A sad truth in the United States is that domestic flights are not really flown on wide bodies anymore. There was a time where DL had 767s and L1011s flying between ATL and Florida, the big cities in the Northeast, etc, where AA had regular A300s on NYC to MIA, etc. These days seem to be fading with the exception of transcons (even Mainland-Hawaii services is seeing narrowbodies now). So here's the question, do you remember the last time you flew domestic on a wide body? Not sure what the situation is in other places around the world, but for those in the United States this memory applies to flights within the Continental US.

My last domestic flight on a wide body was June 29, 2013 from ATL-JFK on DL returning home from DAB. It was a Boeing 767-400 (second time every flying that 767 variant).

The US is lucky to have domestic flights at all. Here in the Netherlands we don't have any domestic flights, not on wide bodies and not on narrow bodies either.

My first and last domestic flight ever (I've only flown domestic once) was in Thailand, on a Thai AirAsia A320. Took me from Bangkok Don Mueang to Chiang Mai.

My last one was October 5, 2015, MIA-LAX on AA on a 777-200.

PatrickZ80 wrote:

The US is lucky to have domestic flights at all. Here in the Netherlands we don't have any domestic flights, not on wide bodies and not on narrow bodies either.

I don't know is "lucky" is exactly the right way to put it. They're a necessity here due to the much larger size of the US compared to European countries. For you traveling to Belgium would be more or less like an American traveling to a neighboring state (except for the language differences). In my opinion a flight within the Schengen Area is more the equivalent of a US domestic flight, as it covers an area closer in size and still doesn't require a passport.

In Japan this is still quite common. Had a flight from ITM to HND six weeks ago on a B787-8. They also use 767 und 777 for domestic routes.
Besides that, I never had the chance to fly widebody on any domestic route. Intra-Europe I once was on LH A300-600 FRA-SVO, but that's it. In todays times I have much longer flight on narrowbodies...

A few months ago, an A332 SYD-PER-SYD. My last US domestic widebody was in my last visit to the mainland last June when I flew an AA B788 ORD-LAX.

In January 2016, I flew Nanjing to Beijing as a tag-on on a Sydney-Nanjing-Beijing service with China Eastern. That was quite a long trip on the A330 that day.

2016.
United airlines B772 non ER/LR.
Houston to Honlolu. Nice flight on a big, but full plane.
I was in premium economy, but that was due to the plane being full and us being delayed for 11 hours in Houston.

I've logged quite a few in the UK, LGW-MAN A330, LGW-BHX A300, LHR-MAN, GLA and EDI all on the 767, and routes like MAD-BCN on the A330, ORY-AJA on the 747-400, MHD-THR 747-300

From LAX there are still plenty of options. Last I flew was a couple of weeks ago, AA 787-9 LAX-DFW. The past year I have flown on UA 777-200 3x times (LAX-EWR-LAX/ LAX-DEN), HA 767 (LAX-LIH), AA 787-8 (ORD-LAX) and DL A330-300 (JFK-LAX).

PIA Karachi to Lahore 747-200.

Well there are Latam flights GRU-GIG with 763 on a daily basis and few GRU-MAO with 77W.
Quite pleasant flights.

6/6/17. UA 772A SFO-ORD.

PatrickZ80 wrote:

The US is lucky to have domestic flights at all. Here in the Netherlands we don't have any domestic flights, not on wide bodies and not on narrow bodies either.

My first and last domestic flight ever (I've only flown domestic once) was in Thailand, on a Thai AirAsia A320. Took me from Bangkok Don Mueang to Chiang Mai.

Aren't those flights to the dutch antilles, Aruba, Boinaire, Curacao and Sint Maarten domestic flights?

Bjm0517 wrote:

2016.
United airlines B772 non ER/LR.
Houston to Honlolu. Nice flight on a big, but full plane.
I was in premium economy, but that was due to the plane being full and us being delayed for 11 hours in Houston.

I said within the Continental US, but hey nothing wrong with a 772 on IAH-HNL.

Does the TU204 count as wide body? If not, my last was SVO-VVO in an A333, back in Dec 2013
I bought a return flight VKO-SIP-VKO on B744 but as it was the end of the season (1st of october) it was changed to a B738 (or maybe it was an A319). So sad.... Even got the same reg twice

My last domestic widebody flight was the day the 787s came off their grounding on UA IAH-EWR.

trijetsonly wrote:

PatrickZ80 wrote:

The US is lucky to have domestic flights at all. Here in the Netherlands we don't have any domestic flights, not on wide bodies and not on narrow bodies either.

