AIRWAYS TRAVELER Queens on Vacation
Today , the airline operates eight classic Boeing 747-400s , and up to 19 of the newest Boeing 747- 8i , which feature more fuel-efficient General Electric GEnX engines but , curiously , can carry seven fewer passengers than its predecessor . This is because , unlike the 747-400 , the -8i features the Lufthansa First Class suite , with eight seats total .
As LH is currently the last European operator of the most iconic airplane in the history of commercial aviation , many locals and aviation enthusiasts try to schedule a journey with the sole goal of experiencing , maybe for the last time , a flight on the Queen of the Skies .
The airline — which bases all its 747s at its main hub at Frankfurt International Airport ( FRA )— assigns the jumbo to prime destinations such as New York-JFK , Houston , Vancouver , Singapore , and Sao Paulo . The main common feature of these airports is that none of them is located on the European continent , and the fares for these flights are nothing but expensive . Nevertheless , two unique and unprecedented announcements made during the last few years have given locals a better chance to sample the Boeing 747-400 .
Once a year , coinciding with the rise in demand for air travel during Spring Break and Easter , LH schedules separate Boeing 747 upgrades on regular flights from Frankfurt ( FRA ) to Palma de Mallorca ( PMI ).
This flight , which is a unique opportunity for passengers to experience the iconic aircraft on
2 Lufthansa ’ s Boeing 747- 400s will not be retrofitted with the brand new Allegris product , inaugurated officially in May 2024 .
3 The enormous presence of the Lufthansa Group in Palma de Mallorca clearly reflects the popularity of this holiday destination among Germans , Swiss , and Austrians .
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