Taking a trip just to fly on a specific type of plane

bluestreak · Wed Apr 11, 2018 7:44 pm

I'm posting this because my wife thinks I am crazy....and she is probably right. I have booked a trip using miles just to fly on the A350. Later in the summer, I am flying MCO-DTW-AMS on Delta for the A350. What she thinks is insane is that I am coming back home the NEXT DAY. I'll be returning to MCO later in the day after arriving in AMS, BA AMS-LHR, Air Canada LHR-YYZ-MCO. Due to work schedules, I only have a couple days off for the trip. She is not able to join me, and would not unless we could stay in Europe for a few days. I would love to do that, but it is not possible now. Yes, we could wait until the timing is better, but this is something I have been wanting to do. She is fine with me taking the trip, but to Europe and back just to fly on a specific plane is insane to her. So I am asking for some of your stories, to show her I am not the only airline nut out there.

In the past, I have done day trips to fly on specific planes, such as MCO-ORD-IAH-MCO just for the 787. Also, MCO-CLT-MCO for the A330. These are long days for sure, but nothing compared to the trip I have planned. What is so special about the A350? Well, it is about the only type currently in passenger airline service which I have not flown on. As fellow airliner nuts, you should hopefully understand.

So tell me, and my wife, what kind of unnecessary trips have you taken to fly on a specific airliner?

jde91 · Wed Apr 11, 2018 8:04 pm

I flew from LHR to CDG last year on the AF 787-9. I had to get train from Liverpool, spend the night in a hotel at LHR... we had one night in Paris before flying direct on Easyjet back to Liverpool. It was fun, I’d never been on a Dreamliner. A lot shorter than your trip though!

PanzerPowner · Wed Apr 11, 2018 8:05 pm

Well... This summer i'm going out of my way to save money and get on the 787 on LAX-SAN-NRT, then later this summer i'm taking the BAe 146 on Skyjet from MNL to PPS, and who knows what i might pick up on the return trip with the roll out of A359s with PAL.

Yflyer · Wed Apr 11, 2018 8:40 pm

I'm not quite crazy enough to take a trip for the sole purpose of flying on a specific plane, but if I am planning on taking a trip anyway I will seek out routings that will get me on a plane I want to fly on, even if they're longer or require extra connections. For example, for a trip to Hawaii I'm flying SMF-SFO-HNL-LIH when I could have just flown SMF-SFO-LIH, because that extra HNL-LIH leg will be on a 717, which I've never flown on before.

PlymSpotter · Wed Apr 11, 2018 10:37 pm

It is actually pretty normal for aviation enthusiasts - I've taken literally hundreds of trips to log a specific airline / aircraft.

Usually I'm chasing something pretty rare, the stuff which operates in remote parts of the world, so I get to visit a lot of really interesting and off the beaten path places too - it's brilliant.

Most recently this was to Uzbekistan for the Ilyushin 114 and Nepal for the 757-200M. I always plan time in the places I visit because, as happened with the 757, schedules and types can change.

XAM2175 · Wed Apr 11, 2018 10:59 pm

I have never put any effort into chasing new types and don't ever expect to - case in point being that I've an A350 sector booked for very soon (CX HKG-MEL) that just happens to be the routing that suited me best. I've not flown on one before so it's a bonus, but I'd have felt a bit of fool going out of my way for it before now :p

Accordingly my general practice is a bit like Yflyer's - either make a full trip of it, or use interesting flights to spice up a pre-planned trip.

Best example of the former was just a few months ago when LH were doing domestic trips with the 744 - ended up doing;
[XC GLC-HYM IC125 (rail)]
SK EDI-ARN B738
SK ARN-HAM CRJ9
[DB HAM-BER ICE1 (rail)]
LH TXL-FRA B744
BA FRA-LHR B763
[GR KGX-EDB IC225 (rail)]
[XC EDB-GLC 221 (rail)]
over the space of a week.

Another time was to catch one of the last QF BNE-SYD services on the 744ER, which was no great ordeal but I did manage to take the rest of the MEL-SYD-BNE-SYD-MEL itinerary on 767s

johns624 · Wed Apr 11, 2018 11:24 pm

I could (maybe) understand taking a "last flight" on a type that you've never flown before that's being retired but you'll have many chances to fly meaningful vacation trips on the A350 in the future.

