Introduction – Flying a Boeing 747 in 2023 and 2024
The Boeing 747, aka the Queen of the Skies, has been flying passengers across the globe since the 1970s and is still doing so in 2023 and 2024. The last passenger version of the 747 was built for Korean Air and delivered in 2017. Unfortunately with the aircraft no longer being produced, it’s only a matter of time before it’s unavailable to fly. In the years to come, airlines still flying the 747 will eventually retire them in favor of more fuel-efficient aircraft.
Flying on a 747 is on the bucket list for most aviation geeks, especially in the first or business class cabin. Want to have the opportunity to fly on a Boeing 747 in 2023 and 2024? In this post, we’ll take a look at the 747 passenger experience, what airlines fly the Boeing 747 in 2023/2024, and what routes you can find them on.
My Boeing 747 Passenger Experience
Beyond the general beauty of the plane, Boeing’s 747 is my favorite aircraft to fly due to the unique opportunity of flying in the nose of the aircraft or on its iconic upper deck (both areas are typically utilized for first or business-class passengers). My favorite Boeing 747 experience was flying on Delta Air Lines roundtrip from Detroit to Seoul back in 2016. I took this trip solely for the purpose of flying Delta One business class on the upper deck of a 747 shortly before the airline retired its 747 fleet.
Delta’s 747 had a distinct cabin design given it utilized a 1-1 seating configuration on the upper deck for a total of only 14 passengers. Given the low seating density, this is probably the closest I’ve felt to flying on a private jet while on a commercial airplane. I wish other airlines were flying an upper-deck configuration like this on the Boeing 747 in 2023/2024, but I will share the types of upper-deck experiences that are currently available on the Boeing 747 in this post.
Photos are from 2016 so apologies the quality is not the best 😅
Besides the Boeing 747 upper-deck, the nose of this plane also delivers an amazing flying experience. The pilots flying the Boeing 747 sit on the upper deck of the plane, meaning passengers flying in front of the lower deck are actually seated all the way up to the nose of the aircraft.
Lufthansa is one of the airlines still flying the Boeing 747 in 2023, and I was fortunate to fly with them in first class which is located in the nose of the aircraft. It’s definitely one of my top flying memories, and I’ve previously written about how you can redeem miles for Lufthansa first class.
What Airlines Fly the Boeing 747 in 2023 and 2024?
Now that you understand why flying the 747 is an awesome experience (especially in a premium cabin), let’s look at which airlines still fly it in 2023 and 2024. I’ll also share what types of seating arrangements these airlines offer on the 747 and provide my take on the seating experience. Note, the below information is subject to change as airlines modify schedules and/or retire planes.
Korean Air’s Boeing 747 in 2023 and 2024
Korean Air is one of four airlines still flying the Boeing 747 in 2023 and 2024. Korean Air has a fleet of about eight active 747-800s still flying. Current destinations from Seoul (ICN) include Atlanta, New York (JFK), Honolulu, Sydney, and Paris. In my opinion, Korean Air’s 747 remains one of the best flight experiences still available and the airline has a webpage where you take a virtual tour of its 747 cabin.
Korean Air’s 747-800 First Class
Korean Air’s 747-800 has its first class cabin in the nose of the airplane on the lower deck. It consists of six total seats spread across three rows in a 1-1 configuration. The “Kosmo Suites 2.0” offer good privacy from other passengers with partitions and a slide-away door. The seat also features a 24-inch entertainment screen. In my opinion, this is the best and most modern first class hard product currently available on passenger 747s.
Korean Air 747-8 Business Class
Korean Air’s business class cabin is in a 2-2 seating configuration. One of the business class cabins is located behind the first class cabin on the lower deck of the 747-8. The upper deck of Korean Air’s 747-8 also has a dedicated business-class cabin.
While 2-2 seating configurations are no longer industry-leading, Korean Air’s “Prestige Suites” (business class) do still offer direct access to all passengers given its special design where one of the seats is offset from the other. The Prestige Suites offer a privacy partition that can be raised between seat pairs giving the seats closest to the window a high degree of privacy.
If you can snag a window seat, Korean Air’s 747-8 would be my top business class choice for flying in business class on a 747 that is still flying today. I would also recommend trying to snag a seat on the upper deck given the reduced passenger count.
Asiana’s 747-400
Korean Air’s direct competitor in Korea is Asiana Airlines. Asiana has a single Boeing 747-400 still available to fly in 2023 and 2024. Currently, the 747-400 is on the Seoul (ICN) to Osaka (KIX) route. Asiana offers business class seating on its 747-400 at both the nose and on the upper deck.
The seats found in the nose are much better as pictured below in its 1-1 seating configuration. There is also a single pair of seats together in the last row. These seats are sold as business class seats and available on a first-come, first-serve basis to business class customers.
