Why are Boeing 747-400s not used as much as they used to be for trans-Atlantic air travel?
I notice that Boeing 747-400’s are being used less on certain trans-Atlantic, and some trans-Pacific routes…nowadays it seems to be more of a mix of twin-engine aircraft, MD-11s and some 747-400s on the transatlantic runs.. they even use twin-engine jets like the 777 on some long-haul trans-pacific routes…what are some of the reasons for this?
To Alibi…there’s plans for a new 747, the 747-8 which is going to be the newest in a long line of very popular Boeing jets.
I want to fly someday on both the 747-400 and the 777..I think the ‘Triple-Seven’ is quite an achievement for Boeing.
kind of like what calnickel said, but let me put it another way. Instead of flying a higher number at once, we’re now flying smarter. Since we’ve entered the information age, computers are able to use really advanced statistics and simulation to take data we already know about where people go, and try a bazillion combinations of flights and cities (also considering ticket price) to determine the most efficient way to do it. Before it ways always flying to a hub like JFK, crossing the atlantic by TWA or pan-am, arriving at another hub, and flying to your destination. Now they’re able to come up with ways to eliminate more of the layovers and point people directly to where they need to be. I’m going out on a limb here but I think that’s why those two airlines are out of business now.
For instance, if 10% of the people who fly from N. America to Europe are going to Scotland, it makes more sense to have a 777 or 767ER (I could be wrong on that plane btw) make the trip directly to Scotland twice a week, than it is to just load all the Scotland-bound people with the France-bound people with the Germany-bound people on a daily 747 to london, and have them all get on a second flight. It’s better and more efficient to send them straight where they need to go. I think he’s wrong on ETOPS though, it’s just an abbreviation for Engines Turning Or Passengers Swimming!
The type of math and simulation needed to figure out these routes didn’t exist back in the 60’s when the 747 was being developed. This one reason why many people think airbus is doing the wrong thing with the A380, since bigger isn’t necessarily better. 747s are still enormously popular for freight service and will alwyas be though.
An interesting aside is that apparently 747s are very popular in japan for short range flights to various islands, where they pack in around 500 people inside for a short time.
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