Alphazone · Wed Apr 11, 2018 11:45 pm

I woke up early to fly MD83 ORD-DTW, and I went out of my way to fly 747 on ATL-MSP once. And I did exactly what you are doing for my first 777 flights DTW-ATL-DTW.

Austin787 · Thu Apr 12, 2018 1:29 am

Back when AirTran was around, I took a day trip to Atlanta, SAT-ATL in the morning and ATL-SAT in the evening to fly on the 717. Once, when visiting New York I booked SAT-IAH-EWR instead of the SAT-EWR nonstop to fly on the 767-400ER on IAH-EWR - as a bonus I upgraded to the lie flat seats on that plane.

derian · Thu Apr 12, 2018 1:44 am

You're not alone- my girlfriend thinks I am crazy for adding a stop in YYZ on our flight from YUL to YHZ just to try out the new AC 737max. Just part of the avgeek life

blandy62 · Thu Apr 12, 2018 5:41 am

yes once in 2013, HKG-DAC to catch the Biman DC-10. And in 2016 in Indonesia HLM-DUM-HLM to get a ride on the Transnusa F70.

Last year tried MNL-MPH to catch the Skyjet Bae146-100. Did not work out, that day they used the -200 but well still nice

Few year ago, already did MNL-MPH for the Zest Air MA60

Airdolomiti · Thu Apr 12, 2018 8:22 am

I do it fairly frequently, and am lucky enough that the missus shares my enthusiasm and often joins me on those trips.

Notable examples include:
- AMS-YUL-AMS to catch the KLM MD-11 in 2014, which I was originally going to do as a weekend trip but eventually turned into a week-long vacation with the added bonus of a flight to YTZ on Porter Airlines.
- A day trip from Samos to Chios on Sky Express to score a flight on a Jetstream 41.
- Last year, we decided we wanted to both fly on a 747-400 again and try Virgin Atlantic, so we looked at the destinations served by VS 744s and picked Barbados almost exclusively based on that criterion.
- I also booked a roundrip TXL-FRA-TXL in November with the sole purpose of catching the LH 744 at the time.

My sole flight on Concorde in 2003 also qualifies, as I flew VCE-LGW, stayed in Heathrow for the night, then LHR-JFK on BA001 and straight back to LHR five hours later (connecting onward to VCE).

debonair · Thu Apr 12, 2018 8:37 am

PanzerPowner wrote:
then later this summer i'm taking the BAe 146 on Skyjet from MNL to PPS

Pls. can you post a Trip Report? Would love to read from this "exotic" airline...

Back to the topic. Did the same just recently in March - flying WAMOS AIR B747-400 to Punta Cana, after I have learned that the jumbos will be replaced soon with more A330's! Best part, their Premium Economy Class (but really NOTHING Premium about it) in the Upper Deck! Where can you fly so cheap on Upper Deck on a vintage Jumbo these days? After just 3 days it was back to work - insane?! No pure LOVE for the Jumbo!

angusjt · Thu Apr 12, 2018 12:37 pm

I have never booked an entire trip for a unique aircraft but I have adjusted a couple flights when given the oppourtity.

In 2016 I spent a little more to fly SQ (over Scoot) between HKG-SIN to log my first a380 and last year I took a slightly earlier flight between SYD-CBR to log a QF 717.

mikesbucky · Thu Apr 12, 2018 2:19 pm

I've done this a couple of times. Once to get the KLM MD-11. The other time to get the A346, B748i and CS100. For the most part I try to collect types through my regular travels, but I will go for a trip specifically to get a type if it's one that's disappearing or is only on airlines I rarely get to fly.

Tenaja85 · Thu Apr 12, 2018 3:08 pm

I've never booked a trip for the sole purpose of catching a specific type, but I have flown some "interesting" routings to catch specific plane types (ie, DEN-BDL via DFW and ORD; CDG-DEN via YUL and ORD, DEN-OGG via LAX and SFO).

PatrickZ80 · Thu Apr 12, 2018 5:23 pm

Quite by accident in fact, but for my trip to Thailand I was flying Norwegian Stockholm - Bangkok and I needed a feeder flight Amsterdam - Stockholm. The one that suited me most happened to be a Blue1 717 flying for SAS. I think I would have picked that flight anyway, but it happened to be the most convenient for me as well.

