The interior of the 747 was developed in association with Seattle-based firm Teague, Boeing’s long-time cabin design partner. The 747 was the first ‘plane to have almost vertical sidewalls and a high ceiling, giving passengers a sense of space and openness. Instead of a long, thin tube, the main cabin was split up into “rooms,” with galleys and lavatories acting as dividers. It’s a shape that has defined long-haul travel for half a century.
With its four engines the 747 quite literally revolutionised air travel and represented a significant technological leap forward. It was faster and could travel further, using less fuel than any previous jet. It had a range of 6,000 miles and it could carry more than twice as many passengers as the largest airliner previously in use. In 1968 Pan Am placed an order worth more than USD500 million for twenty-five of the 747.
On 21st January 1970, Pan Am flew the first commercial 747 flight from New York to London. Spiral staircases connected the two decks. Widescreen movies were played in the cabins. People had room to move around. When the 747 went into service was a time of major societal change, and people were just waking up to the possibilities that air travel offered. So the new spacious and social 747 quickly drove exponential growth in air travel, tourism and connections between people worldwide.
It was the largest order in the history of commercial aviation. But, despite the excitement, the 747 wasn’t an immediate success, in part due to the economic downturn that began in 1969. But as the economy slowly recovered so did the fortunes of the 747, which soon became an airline status symbol and the flagship for every major carrier. Within a relatively short space of time, any airline which didn’t have a 747 in its fleet was considered to be second-class. ► Sep-Nov 2018 The Cultured Traveller 149