AFKL From Netherlands, joined Feb 2008, 215 posts, RR: 0 Posted (4 months 1 week 6 days 6 hours ago) and read 6326 times:
Hey all,
Last year I flew on an LH A3B6 for the first (and last) time of my life, as I flew from Malta (MLA) to Frankfurt-am-Mein (FRA), and loved every second of it. I decided not to write a trip report on it, but I still have some of the pictures on my hard-drive that I would like to share with you today, since today (July 1st) will be the last ever LH A300 flight after more than 33 years in service with the company. It was a pleasure to fly, and I think I don't stand alone when I say that I just love to fly wide-body on short-haul!
I had always been hoping for another chance to fly on her since, but unfortunately this never happened.
Anyways, I shall now let the pictures do the talking as my tribute to the LH A3B6, this particular one serving our flight was named Bocholt (sorry, I do not know what the reg # is). Sorry if the pictures are not top-notch quality.
I LOVE the wingtips!
Can anyone tell me what these black brush-like things are between the flaps? Typical A3B6? I have never seen it before!
Let's hope the A300 will have many more years in service with many other carriers around the world.
BPS3458 From Australia, joined Oct 2006, 300 posts, RR: 1 Reply 1, posted (4 months 1 week 6 days 5 hours ago) and read 6123 times:
Hi Allard,
great report for a wonderful air craft. Still remember my first LH A300 flight from HAM-FRA back in the seventies. Just last week had the pleasure of flying a KE A3B6 from Jeju Island to Seoul Gimpo. Believe KE still has 8 A3B6 in service on their domstic routes. Seems they are pretty much used like a bus between Seoul Gimpo and Jeju. One of my best domestic flights with clear skies from Jeju to Seoul.
Airbuseric From Netherlands, joined Jan 2005, 1886 posts, RR: 19 Reply 2, posted (4 months 1 week 6 days 5 hours ago) and read 6093 times:
Hi Allard,
thanks for this topic.
Flew the LH AB6 also for the first and last time last year, ship was D-AIAL.
Indeed a wonderful experience and great ride on this magnificent Airbus!
Quoting BPS3458 (Reply 1): Believe KE still has 8 A3B6 in service on their domstic routes. Seems they are pretty much used like a bus between Seoul Gimpo and Jeju.
KE use the AB6 also on PUS-NRT, since I see it always on the morning flight at NRT.
Regards
Eric
October no flights... Next: Nov'09 AMS-ZRH-IST v.v. on SWISS Business
Levent From Austria, joined Sep 2004, 1693 posts, RR: 4 Reply 4, posted (4 months 1 week 6 days 3 hours ago) and read 5878 times:
Quoting BPS3458 (Reply 1): Seems they are pretty much used like a bus between Seoul Gimpo and Jeju
Yes, that's why it's called an Airbus
Never flew on a LH A300 but my flights on this bird include Air Alfa, Air Anatolia, China Northwest Airlines and Thai Airways. Even the 3-3-3 seating on the Turkish carriers always made for a comfortable ride.
Profcalvin From United States, joined Jun 2008, 57 posts, RR: 0 Reply 5, posted (4 months 1 week 6 days 2 hours ago) and read 5758 times:
Great Pics.
RIP Lufthansa A300's. We will miss you. I remember flying them between FRA and TXL in 2005-6. They are just wonderful. My only other A300 experience was on AA from MIA to SJU which is also not going to be around for much longer with the 300. Hope some airlines continue to fly these machines cause they are beautiful.
Quoting BPS3458 (Reply 1): Believe KE still has 8 A3B6 in service on their domstic routes. Seems they are pretty much used like a bus between Seoul Gimpo and Jeju.
FYI, they also use them on Korea (not sure where but guessing incheon) to NGO because i was at NGO a couple weeks ago and there was a KE 744 and A300 waiting in the night for morning flights back to Korea.
Pitintl From United States, joined Oct 2005, 79 posts, RR: 1 Reply 7, posted (4 months 1 week 6 days ago) and read 5527 times:
I, too, will miss the AB3s very much. I fondly remember many flights aboard them, mostly on the AB3s that Indian Airlines had....I've logged many hours flying onboard them. Infact, my very first flight was when I was 2 months old from BOM to TRV in 1982!
Maybe I should purchase a pass on AA and try to get on an AB3 flight before they are completely gone from pax service in the US skies!
PRAirbus From Puerto Rico, joined Apr 2005, 738 posts, RR: 2 Reply 8, posted (4 months 1 week 6 days ago) and read 5450 times:
Love the A300-600R, it's a beautiful plane, nice lines, comfortable and roomy. They will be truly missed. Here we have another 2 months to enjoy seeing AA AB6's grace the skies for the last time. The end of an era, what a shame!!! Nice report by the way.
AFKL From Netherlands, joined Feb 2008, 215 posts, RR: 0 Reply 9, posted (4 months 1 week 5 days 23 hours ago) and read 5321 times:
Thanks for the comments you guys!
