The final 747 trips will be three one-hour farewell flights this month over Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra. Courtesy Qantas
The final 747 trips will be three one-hour farewell flights this month over Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra. Courtesy Qantas
The final 747 trips will be three one-hour farewell flights this month over Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra. Courtesy Qantas
The final 747 trips will be three one-hour farewell flights this month over Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra. Courtesy Qantas

Qantas bids farewell to the 747 with pleasure flights across Australia: tickets sold out in 10 minutes


Hayley Skirka
  • English
  • Arabic

Qantas is set to mark the end of an era by saying goodbye to its Boeing 747 fleet with three final farewell flights across Australia.

After 50 years, the Australian airline will retire its last remaining 747 on Wednesday, July 22. Ahead of that date, the aircraft will say goodbye by taking to the skies on three one-hour "farewell jumbo joy flights".

These passenger flights will depart from Sydney, Brisbane and Canberra on July 13, 15 and 17 respectively, offering travellers one last chance to fly on the jumbo jet.

Qantas will say goodbye to its final Boeing 747 on a one-hour flight taking in the highlights of Sydney, two additional flights will tour Melbourne and Canberra. Unsplash
Qantas will say goodbye to its final Boeing 747 on a one-hour flight taking in the highlights of Sydney, two additional flights will tour Melbourne and Canberra. Unsplash

Qantas 747 fleet captain Owen Weaver said that these pleasure flights are a chance for Australians to say goodbye to a nostalgic aircraft.

“The 747 has been a magnificent aircraft and it’s fitting that we celebrate the end of five decades of history-making moments for the national carrier and aviation in Australia,” said Weaver.

“There is an enormous amount of nostalgia and affection associated with our 747 and for those who miss out on a seat on the flight, they will at least be able to catch a glimpse of the aircraft as it takes to Australian skies for the last time.”

Tickets sold out in 10 minutes

Business class travellers on Qantas' farewell jumbo joy flights will have the chance to see inside the cockpit of the 747. Courtesy Boeing
Business class travellers on Qantas' farewell jumbo joy flights will have the chance to see inside the cockpit of the 747. Courtesy Boeing

Tickets for the flights went on sale on Wednesday, July 8. Priced at $400 (Dh1,026) for an economy seat and $747 (Dh1,917) for business class, they sold out within 10 minutes.

Those lucky enough to get tickets can look forward to a low-level tour of the highlights of each city, as well as the chance to talk to and take pictures with flight crew.

Economy passengers will get an in-flight light lunch, a guided tour of the aircraft and a gift bag, as well as a photo opportunity in front of the jet after landing.

Business class passengers get all of the above, plus a behind-the-scenes visit to the cockpit.

Qantas took delivery of its first Boeing 747 in 1971. Courtesy Qantas
Qantas took delivery of its first Boeing 747 in 1971. Courtesy Qantas

The high demand for tickets shows just how popular the Boeing 747 has been for the "red roo" airline. Qantas took delivery of its first 747 jumbo jet in 1971 and the planes have transported millions of passengers to, from and through Australia.

The farewell flights will operate with Qantas Fly Well policies in place. These measures are designed to protect against the spread of the coronavirus and include recommended face masks and sequenced boarding. All proceeds from ticket sales are being donated to aviation museums in Queensland and New South Wales.

Track the farewell flights

Planespotters and aviation enthusiasts can watch the final flights of the 747 via Flight Radar 24.

The global flight tracking service will follow the 747 as it takes to the skies on each of its farewell flights.

The flights will be operated by the 747 registered as VH-OEJ. This plane was the last of the six jets to be delivered to Qantas from Boeing. It came into service in 2003 and will be wrapping up 17 years of flying.

To follow any of the final flights, search VH-OEJ in FlightRadar's tracking service.

After saying its farewells over Australia, the jumbo jet will leave Sydney for good on July 22, headed for the Mojave desert in California, ending a five-decade chapter of trans-global travel.

In June, Qantas reported it was retiring its Boeing 747 fleet immediately, six months ahead of schedule due to the coronavirus pandemic. The airline also said it was axing 20 per cent of its workforce, implementing a cost-saving plan and grounding 100 aircraft for up to 12 months due to travel restrictions in place around the world.

Earlier this week, Boeing said it was ending its 747 production programme.

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Tips for newlyweds to better manage finances

All couples are unique and have to create a financial blueprint that is most suitable for their relationship, says Vijay Valecha, chief investment officer at Century Financial. He offers his top five tips for couples to better manage their finances.

Discuss your assets and debts: When married, it’s important to understand each other’s personal financial situation. It’s necessary to know upfront what each party brings to the table, as debts and assets affect spending habits and joint loan qualifications. Discussing all aspects of their finances as a couple prevents anyone from being blindsided later.

