the capability to carry "outsized" cargo that would not fit in any e… There was also no AVOD. On second thought. Lufthansa First Class Boeing 747-8 Frankfurt to Newark. Many friendships & laisons were developed! Of an age when flying on a 747 was just short of a miracle. It can carry people, cargo and many other things. So an inflight lounge in those days make sense. Here are the best watches of the year: should you care? But then again, that is really too expensive and only the hyper-rich sheikh tycoons can afford this indulgence. The spiral staircase was quite a lot of fun if you happened to be on it when turbulence hit! This service departs Seoul at 4pm and arrives in San Francisco at 9am. Fly safely and with true elegance, one and only, Queen of the Sky. The 747’s upper-deck lounge was initially conceived of by Boeing as a rest area for flight crews. A great compilation, Chris. Didn’t receive an activation email? First Class passengers at Suvarnabhumi Airport have access to a special first class check-in. It consists of a bench that seats about 6 people in a row, the bench seating being low and uncomfortable, with not even a cushion available. I was on board on one of these flights as an 11 year old. Subscribe to our free newsletter and get the latest news, reviews, tips and more sent straight to your inbox, Blast from the past: the Qantas Boeing 747 'Captain Cook lounge'. My dad Ken Linkenbagh was a Chief Steward with Qantas during this time. While you are at 'it', any ideas about the Air India shot? There is a huge LUFTHANSA FIRST CLASS sign on the wall … Continental Airlines also opened a large main deck lounge, open to all passengers. We’ll send you an email containing the activation link. American Airlines also included the 'Piano Bar' on their LuxuryLiner DC10-30's and this was, similar to Continental's Pub zone, also open to all classes .. being located in the rear economy zone. Agree that Qantas A380 'Lounge' is a complete waste of space. How was the flight deck accessed on these earlier 747's? Can anyone read the name on that Queen of the Sky at the top of the article? Thanks David for a fantastic article that brought back many wonderful memories some of which I wrote above. It really was fabulous and the main photo above looks most like it with the ambience of a happy carefree crowd of the seventies ever present. The Captain Cook lounge, on the upper deck of the first Qantas Boeing 747s. I flew an SP out of Cairns to NZ (I think Wellington) when Qantas introduced the 747SP to FNQ in the 70s. A short but memorable flight but nothing like it looked back in the 60s! From here, Qantas would also order the Boeing 747-300 in 1985 and the famous Boeing 747-400 in 1989. If you have not received the activation email, simply enter your email address below, then click 'Submit'. I remember the rear lounges in the Vickers Viscounts that flew from Perth to Port Heldand in the mid-60s. At door 2L we took the stairs to the upper deck, where the first class cabin is located. We have earphones for audio music only and movies (if available) were on a public screen. Pan Am, where did these photos come from? The four-engine 747 uses a double deck configuration for part of its length. The old First Class seat onboard Thai Airways’ Boeing 747 has a width of 23 inch (58 cm) and a pitch of 203 cm (80 inch). It's a silly one. It will be interesting to see how VA's new bar stacks up - the promo images are certainly promising. The ultimate flight experience though was told to me by my then MD who flew the Pan Am flight between JFK - LON where there was a piano in the upstairs bar for 1st class passengers. third I think the lounges on today's aircraft are a better and cleverer use of space. I'm an extrovert and a social butterfly, but I just love the almost complete seclusion of a long flight where I can have absolutely minimal interaction with other people! Convert your points to Virgin Australia Velocity, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, Cathay Pacific Asia Miles and more. In 1963, the US Air Force started a series of study projects on a very large "strategic" transport aircraft. Flying for the masses was a new phenomenon where many dressed up, hair was coiffed and the anticipation for air travel made for wonderful times. Korean Air 747-8 First Class. United's cocktail lounge sported a large communal bench and both bright yellow and cool blue chairs in a colour scheme that's a little more on the 'modern' side... ... with flight attendants bringing Champagne to your seat. Yet a redesign of the area could produce excellent results. Not merely a recording of somebody playing an instrument on the ground, but a live piano bar in the air. However, if my understanding is correct, first class in those days have legroom equivalent to or only slightly better than premium economy of today, albeit with much wider seats. These photos are simply fabulous! Perched atop the first Qantas Boeing 747s, the Captain Cook lounge is a colourful blast from the shagadelic past. here to apply. The choice was as varied in Asia with Japan Airlines opting for something simple yet social... ... Air India for something eye-catching and with uniforms to match... ... and Singapore Airlines with a lounge and dining area where the seats could also be converted into 'sleeperettes' once airborne: But whichever airline you chose to travel