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Featured Map for 13 December 2017:
Island Hopper: The Long Way Home

 

(This Featured Map is a bit long after the fact, diverted due to a few software upgrades, some mundane-but-troublesome and others hopefully intriguing. More on the latter soon!)

Five weeks ago, United's last 747 service flew from San Francisco to Honolulu. The flight crew returned the aircraft to SFO the following day, but what about the passenegers, many of whom needed to return to mainland homes after the farewell flight? Many of them just returned the next day, having little trouble finding available seats on a Wednesday at a time of year when travel to-and-from Hawaii is relatively light.

Matt and Gary got creative. Instead of a simple return to Chicago, they continued across the Pacific on the legendary Island Hopper to Guam. Once flown by Continental Micronesia in a Boeing 727, this trip is now part of United's network (via the merger with Continental) and is currently operated with a Boeing 737-800.

After arriving in Guam, which was Continental Micronesia's hub, they connected to a flight to Palau. After a few days on the beach, they returned to Guam (with a stop at Yap Island, and coincidentally on the same aircraft), then on to Tokyo, and finally a non-stop home to Chicago O'Hare.

Today's Featured Map chronicles their trek, one which many of us envy.

References and additional information:

 

 

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