United's Partying Like It's 1970 to Say Goodbye to the 747
In case you haven't heard, United's retiring its 747s. Today. Yes, it's really, really happening. To celebrate the airline's long history with the Queen of the Skies, it's throwing a retro-themed party on Tuesday at the San Francisco airport to send the aircraft off in style, on flight UA747 (yes, that's intentional) to Honolulu.
Both myself and TPG Editor-at-Large Zach Honig are here at SFO to bring you all the details. We'll be boarding the flight soon, but now let's take a look at how United pulled out all the stops to celebrate the last flight of its iconic jumbo jet.
Gate 86 at SFO's Terminal 3 has been packed since 8 o'clock Tuesday morning with throngs of United employees (even the airline's CEO Oscar Munoz was in attendance), AvGeeks, travel writers and probably some people who just like a party, all excited to fly the Queen of the Skies just one more time before she's brought to the desert for retirement.
This probably doesn't come as a surprise to anyone, but United's famous 18-million miler is on board the flight, and he shared that this specific flight would push him over the top of yet another million miles with the carrier.
The flight attendants working the flight nailed the theme — today's uniforms are totally groovy outfits that look like they'd be right at home in the early '70s.
Passengers got decked out too — some chose to dress in Hawaiian theme, to celebrate United's first, and last, 747 destination — HNL — while others chose to adhere to the fashion of the decade.
Also on display was a giant timeline wall, which displayed pictures and milestones of UA's Queen of the Skies.
United had a giant-sized card for the 747, where all in attendance could write a note to the aircraft if they wished.
Some were very sentimental:
It wouldn't be a party without cake, and United had two large ones ready.
The day's just getting started, and soon we'll be on our way to Honolulu. Stay tuned to TPG for more coverage of United flight 747.
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Rewards Rate
| 2X miles | 2 miles per dollar on every purchase |
| 5X miles | 5 miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel |
| 10X miles | 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel |
Intro Offer
Earn 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200K miles when you spend $150K in the first 6 monthsLIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus milesAnnual Fee
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Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
- The Capital One Venture X business card has a very lucrative welcome offer.
- In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
- Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.
Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month