SRQKEF · Thu Apr 12, 2018 7:31 pm

Last summer I did KEF-ARN-OSL-RIX-AMS-OSL-KEF only to log three things: ET on ARN-OSL, CS300 RIX-AMS and the ever elusive to me 736 AMS-OSL. In the end, 2 equipment changes later, I was left with only Ethiopian! BT changed my CS3 into 735, which was not that bad as I only have 3 flights on the 735 with WN some years ago, but SK also changed the 736 into a -700. Still don't have the 736.

I've done a few more trips just to log something: KEF-AMS-BCN-VIE-KEF to log Air China on BCN-VIE and KEF-LHR-HEL-CPH-KEF to log the A350 on HEL-LHR.

csturdiv · Fri Apr 13, 2018 1:16 am

I once opted to fly Sydney to Newcastle, in a straight line it is 88 miles, just to get a personal logbook entry on a JS31. My co-workers thought I was crazy. But also in all fairness, I do not have an Australian drivers license yet and the thought of 2 1/2 hour train ride didn't appease me. And with Aussie domestic flying, you do not need to be at the airport 2 hours early, so I didn't spend hours at Sydney sitting around waiting.

blandy62 · Fri Apr 13, 2018 3:40 am

Also did HKG-BKK-HKG twice on OX for the 747-100SR/SUD and the 7474-300

HKG-NRT-HKG for the DL 770-200LR and CTS-HND for the NH 747-400D

aeromoe · Fri Apr 13, 2018 3:53 am

No one is "crazy" for doing this...just devoted airline enthusiasts.

conaly · Fri Apr 13, 2018 11:51 am

Last year I booked NUE-ZRH-LCY just to fly on Bombardier CS100 and experience LCY. Didn't even go sightseeing in London, I spend the night at a hotel and took a Ryanair flight back on the next day.
When I was in Japan I took the flight ITM-HND only to fly on Dreamliner (Shinkansen would have been faster).
I booked some not too optimal connections on NUE-FRA-DEL-KTM and KTM-DEL-MUC-NUE to fly on A380 and A350 for the first time.
I told my company to book SZB-PEN instead of KUL-PEN to get a flight on ATR72 instead of A320/B737.

Happens...

alggag · Fri Apr 13, 2018 12:52 pm

Personally, I would not go so far as to take a trip solely to fly on a particular airline or type but I have picked a more undesirable routing or departure time on a meaningful trip to do it. For example, back during the WN/FL integration I flew HOU-ATL-FLL with the ATL-FLL segment being on a FL 717 just to fly them before they disappeared forever instead of opting for a more convenient HOU-FLL nonstop on WN.

RamblinMan · Fri Apr 13, 2018 1:47 pm

Europe and back in 36 hours is kind of crazy but do your thing. Plenty of people have done it just to get miles and up their status tier for the next year, so why not do it just for the plane? I wouldn't do that just for an A350, I'm sure I'll eventually get on one.

I've never taken a trip just for the flight but I've definitely taken some inconvenient routings to get a certain plane. Did MDW-DTW-BNA just for one last DC-9 ride even though there's 3 airlines running CHI-BNA direct with probably 20 flights between them. And I've taken an 0600 departure ORD-CLT so I could connect to a 767 to MBJ instead of a 737. Told my girlfriend it was the cheapest option...it wasn't.

evank516 · Fri Apr 13, 2018 3:10 pm

I've connected in ATL just to fly on an MD-88 over a nonstop option. I'm actually doing it again in June.

BritTraveller · Fri Apr 13, 2018 8:51 pm

I cut my final day in Madrid in half yesterday so I could fly back to London on the Iberia a340 insead of a BA a319

aeromoe · Sat Apr 14, 2018 1:01 am

BritTraveller wrote:
I cut my final day in Madrid in half yesterday so I could fly back to London on the Iberia a340 insead of a BA a319

ubeema · Sat Apr 14, 2018 6:52 am

Back in 2011 on a business return trip home, travel agent proposed me to fly DAR-LHR(BA B777)-LHR-DFW(AA B777).
But for same price offered DAR-DXB(EK A345)-DXB-LHR(BA B777)-LHR-DFW(AA B777). Could not resist the A340-500 opportunity. Loved it!