Decide on the financial/saving goals: Spouses should independently list their top goals and share their lists with one another to shape a joint plan. Writing down clear goals will help them determine how much to save each month, how much to put aside for short-term goals, and how they will reach their long-term financial goals.

Set a budget: A budget can keep the couple be mindful of their income and expenses. With a monthly budget, couples will know exactly how much they can spend in a category each month, how much they have to work with and what spending areas need to be evaluated.

Decide who manages what: When it comes to handling finances, it’s a good idea to decide who manages what. For example, one person might take on the day-to-day bills, while the other tackles long-term investments and retirement plans.

Money date nights: Talking about money should be a healthy, ongoing conversation and couples should not wait for something to go wrong. They should set time aside every month to talk about future financial decisions and see the progress they’ve made together towards accomplishing their goals.

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Name: Fruitful Day

Founders: Marie-Christine Luijckx, Lyla Dalal AlRawi, Lindsey Fournie

Based: Dubai, UAE

Founded: 2015

Number of employees: 30

Sector: F&B

Funding so far: Dh3 million

Future funding plans: None at present

Future markets: Saudi Arabia, potentially Kuwait and other GCC countries

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Date started: February 2017

Founders: Amira Rashad (CEO), Yusuf Saber (CTO), Mahmoud Sayedahmed (adviser), Reda Bouraoui (adviser)

Based: Dubai, UAE

Sector: E-commerce 

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Funding: approximately $6m

Investors: Beco Capital, Enabling Future and Wain in the UAE; China's MSA Capital; 500 Startups; Faith Capital and Savour Ventures in Kuwait

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If you are looking to build your long-term wealth in 2021 and beyond, the stock market is still the best place to do it as equities powered on despite the pandemic.

Investing in individual stocks is not for everyone and most private investors should stick to mutual funds and ETFs, but there are some thrilling opportunities for those who understand the risks.

Peter Garnry, head of equity strategy at Saxo Bank, says the 20 best-performing US and European stocks have delivered an average return year-to-date of 148 per cent, measured in local currency terms.

Online marketplace Etsy was the best performer with a return of 330.6 per cent, followed by communications software company Sinch (315.4 per cent), online supermarket HelloFresh (232.8 per cent) and fuel cells specialist NEL (191.7 per cent).

Mr Garnry says digital companies benefited from the lockdown, while green energy firms flew as efforts to combat climate change were ramped up, helped in part by the European Union’s green deal. 

Electric car company Tesla would be on the list if it had been part of the S&P 500 Index, but it only joined on December 21. “Tesla has become one of the most valuable companies in the world this year as demand for electric vehicles has grown dramatically,” Mr Garnry says.

By contrast, the 20 worst-performing European stocks fell 54 per cent on average, with European banks hit by the economic fallout from the pandemic, while cruise liners and airline stocks suffered due to travel restrictions.

As demand for energy fell, the oil and gas industry had a tough year, too.

Mr Garnry says the biggest story this year was the “absolute crunch” in so-called value stocks, companies that trade at low valuations compared to their earnings and growth potential.

He says they are “heavily tilted towards financials, miners, energy, utilities and industrials, which have all been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic”. “The last year saw these cheap stocks become cheaper and expensive stocks have become more expensive.” 

This has triggered excited talk about the “great value rotation” but Mr Garnry remains sceptical. “We need to see a breakout of interest rates combined with higher inflation before we join the crowd.”

Always remember that past performance is not a guarantee of future returns. Last year’s winners often turn out to be this year’s losers, and vice-versa.

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Rating: 3/5

Directors: Ramin Bahrani, Debbie Allen, Hanelle Culpepper, Guillermo Navarro

Writers: Walter Mosley

Stars: Samuel L Jackson, Dominique Fishback, Walton Goggins

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Who inspires you?

I am in awe of the remarkable women in the Arab region, both big and small, pushing boundaries and becoming role models for generations. Emily Nasrallah was a writer, journalist, teacher and women’s rights activist

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Yoga relaxes me and helps me relieve tension, especially now when we’re practically chained to laptops and desks. I enjoy learning more about music and the history of famous music bands and genres.

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What is your favourite Arabic film?

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What is favourite English film?

Mamma Mia

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Iftar programme at the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding

Established in 1998, the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding was created with a vision to teach residents about the traditions and customs of the UAE. Its motto is ‘open doors, open minds’. All year-round, visitors can sign up for a traditional Emirati breakfast, lunch or dinner meal, as well as a range of walking tours, including ones to sites such as the Jumeirah Mosque or Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood.

Every year during Ramadan, an iftar programme is rolled out. This allows guests to break their fast with the centre’s presenters, visit a nearby mosque and observe their guides while they pray. These events last for about two hours and are open to the public, or can be booked for a private event.

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