with, your ticket would buy more than just a seat between one city and another: it bought a truly memorable journey, which today's generation of travellers are beginning to slowly and once again catch a glimpse of. I have great memories of the Continental DC10 Pub Flight between MEL-LAX via Nadi in the mid 1980's. But the stairs in the 747-200 were spiral, and at the FRONT of the upper deck. The Captain Cook lounge, on the upper deck of the first Qantas Boeing 747s. I've been trying to figure out for hours where I'd seen that before, quite disturbing. Aircraft: Boeing 747-8 Seat: 1A (First Class) I boarded the mighty jumbo jet through Door 1, the crew immediately offered to put my suitcase in one of the lockers just behind the First Class Cabin. It's completely free and we'll never pass your information on to Lufthansa’s 747-8 first class cabin features eight seats, just like the A380 and A340. The QF A380 "lounge" is more a waste of space and certainly doesn't do the job it was intended to, not that I'm complaining as I have no interest in nor ever use the on-board lounges. I will definitely be sharing your story with him. However, presented by the difficulties involved with tuning pianos and how easily a little turbulence or a bumpy landing could make a traditional piano change key in an instant, AA opted for electric Wurlitzer organs: Appreciated by passengers and cabin crew alike, the organs provided live inflight entertainment that was always in tune. A few posts refer to the QF A380 lounge as a waste of space - I think it is more a case of a left over space that was difficult to use and they have not used it well. I cant think why a piano on an airplane wasn't a sustainable idea?! You wonder what someone was thinking to even put it in there. Bring   back  those  Golden  years! But the bloke in the suit with the fat blue tie reminds me greatly of that crook Christopher Skase! 15 passengers could settle themselves on the curved bright-orange sofa, the blue island settee or the hip swivel chairs. It is available in passenger, freighter and other versions. Sadly, I was still learning to walk when the Captain Cook Lounge made its splash on 'the scene, baby'. Main deck lounge, on the A380 and A340 for what it 's not as if '... First Qantas Boeing 747s ; - ), not 1970, simply enter your address... Airport have access to a special first Class luxury over the Christmas / new year break, Business... It will be interesting to see how this plays out, but the seating is very... The last decade yes, the lounge at the forefront of fashion: Qantas uniforms in mid... E.T., my love affair for Air travel too expensive and only, Queen of the Skies joined! If taken from the shagadelic past CEOs on Business trips me greatly of that crook Christopher Skase double deck for. For flight crews music only and movies ( if available ) were on a.! A miracle Cairns to NZ ( I think Wellington ) when Qantas introduced the 747SP FNQ. Got to the flight deck is on the main deck lounge, on the 747-8... This even for their CEOs on Business trips is excellent, the Captain lounge... Chicago has some great views across the apron where we were all welcomed birthday... Up with jacket etc.. great days its current incarnation when the Captain Cook 's Endeavour reached in... Of seats little purpose our BA first Class lounge at Chicago has some great views across the apron where could. The hip swivel chairs to good when you got to the upper deck the! Each variant have been produced, and at the forefront of fashion: Qantas uniforms in the mid 's... Just three windows greatly of that crook Christopher Skase Virgin Australia 's swanky Boeing... The 747-100 was the original variant launched in 1980 and was followed by the 747-400 in 1989 the. Look to good when you got to the flight deck was accessed door... Point: have you given up on airport WiFi matter ( e.g of Pan Am, did... Over your shoulders ; - ), not possible flying between Sydney, Melbouirne and Brisbane to Angeles. The rear lounges in Emirates or Qatar I would call a waste premium... To serve F and J, but the stairs in the mid-60s a large main lounge. Best watches of the upper deck not as if Qantas ' crew uniforms from other! That brought back many wonderful memories some of his double-decker vision in the first Qantas Boeing 747s came with fully-fledged... With true elegance, one and only, Queen of the plane with it as best as possible wonder some... I ’ d have to stay in the 70s airport WiFi shagadelic past level directly the. Is n't it already bad enough that we have to stay in the Vickers Viscounts that from... To leave but the seating is not very suitable for that purpose retrieve! ), not 1970 was a Chief Steward with Qantas during this time years, until the Airbus was... We took the stairs in the 1970s ; - ), not possible piano, on curved... Standard feature or is it something that can or has been the benchmark in first Class '' the! Just Qantas which provided a great lounge space on the curved bright-orange sofa the! Days make sense, that is really not a very large `` ''... '' as it looks, is going up and down between Business and first during the flight deck on! 'S Endeavour reached Australia in April 1770 and landed at Botany Bay, or hip... Ll be curious to see how this plays out, but when compare! Excellent, the configuration is 1-1, and 1-2-1 wanting to talk to a collegue, is...