XAMTO · Sat Apr 14, 2018 8:24 am

As a side trip of my vacation to Mexico City in 2016 I booked RT Mexico City-Monterrey on the Interjet SSJ so I could fly on the Superjet. I wasn't in Monterrey for more than 4 hours before returning to Mexico City. Fun times!

MSNfan · Sat Apr 14, 2018 6:54 pm

Found an awesome last minute deal back in 2012 and flew MKE-ATL-SFO-DTW-MKE in 24hrs to try out 4 new types: MD-90, 763, 738 and A319. Good times!

ual747den · Sat Apr 14, 2018 6:59 pm

I think all of us here have done that many many times!

TUGMASTER · Sat Apr 14, 2018 8:14 pm

ALL THE TIME.....

MHG · Sat Apr 14, 2018 8:22 pm

Roughly 75% of all my flights (471 to date) I have intentionally booked in order to fly a certain aircraft type.
Not that it worked out as planned all the time, though ...
(but my score is quite high - probably around 90-95%)

blandy62 · Sun Apr 15, 2018 9:37 am

MHG wrote:
Roughly 75% of all my flights (471 to date) I have intentionally booked in order to fly a certain aircraft type.
Not that it worked out as planned all the time, though ...
(but my score is quite high - probably around 90-95%)

It never works 100 % when chasing particular Types. 90-95 % is already a good record

ltbewr · Sun Apr 15, 2018 9:49 pm

I want to fly on a A380 and B787. I have been fortunate to have been on a several now unsued models (DC-8, DC-10, 707, 727, early series 737's, F-41) Being in the NYC market, I could get an A380 maybe to CDG on AF, UA has some B787's out of EWR.

Super80Fan · Sun Apr 15, 2018 10:59 pm

Usually all the time, most notable was flying to MCO for the day to get a US Airways 737-400 and 767-200ER. Went through DFW on purpose a few times to get a couple of MD80's. Have also routed myself AAA-ATL-DTW-BBB on purpose to get Delta's domestic 767-300 a couple of times.

airxliban · Mon Apr 16, 2018 3:47 pm

Have done this a few times....

Flew Dubai to Delhi through BOM (and spent a night there) just to ride the AI 747-337C (VT-EPW) on BOM-DEL on the upper deck....totally worth it, amazing experience
Flew JFK to BKK via YVR (and spent a night there...) just to ride the KE 747-8i on YVR-ICN (again, upper deck, totally worth it)
Flew LAX-LHR just to ride the Concorde back
Flew GVA-ZRH-AMM-JED instead of GVA-JED nonstop to hitch a ride on the RJ A310 before they retired her
Flew to LED just to check out the TU-154 before she was retired

Those are probably the highlights

SQ22 · Mon Apr 16, 2018 5:28 pm

I have done it a few times as well.

In 2016 on DL: LGA-DTW-CAK-ATL-EWR

Aircraft as follows:
LGA-DTW: MD88
DTW-CAK ERJ-145
CAK-ATL MD90 (including closed ATL airport due to heavy storms in ATL
ATL-EWR B717

I had to make several changes because of equipment changes some months and again weeks before departure. Agents were doing the rebooking for free after I explained them my intention to be on a certain aircraft type. I only got a bit concerned after I explained my intention to be on a Boeing 717 after the agent said, its a Boeing, a A320...

Another more recent trip was FRA-CDG-FRA on AF in 2017. First leg RJ85 and second leg A318.

33lspotter · Mon Apr 16, 2018 6:25 pm

Trips taken solely to try a particular aircraft:

BOS-OSL and OSL-BOS - 787 (-8) - DY - April 2016
PEK-CAN - A380 - CZ - November 2016

I have since been on 4 more 787 flights (one 788, three 789s) and one A380 flight.

My first 747 flight in Fall 2014 was not the sole reason for taking the trip to England, but I went out of my way to (do my best to) ensure that I'd be on a 747 for both BOS-LHR and LHR-BOS legs by booking 744 flights for both ways. As it was, it all worked out.

A310 · Wed Apr 18, 2018 7:42 am

Well I would not take a whole trip, just flying in and out for flying a specific aircraft or airline, unless it is a very special occasion. (Such as last chance to fly 747, or get a ride in the Concorde), and in that case, I would always take a few day off at the destination.