My first and last domestic flight ever (I've only flown domestic once) was in Thailand, on a Thai AirAsia A320. Took me from Bangkok Don Mueang to Chiang Mai.

Aren't those flights to the dutch antilles, Aruba, Boinaire, Curacao and Sint Maarten domestic flights?

Only flights to Bonaire would technically be domestic. Aruba, Curacao and St. Maarten are not part of the Netherlands, they're part of the Netherlands Antilles which is an independant country. However, flights between the Netherlands and Bonaire also stop at Aruba and/or Curacao so they're not entirely domestic.

St. Eustatius and Saba are also part of the Netherlands just like Bonaire, but those airports are far too small to support direct flights to the Netherlands.

IAH-LAX on a UA 787 in August 2016.

LAX-MIA AA 767-300ER. Unfortunately even on MIA-LAX/SFO which used to often have 767 and 777 on the routes its becoming rare.

BNE/SYD-PER on A330s a few times a year - both QF and VA.

QF used to operate 747s on SYD to Perth and I’ve went on those many times as well a BNE to SYD on the 767. Also flew MEL to SYD on an (I think) A340 circa the time Qantas grounded their fleet.

I don't usually fly domestically in the US and I guess I have only once flown on a 772 on UA between SFO-HNL domestically in the States. My last one would be PER-SYD on VA 332 back in July 2016 though. Over here in Europe you might get them intra Schengen but truly domestically aside from the TXL runs at the moment it's difficult.

Most recent was 05/17 IAD-IAH on a UA 77E. Before that 10/16 flew IAH-DEN on a UA788. United still runs larger aircraft between hubs. It does seem like DL has less domestic widebody service than just a few years ago.

Just a few months ago on HA HNL-JFK, A330. Does that count as a US domestic flight?

Last domestic flight I had on a widebody was back in 2012. It was on a AC 763 going from YYZ to YVR. I remember that one especially because it was delayed on it's inbound journey due to the bad weather in Toronto. To make matters worse, the flight was delayed even further when it was revealed that one of the nose landing gear wheels had to be changed. Ended up missing my connection in YVR because of that.

Goes back a ways for me - May 2010 from LAX-JFK on an AA 767-200ER. Every other trans-con flight I've had since then have been on 737-800s.

PatrickZ80 wrote:

The US is lucky to have domestic flights at all. Here in the Netherlands we don't have any domestic flights, not on wide bodies and not on narrow bodies either.

My first and last domestic flight ever (I've only flown domestic once) was in Thailand, on a Thai AirAsia A320. Took me from Bangkok Don Mueang to Chiang Mai.

I wouldn't say the Netherlands and the US are an equivalent case of widebody flights. Something more equivalent would be inter-europe or Schengen zone flights. What was the last widebody flight you took in Europe?

SLC-ATL (continuing onto GRU) on 02/2017

jubguy3 wrote:

PatrickZ80 wrote:

The US is lucky to have domestic flights at all. Here in the Netherlands we don't have any domestic flights, not on wide bodies and not on narrow bodies either.

My first and last domestic flight ever (I've only flown domestic once) was in Thailand, on a Thai AirAsia A320. Took me from Bangkok Don Mueang to Chiang Mai.

I wouldn't say the Netherlands and the US are an equivalent case of widebody flights. Something more equivalent would be inter-europe or Schengen zone flights. What was the last widebody flight you took in Europe?

Actually, I've never flown a wide body inside Europe. Even flights to the Canary islands, that's about the furthest in Europe you can get from the Netherlands, are always operated on narrow bodies. Actually, the last flight I took was back home from Lanzarote to Dusseldorf Weeze. 4,5 hours on a 737. Perfectly doable, absolutely no need to put a wide body on that route.

November 2015 QF BNE-SYD A330-200 VH-EBQ

In the UK these widebody flights are available weekdays between LHR-EDI/GLA on the B767 ,while BA still have them.

