Concorde makes its last flight

AlphaSigOU · #1 10-24-2003, 10:30 AM

By the time this is posted 'Speedbird Concorde 2' will be arriving at London's Heathrow Airport from New York's JFK airport for the final time. (Air France has already retired their Concordes; one of them has been dismantled and the parts are going to be sold at auction next month at Christie's.)

Oh well... couldn't afford the $10,500 round trip fare for the privilege of going twice the speed of sound. But I do have one of the Concorde amenity kits they give their passengers! (Bought one at an airline collectibles show a couple of years ago.)

('Speedbird' is the radio call sign for British Airways.)

More info on Concorde: www.concordesst.com

ETA: $10,500 is the round-trip fare. Speedbird Concorde 002 landed at London Heathrow Airport 10:08 AM CDT (5:08 PM London time).

OrigamiTulip · #2 10-24-2003, 10:34 AM

I just don't understand how one crash could make them cease operations. Regular planes have crashed a lot more, and nobody shut them down.

xo_kathy · #3 10-24-2003, 10:35 AM

I watched the take-off live on the local NYC news this morning.

My old boss used to take the Concorde all the time. Once, she cancelled the trip last minute because she couldn't sit far enough towards the front...OK....

She was a billionaire....Literally

AlphaSigOU · #4 10-24-2003, 10:43 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by BetaRose
I just don't understand how one crash could make them cease operations. Regular planes have crashed a lot more, and nobody shut them down.

Concorde was unbelieveably expensive to operate; only 16 Concordes were built. Not to mention the noise and sonic boom problems.

DeltAlum · #5 10-24-2003, 10:52 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by AlphaSigOU
Concorde was unbelieveably expensive to operate; only 16 Concordes were built. Not to mention the noise and sonic boom problems.

The crash was only one of the "final straws."

They only seated a little over 100 people and were just too expensive to operate.

AlphaSigOU · #6 10-24-2003, 11:52 AM

Concorde items for sale: http://www.ba-concordecollection.com...tw.storefront/

sigtau305 · #7 10-24-2003, 01:03 PM

Even though it was expensive, you have to admit that it was a interesting idea at the time: Being able to travel overseas faster than the regular airplanes. It's a shame it has to cease operations.

IheartMATT806 · #8 10-24-2003, 01:05 PM

That shit was too expensive anyways.

adpialumcsuc · #9 10-24-2003, 03:55 PM

In heard they are stopping mostly because of the cost. Fuel is to expensive even for the $6000 one way seat cost.

Munchkin03 · #10 10-24-2003, 07:21 PM

After the crash, Concorde couldn't really fill flights until fairly recently. At that point, with the aging craft (older than your average 747 flying), it was not cost-efficient to fly super-sonic. Before the crash, a one-way fare was $10K, and they filled it almost constantly. Now? The last flights were that same amount for a round-trip. Even at a 50% bargain, it was still too expensive.

As much as I hate flying, had there been an NYC-Rome Concorde, I would have taken that when I lived abroad. I did get to see one landing at CDG, though.

CanadianTeke · #11 10-24-2003, 11:32 PM

when I flew Air France to Israel, we flew via CDG, this was before the concorde crash. It was somewhat awe inspiring to see the Concordes even on the tarmacs let alone in flight. I saw one take off from Pearson International (Toronto, airport code YYZ) once. It's really sad that they have been grounded.