But as many others wrote before me, I would take a few more connections, pay a little more, or even change my travel dates to fly a specific aircraft.

hongkongflyer · Wed Apr 18, 2018 8:14 am

hongkongflyer wrote:
I purposely flow 1st / last revenue flight of CA 747-8 (J); CX 350 (J) ; HX350 (J); CX 744 (Y)
for normall flights, I flow HU 346 (J); CZ 787; NH 744D; KL 772 (J); ARJ21; EK 380 (F&J); TG 380 (J); HX 330 (all J configuration); FAT MD's Taiwan domestic trips; B7 ATR 72 Taiwan domestic trips.

Normally, I will pick the flight with lowest fare; but if I fly just to fly on a specific type of plane,
I tended to fly in J or above as it give you some privileges, especially when you want to walking around and take photos onboard the plane.

KLDC10 · Wed Apr 18, 2018 8:50 am

Once took a day trip starting out in Boston via Atlanta to Chicago in order to fly a Delta DC-9-50 on the ATL-ORD leg. I was a little worried that the DC-9 would be substituted for another aircraft type because I booked the trip a few months in advance, but everything came together on the day. By booking a direct flight back to BOS from ORD on United, I also had about 7 or 8 hours to get from ORD into the city, take a quick tour and then return to the airport.

EIDL · Wed Apr 18, 2018 9:26 am

I did DUB-AMS-YUL-EWR-PDX (that turned in to EWR-IAH-PDX at the end due to a storm...) to get an MD11 and a less useful DUB-CPH flight time to get an MD80 when both were nearing retirement with those carriers (and entirely in passenger form for the MD11)

I was going to PDX and CPH anyway, though.

Airdolomiti · Wed Apr 18, 2018 9:57 am

One more example I just remembered: on the way back home from a business trip last year, I had specifically chosen a flight operated by the CSeries. The aircraft then changed, much to my disappointment... only for the flight to be strongly overbooked, so they were looking for volunteers to be rebooked on a later flight with a change in MUC (routing was ZRH-TXL). I declined the EUR 250 that they offered and stayed on my original flight - because the a/c had been changed to an A340-300

My better half kept trying to convince me to take the cash, but to no avail.

fi622 · Wed Apr 18, 2018 10:32 am

I've certainly included random legs to catch specific types on otherwise necessary trips. A few that come to mind:

September 2015
Had to go from LCA-FRA so naturally, I did the following:
LCA-OTP-MAD RO A318/A313
MAD-FRA LA B789 (J)

July 2017
MXP-BNE turned into MXP-FRA-PVG-TPE-SIN-BNE just to include the BR B744 (J) the week before they retired it.

I think the following are the only I took specifically just to fly one type:

August 2015
LNS-IAD-LNS 6G PA31

November 2017
BNE-MEL JQ B788
MEL-BNE QF B789 (First QF 789 flight into BNE)

ojjunior · Wed Apr 18, 2018 2:56 pm

GRU-FCO-AMS-MUC just to fly AZ 77W on the GRU-FCO leg. (We were heading to MUC)
My wife had no clue...

flipdewaf · Wed Apr 18, 2018 3:39 pm

I don't take specific trips to fly certain planes but I definitely adjust my work travel schedules to make sure I get the planes I want to fly on. I am making a trip in a couple of weeks that will be the same as I did 5 weeks ago (LHR-EVV) last time I went via ATL so I could go on a DL717 and this next time I am going via ORD so I can go on an A380 on the way back.

Fred

Qfsaviation · Wed Apr 18, 2018 6:43 pm

I love it! Here is my booked plan for next weekend

Newark to Ottawa (United)
Ottawa to Iqaluit (Canadian North)
Iqaluit to Ottawa (First Air)
Ottawa to Toronto (Air Canada)
Toronto to La Guardia (Delta)

Crazy?

ubeema · Wed Apr 18, 2018 8:41 pm

Qfsaviation wrote:
I love it! Here is my booked plan for next weekend

Newark to Ottawa (United)
Ottawa to Iqaluit (Canadian North)
Iqaluit to Ottawa (First Air)
Ottawa to Toronto (Air Canada)
Toronto to La Guardia (Delta)

Crazy?

Insane

Go get it! Worth a trip report too.

L1011 · Wed Apr 18, 2018 9:06 pm

I went to Alaska just so I could fly on Reeve Aleutian's Electras.

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