SFO-JFK-SFO on an AA 762, sometime in springtime 2007 from what I remember, since we're talking continental US or contiguous 48. Technically speaking, my last domestic widebody would be the summer of the year afterward on a 763 operating SFO-KOA (the return KOA-SFO being on a 757).

At least in North America you can still find SFO-BOS (though a transcon) on a UA 772 or YVR/YYC-YYZ/YUL on AC/WS (amongst a bevy of 737/A320 frequencies) to name a few, no?

vhqpa wrote:

November 2015 QF BNE-SYD A330-200 VH-EBQ

What I coincidence. I also was on EBQ in November 15 flying from SYD to BKK.

July 25, 2017 CX PVG-HKG A330 if you consider HKG domestic.

evank516 wrote:

Bjm0517 wrote:

2016.
United airlines B772 non ER/LR.
Houston to Honlolu. Nice flight on a big, but full plane.
I was in premium economy, but that was due to the plane being full and us being delayed for 11 hours in Houston.

I said within the Continental US, but hey nothing wrong with a 772 on IAH-HNL.

Oh, sorry. Didn’t see that part.

DL 767-300er SEA-ATL March 2017. Upgraded to comfort+ and it was a nice experience.

I've never flown domestic widebodies in my life. The biggest aircraft I've flown domestically (and on my last domestic flight in Germany) was an A321 in November 2012, FRA-HAM. A year earlier and it may have been an A300 though.

I have 5 domestic widebodies, not including flights to/from/within Hawaii and they actually are all on 767s

AA 767-300ER ORD-SFO 2000
DL 767-300 SFO-ATL 2007
DL 767-400ER ATL-SFO 2007
AA 767-200ER LAX-JFK 2012
DL 767-300 SLC-ATL 2015

jubguy3 wrote:

PatrickZ80 wrote:

The US is lucky to have domestic flights at all. Here in the Netherlands we don't have any domestic flights, not on wide bodies and not on narrow bodies either.

My first and last domestic flight ever (I've only flown domestic once) was in Thailand, on a Thai AirAsia A320. Took me from Bangkok Don Mueang to Chiang Mai.

I wouldn't say the Netherlands and the US are an equivalent case of widebody flights. Something more equivalent would be inter-europe or Schengen zone flights. What was the last widebody flight you took in Europe?

If we're doing EU flights, BA runs a 777 or 787 daily to Madrid and in the Summer Iberia runs a 340 for a rotation to London. Though I think that's mostly for cargo (but it's always jammed when I'm on it)

As mentioned for true domestics, UX runs a 330 for MAD-BCN but also does flights to the canaries on the 330

LupineChemist wrote:

jubguy3 wrote:

PatrickZ80 wrote:

The US is lucky to have domestic flights at all. Here in the Netherlands we don't have any domestic flights, not on wide bodies and not on narrow bodies either.

My first and last domestic flight ever (I've only flown domestic once) was in Thailand, on a Thai AirAsia A320. Took me from Bangkok Don Mueang to Chiang Mai.

I wouldn't say the Netherlands and the US are an equivalent case of widebody flights. Something more equivalent would be inter-europe or Schengen zone flights. What was the last widebody flight you took in Europe?

If we're doing EU flights, BA runs a 777 or 787 daily to Madrid and in the Summer Iberia runs a 340 for a rotation to London. Though I think that's mostly for cargo (but it's always jammed when I'm on it)

As mentioned for true domestics, UX runs a 330 for MAD-BCN but also does flights to the canaries on the 330

Wait, is that really all of the domestic widebody flying in Europe? Is it not as prevalent as it is in Asia or even the US?

DPS-CGK GA A330

jubguy3 wrote:

LupineChemist wrote:

jubguy3 wrote:

I wouldn't say the Netherlands and the US are an equivalent case of widebody flights. Something more equivalent would be inter-europe or Schengen zone flights. What was the last widebody flight you took in Europe?

If we're doing EU flights, BA runs a 777 or 787 daily to Madrid and in the Summer Iberia runs a 340 for a rotation to London. Though I think that's mostly for cargo (but it's always jammed when I'm on it)

As mentioned for true domestics, UX runs a 330 for MAD-BCN but also does flights to the canaries on the 330

Wait, is that really all of the domestic widebody flying in Europe? Is it not as prevalent as it is in Asia or even the US?