On the upper deck, Asiana offers business class seats in a 2-2 configuration, but you will notice they are inferior to the seats in the nose. They feature much less room and not everyone will receive direct aisle access. For a better experience, I highly recommend trying to snag a seat in the nose rather than the upper deck. Based on some sample bookings, the nose seats fill up quickly so try to book your trip further in advance to get one of the nose seats.
Lufthansa‘s 747-400 and 747-800
Lufthansa is currently the world’s largest operator of the 747 with over 25 in service and operates both the 747-400 and 747-800 variants. The 747-400 features 67 business class seats available on both the lower deck and upper deck. Meanwhile, the 747-800 includes 8 first-class seats in the nose of the lower deck and 80 business class seats across the lower and upper decks. See seat maps for reference below.
Lufthansa’s first class on the 747-8 is amongst my favorite. While it’s not the most modern seat in the world, Lufthansa First Class features great service/food, world-class lounges, and Porsche transfers.
On the other hand, Lufthansa’s business class leaves a lot to be desired in 2023. The seats are in a 2-2 configuration, lack any sort of privacy, and feature outdated tech. Still, if your goal is to fly on a 747 while they are still around, Lufthansa gives you the best opportunity with its large fleet and destination footprint.
Lufthansa’s 747-400 is currently flying to Chicago, New York (JFK), Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai, and Seoul. The 747-800 is currently flying to Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Newark, Washington Dulles, Miami, Mexico City, Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo, Tokyo Haneda, Singapore, Shanghai, and Johannesburg.
Air China‘s 747-400 and 747-800
Air China has a different cabin layout on its fleet of 747-4s and 747-8s compared to other airlines we’ve covered. On both aircraft, you’ll find business class seats located in the front of the lower deck and on the upper deck. Meanwhile, the first class cabin is distinctly positioned behind business class on the lower deck. Please see the seat maps below for both the 747-4 and 747-8.
Air China’s 747-400 First and Business Class
Unfortunately, Air China’s website is not the most user-friendly when it comes to researching its 747 fleet and the routes it’s available to fly on. From what I can gather, Air China’s 747-400 cabins are very outdated and the actual seat design can vary depending on the specific aircraft you end up on. Some of its business class seats are just recliner seats while others look closer to angle-flat or lie-flat seats. First class does not look very modern either but at least appears quite spacious. While not delivering the best experience, there’s something to be said for the nostalgia of flying on these older planes. I’ve linked Sam Chui’s video below where he shares his experience on the 747-400s so you can get an idea of what the cabins can look like.
Air China’s 747-800 First and Business Class
Air China’s 747-800 premium cabins are certainly more modern than the 747-400’s but are by no means industry-leading. First class features semi-private suites in a 1-2-1 configuration.
Meanwhile, business class is in a 2-2-2 configuration, and the seats are similar to what you’ll find on United and Delta’s 757-200s and the recent Starlux flight I took to Macau. This is a perfectly decent product and fine for regional flights but doesn’t offer direct aisle access to all customers which has become the standard for long-haul flights.
Flying Air China’s 747 in 2023 and 2024
As mentioned, Air China’s website is not the easiest to use if you are searching for a flight on one of its Boeing 747-400s or 747-800s. Its flight results also do not do a great job of specifying if the route is flown by a 747-400 or 800 so I’d double-check the seat map when booking to make sure you are on the variant you want. With that said, below are the routes I’ve been able to identify that sometimes (not daily and not on every frequency) operate with a Boeing 747-400 or 747-800.
- Beijing (PEK) to Frankfurt (FRA), 747-800
- Beijing (PEK) to San Francisco (SFO), 747-800
- Beijing (PEK) to Guangzhou (CAN), 747-400
- Beijing (PEK) to Shanghai (SHA), 747-400
Flying on a Boeing 747 in 2023 and 2024 – The Pilot Debrief
The Boeing 747 is a fan-favorite of aviation geeks around the world due to its large size and beautiful design. With the aircraft no longer being produced, it’s only a matter of time before the 747 is no longer available to fly as a regular commercial passenger. If you are looking to fly a Boeing 747 in 2023 and 2024, Korean Air, Lufthansa, Asiana, and Air China are the airlines you can choose from.
If you have the option (especially with miles or points), I’d recommend flying in business or first class as that typically gives you the opportunity to fly in the nose of the lower deck or in the upper deck – both of which are unique experiences to the 747.
In my opinion, Korean Air offers the best hard products in both first and business class on its 747-800s. However, I would rate Lufthansa first class as the best overall 747 experience available. Even though Lufthansa’s first class seat is not as modern as Korean Air, Lufthansa offers a better lounge and ground experience.
Finally, while the seats are not industry-leading, flights on Asiana and Air China’s 747s are still worth pursuing if you haven’t had an opportunity to fly in the nose or upper deck of a 747.
