You Can Still Fly on Boeing 747s: How To Do It With Points

There are 3 airlines still flying the Boeing 747 on scheduled passenger routes from the U.S. — Lufthansa, Korean Air, and Air China.

If you want to fly on the legendary airplane that ushered in the age of mass jet travel, you have a few options left. Most 747 flights offer first class, not just business class.

Here’s an overview of surviving 747 routes from the U.S., and how you can book them using points and miles.

Quick Overview: Airlines Still Flying the Boeing 747 From the U.S.

There are only 4 airlines left in the world flying the 747 on scheduled passenger service. In addition to Air China, Korean Air, and Lufthansa, there’s Russian carrier Rossiya Airlines, which is banned from the U.S. The first 3 all have flights to and from the U.S. with 747s.

Lufthansa has the most U.S. routes, all operating to and from Frankfurt (FRA). You can fly its 747s from 9 U.S. airports. Korean Air currently serves only Los Angeles (LAX) with 747s, and Air China serves New York (JFK) and Washington Dulles (IAD).

Lufthansa is the easiest of the 3 airlines to book with points, thanks to partner award programs widely used by Americans. The other 2 carriers are also easier to book with partner programs rather than their own. Air China’s business and first class are best booked via Avianca LifeMiles, while Korean Air’s first class can only be booked with the airline’s own SKYPASS miles.

Lufthansa: The Largest 747 Operator, With Multiple U.S. Routes From Frankfurt

Germany’s flag carrier is the largest operator of Boeing 747s worldwide, with about two dozen in the fleet. It’s also the airline with the most 747 flights from the U.S., connecting 9 airports with Frankfurt.

Most of Lufthansa’s jumbo jets are the newest 747-8 variant, the final production model. A longer fuselage and a stretched upper deck for more seating distinguish this jet. It’s also easy to spot: Look for a lack of upturned winglets at the end of the wings and scalloped engine covers.

Besides the 747-8, Lufthansa operates the older 747-400, which was once the most widely used worldwide until 2020, when airlines retired most of them due to the pandemic. You can spot 747-400s easily by their wedge-shaped winglets.

The most critical differences for passengers are inside. Lufthansa’s 747-8s have first, business, premium economy, and economy class, while its 747-400s do not have first class.

The Lufthansa 747-8 can be found on the following flights to and from the U.S., as of October 2026:

• LH400/401 Frankfurt – New York (JFK)
• LH402/403 Frankfurt – Newark (EWR)
• LH418/419 Frankfurt – Washington, D.C. (IAD)
• LH422/423 Frankfurt – Boston (BOS)
• LH430/431 Frankfurt – Chicago (ORD)
• LH454/455 Frankfurt – San Francisco (SFO)
• LH456/457 Frankfurt – Los Angeles (LAX)
• LH462/463 Frankfurt – Miami (MIA)

Lufthansa’s first class on the 747-8 is a bit outdated compared to the best rivals like Air France’s La Première, but it offers access to exceptional first-class-only lounges at the Frankfurt and Munich (MUC) airports.

For classic aviation-geek charm, you can’t beat being in the nose of a 747, seated in front of the flight deck.

The business class experience varies by aircraft configuration. Some 747-8s have already been refurbished with the much better Allegris business seats, but you won’t know which one you get until you make a booking and see the seat map. That said, the 2-2 layout you will always find on the upper deck works well if you’re flying with a companion.

As for the Lufthansa 747-400, it flies on a single U.S. route, as of October 2026:

• LH440/441 Frankfurt – Houston (IAH)

Unlike the 747-8, the 747-400 will be phased out by 2027 and has only the old seats. In business class, avoid rows 10 to 14 on the main deck with a middle seat.

Flying business class on Lufthansa’s 747s is easy with points and miles, using partner programs rather than Lufthansa’s own.

Miles & More, Lufthansa’s loyalty program, has a U.S. credit card, but it doesn’t have U.S. credit card transfer partners. You can book Lufthansa business class instead via Air Canada Aeroplan, ANA Mileage Club, Asiana Club, Avianca LifeMiles, and United MileagePlus.

Partner bookings typically receive first class award inventory 2 weeks before departure, making planning in advance difficult. The only way to book Lufthansa first class more than 15 days before departure is to use Miles & More. You will need 7,000 miles in your account to search for award availability online. If you don’t have the required miles to search online, call Lufthansa’s U.S. customer service at 800-581-6400.

Korean Air: Best Option for SkyTeam Flyers

South Korea’s flag carrier is a close partner of Delta Air Lines, a fellow member of the SkyTeam airline alliance. It has just a handful of 747-8s, which serve the U.S. on the following flights:

• KE11/12 and KE17/18 Seoul Incheon (ICN) – Los Angeles

Its 747s have 3 classes: a secluded first class in the nose and Prestige class (business) on the main and upper decks, plus economy (Source: Korean Air).

Korean Air seats can be difficult to find with partner programs. You can get around this by booking through Korean Air’s SKYPASS program. The easiest way to earn Korean Air miles is by spending on co-branded credit cards.

When using partner programs, Korean business class can be booked with the loyalty currencies of SkyTeam partner airlines, with Air France-KLM’s Flying Blue being the best option. You can also use Atmos Rewards. The only option to fly Korean Air first class on points is to use SKYPASS.

Air China: A Way To Use Avianca LifeMiles

The flag carrier of the People’s Republic of China has a few 747s left in its fleet and flies 747-8s to 2 U.S. destinations, as of October 2026:

• CA817/818 Beijing Capital (PEK) – Washington, D.C. (IAD)
• CA981/982 Beijing Capital – New York (JFK)

Of all the 747s serving the U.S., these are probably the least attractive; Air China doesn’t have a very good reputation for premium-class service. Its 747-8s do, however, have first class, located unusually behind the business cabin (Source: Air China). That business cabin is configured as 2-2-2 (or 2-2 in the nose), which means some passengers lack direct aisle access.

Booking Air China first class, as well as business, is among the ways you can redeem Avianca LifeMiles. That’s a better option than using Air China’s own PhoenixMiles, which have minimal utility for people based in the U.S.

If you book with cash instead of points, you can earn United Airlines’ MileagePlus miles and Premier qualifying credits on Air China flights.

How To Confirm You’re Flying a 747

It’s always possible for an airline to substitute a different aircraft on a scheduled flight, so check the aircraft type for your specific flight during booking if you want to confirm that a 747 is scheduled. You can typically see the aircraft type before confirming the booking.

You can also use a flight-tracking site or app like FlightAware or Flightradar24 to check the recent operations of your specific flight number and see whether it has been operated consistently by a 747.

Final Thoughts

With Boeing 747s on the way out, there are still a few airlines left operating them from the U.S. Among them, Lufthansa has the most flights, serving several U.S. cities and offering various options to redeem points with partner airlines to fly on a 747.

Korean Air offers an excellent onboard product, but Air China is tougher to book with miles. In any case, always confirm the aircraft type for your specific flight before booking to confirm that a 747 is scheduled to operate your flight.