British Airways announces immediate retirement of 747 fleet
I don't understand the nostalgia for these planes.  I see a big plane and I think "cattle car."  There's nothing nice about sitting in the middle section of a huge wide-body plane, far from the luggage bin, far from the window, and with the prospect of climbing over several people or waking them up so you can go to the bathroom.  It takes a long time to board and deplane them.<p>Moreover, as a passenger I want point-to-point air service at a convenient time.  This is possible with smaller airplanes.  Big plane requires funneling passengers to some big gateway airport so they can fill the gigantic plane.  That requires spending time in airports.  Not interested.<p>If the nostalgia is that there's something elite about a big plane: Gordon Gekko didn't fly around in a 747.<p>There's a reason these planes are obsolete.  Planes like the 737 have democratized air travel and made it affordable for everyone.  That's a much bigger achievement than the 747 will ever be.  And I'll take the convenient frequent long-distance service that narrow-body planes offer (US mainland to Hawaii on a 737? Amazing!) over a 747 any day.  A curving staircase on an airplane just doesn't scream "cool" to me.