Not all, I'm based in MAD so that's what I know.

jubguy3 wrote:

Wait, is that really all of the domestic widebody flying in Europe? Is it not as prevalent as it is in Asia or even the US?

Indeed, that's about it. The reason it's not as prevalent as it is in Asia or even in the US is that ground transportation in Europe is much better. Europe is packed with high speed train lines that take you across the continent in no time at all. The road networks are also excellent, you can drive from the Netherlands to Spain or Italy in 2 days for example.

Only wide-body flights within Europe that haven't been mentioned yet are some Icelandair (767) and WOW Air (A330) flights to some major destinations. But they fly from their hub in Iceland which is quite a long way by ferry and most of their passengers are transfer passengers between Europe and America. There's no ferry service between Iceland and America, so for that part of the journey they have to fly anyway. Then might as well fly to Iceland. They got no competition from ground transport, so a wide body makes sense.

CDG-HEL on Finnair A350 (not Domestic but short), in October 2015.
MAD-PMI on Air Europa A332 in February 2010.

dredgy wrote:

Also flew MEL to SYD on an (I think) A340 circa the time Qantas grounded their fleet.

Qantas had A340?

On to topic, I once flew SJU-MCO-SJU on Delta l-1011-in fact my first flights ever-but according to the topic's starter -and as a FERVENT backer of Puerto Rican independence I wholly agree-that does not count as domestic so I have to say I have never flown widebody domestic. Big airplanes (727, 737, md-82, 757) yes but no widebodies.

And, sadly my country of Puerto Rico will never have domestic widebody flights...heck not even domestic big plane flights as I once put a 737 in service from SJU-BQN on my airline manager game and my airline prompltly ended up bankrupt. (thinking of it why would one wait 3 hours at an airport when you can just drive there and its less expensive, plus add to that that most Puerto Ricans can't afford flying on a 737 from San Juan to Aguadilla, lol)

AntonioMartin wrote:

dredgy wrote:

Also flew MEL to SYD on an (I think) A340 circa the time Qantas grounded their fleet.

Qantas had A340?

No, but when Qantas grounded their fleet, Virgin Australia borrowed some Etihad aircraft for domestic flights. I can’t remember if I was on an A340 or 777. I want to say A340 because otherwise I’ve never been on one.

In January I flew CPT-JNB on a SA A346 - might be my last flight on one, since they're disappearing fast. I got lucky with fares and was able to fly business class - a real treat!

Most recent: ~2008, Air Berlin, NUE-HAM, A330. It was a substitution, I guess, as the flight seemed barely half-full, and boarding gate agent was re-issuing the passes with a broad smile and hints "you are up to a surprise". I was coming off a connecting flight, and with a gate change at an unfamiliar airport, was relieved to see the flight was delayed some 10 minutes or so. And then, a widebody!

Most memorable: May 1991, Aeroflot, Leningrad division (future Pulkovo Airlines) LED-KBP, Il-86. A substitution too. USSR still existed, so it was a domestic flight. Despite the fact that USSR still existed, the air transport system was already trembling and cracking. Instead of a dozen or more daily flights between LED and KBP, Aeroflot Leningrad decided to herd as many passengers as possible and see if they could save money and hassle with a lower frequency. As a result, after ~8 hour delay of our flight, and two or three more delayed flights, they announced a new flight number and called everyone from these "delayed" flights to check-in for this, newly created flight. So, all of us, who expected to get to KBP with a Tu-154B-2, or a Tu-134A, were boarded to Il-86.
(for those who don't know -- Il-86 had a unique boarding procedure, where you were supposed to bring your own luggage aboard, stow it in the luggage compartment downstairs, and climb to the passenger deck).

PatrickZ80 wrote:

jubguy3 wrote:

Wait, is that really all of the domestic widebody flying in Europe? Is it not as prevalent as it is in Asia or even the US?

Indeed, that's about it. The reason it's not as prevalent as it is in Asia or even in the US is that ground transportation in Europe is much better. Europe is packed with high speed train lines that take you across the continent in no time at all. The road networks are also excellent, you can drive from the Netherlands to Spain or Italy in 2 days for example.

Nobody would take a train across the continent. I'd say 1000km is about the max before flying becomes the obvious choice.

But even in that case one of the main routes talked about here is MAD-BCN which is 600km and is very well connected by high speed rail.