Farewell, Queen: I watched British Airways’ 747s leave Heathrow for the last time
The news broke in July: British Airways would retire all of its Boeing 747s three years earlier than expected. The announcement brought an end to the chance of any further passenger flights. One by one, the aircraft were sent off to retirement — until only two remained at Heathrow.
Thursday morning, I was at a gloomy and grey London Heathrow Airport, ready to bid farewell to BA’s final two Queen of the Skies. The final two BA 747-400s left at Heathrow, G-CIVY and G-CIVB, were headed for St Athan in Wales, and Kemble in Gloucestershire, respectively.
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It wasn’t my first glimpse of the two aircraft in the past 24 hours. In true AvGeek style, I went to find them both parked up late Wednesday night to say an emotional goodbye — alone and in the dark and rain.
As Thursday morning rolled around, AvGeeks turned out en masse to experience the final farewell for themselves. Friends communicated between different sides of the airfield, all vying for the best position to see the two superjumbos.
Initially, I was watching from the Renaissance Hotel at the airport, with a perfect view of the northern runway.
British Airways had planned a simultaneous westerly departure of both aircraft on the two Heathrow runways. Each then had a separate route to its destination, with a contingency plan in case of diversion, shown on these pictures by the dotted line. This was particularly important for the arrival at Kemble Airport, as this would be a visual approach only, and bad conditions could scupper the chances of a successful landing.
Thursday’s simultaneous departure was always subject to weather conditions, and true to form, the British weather forced the airline to make a number of last-minute changes.
At around 5:30 a.m., BA made the decision that the simultaneous takeoff would indeed happen, but as the aircraft were being pushed back after 8 a.m., the weather took a turn.
Rain started to fall heavily and visibility dropped. At 8:17 a.m., word came in from BA that the simultaneous takeoff was canceled and both aircraft would depart from runway 27R heading off to the west.
Just seven minutes later — at 8:24 a.m. — a dual runway takeoff was once again approved. But with the weather continuing to cause issues, at 8:35 a.m., we were back to a single-runway departure — and this decision was final. The aircraft were to take off from 27R, one after the other.
At 8:40 a.m., G-CIVB, painted in the airline’s Negus retro livery, which entered service on Feb. 15, 1994, lined up first. After a surprisingly short sprint down the runway, as both aircraft were light without the usual full load of fuel, cargo and passengers, she took to the skies.
Moments later, G-CIVY, painted in the airline’s current Chatham Dockyard livery, which first entered service on Sept. 29, 1998, taxied to the top of runway 27R and followed in its sister’s path.
For those of you that were watching me live on Cuppa TPG, you’ll know what happened next. (And if you missed it, you can watch the playback now on the TPG U.K. Instagram account.) I made a mad dash out of the hotel, into my car and drove around the eastern end perimeter of the airfield to the southern side. I pulled up on the famous spotting street Myrtle Avenue and joined another horde of AvGeeks on the grassy field right at the top of runway 27L. I made it just in time to catch G-CIVY conduct a flypast at 500 feet over Heathrow’s southern runway, conducting a purposeful missed approach for the crowds as a final goodbye.
Both aircraft made it safely to their intended destinations. After its flypast, G-CIVY had a rather easy straight run over to Wales.
On the other hand, G-CIVB had a harder time making its approach into Kemble, likely due to weather conditions. This 747 was forced to enter a holding pattern, looping the area numerous times before finally landing 1 hour and 31 minutes after departure, according to FlightRadar24.
It was a sad morning that closed the door on another great icon of the aviation world — especially in the United Kingdom and its flagship airline. And whilst the weather came out to reinforce the sadness, this day was inevitable.
While the coronavirus pandemic forbid BA from doing any final commercial flights for super-fans, admirers joined on the ground to give the final Queens a memorable send-off.
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There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
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- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
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- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
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- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.
Rewards Rate
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
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Intro Offer
You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
$325Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.Excellent to Good
Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.