I realise though that this isn't a true TR. I would have filled you in with the details of the flight (food/service/the works), but since this was a little less than a year ago, I won't even be able to tell you what date it was (except that it was a sunday, haha).
GlenP From United Kingdom, joined Apr 2009, 40 posts, RR: 0 Reply 13, posted (4 months 1 week 5 days 20 hours ago) and read 4985 times:
Thanks for bringing back some fond memories of a wonderful flight, ahem years ago , on an LH A3B6 that made me realise just how much I'll miss the opportunity to fly on these great old birds.
Did the MS A3B2 in 1988 & fell in love with the A300 as a type. Really sad to see yet another operator finally having to let them go.
Debonair From Germany, joined Jan 2004, 1133 posts, RR: 3 Reply 15, posted (4 months 1 week 5 days 5 hours ago) and read 4108 times:
Lufthansa A300... I luv you!
The A300 is a truly masterpiece. I was cabin crew on TransAer's A300B4's based in LGW. One day the PIC (pilot) asked me for briefing: "hey buddy, do you know why our A300 is series B4?" I was shocked and not prepared to answer the question. He smiled: "well, it was build B4 (before) you was born!".
Back to the Lufthansa's A300. These birds, series -600, looked even after years of service factory fresh and even after used on the milk runs between HAM/MUC and FRA. A very, very sad story! I will miss you baby...
DL752 From United States, joined Jul 2008, 139 posts, RR: 0 Reply 19, posted (4 months 1 week 5 days ago) and read 3742 times:
What a great experience!
I haven't been on a wide-body on short-haul yet but it must be exciting!
The pictures were excellent and you would never know the plane was a bit older because LH keeps them looking brand new.
Glad you enjoyed!
DL752
Stylo777 From Turkey, joined Feb 2006, 2231 posts, RR: 8 Reply 20, posted (4 months 1 week 4 days 12 hours ago) and read 3367 times:
It's indeed very sad to see the retirement of such a beautiful, amazing and great aircraft. Lufthansa always kept them in excellent condition. Outside was spotless, inside like a brand new plane escpecially after the installation of the slimline seats.
As everybody here I enjoyed every single one of my total 24 flights on the Airbus A300-600 operated by LH including the 7 flights on this particular plane (D-AIAU). After D-AIAH which is covered in my log with 8 flights "Bocholt" was the 2nd most AB6 showing up for my flight.
Kappel From Suriname, joined Jul 2005, 2705 posts, RR: 7 Reply 21, posted (4 months 1 week 4 days 8 hours ago) and read 3222 times:
Quoting Stylo777 (Reply 20): Outside was spotless, inside like a brand new plane escpecially after the installation of the slimline seats.
Agreed. I was very surprised to learn that D-AIAL was over 20 years old when I flew it last March, it looked impeccable on the inside as well as the outside.
EI320 From Ireland, joined Dec 2007, 953 posts, RR: 0 Reply 22, posted (4 months 1 week 4 days 6 hours ago) and read 3159 times:
Great Report, always nice to fly a widebody on short-haul. My first and only time on an A300-600 was a few years ago on Monarch DUB-PMI and back. Great experience.
CMK10 From United States, joined Feb 2004, 447 posts, RR: 10 Reply 23, posted (4 months 1 week 2 days 21 hours ago) and read 2593 times:
Good report. D-AIAU is the only LH AB6 that I have flown on. I was amazed they were able to do a full beverage and sandwich service on the FRA-LHR sector I flew it on. Good to see the plane is still in good condition so thank you!
"Traveling light is the only way to fly" - Eric Clapton
Sdate747 From United States, joined Oct 2000, 260 posts, RR: 0 Reply 24, posted (4 months 1 week 2 days 20 hours ago) and read 2558 times:
I was a regular commuter on LH's morning and evening flights between LHR-FRA around '06 and '07, which due to demand, were on the A300 instead of the A321. Great aircraft, boarding was always done on the apron and there was literally tons of space on board those rare times when load factors were in fact low. LH had done a nice job refitting the cabin every few years which made it easy to forget that you were flying in a plane from a bygone era.
TUNisia From United States, joined Aug 2004, 1752 posts, RR: 8 Reply 28, posted (4 months 6 days ago) and read 1636 times:
I only ended up on an Lufthansa A3B6 by accident. It was two years ago while flying from EWR to ATH via CPH. Apparently SAS had canceled the CPH-ATH portion of the trip (due to maintenance issues with the A321s IIRC). Due to this they routed us on LH from CPH-FRA-ATH all on the A3B6. It was even the same cabin crew on both legs of the flight!
I remember how nice they were too. We got emergency exit rows on both legs and had tons of room to stretch out. Such a nice memory and only happened due to chance (don't the best things always happen that way?)
Wonderful TR!
"Someday the sun is going to shine down on me in some faraway place." - Mahalia Jackson
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Comments welcome.
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Nice report by the way. 
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, on an LH A3B6 that made me realise just how much I'll miss the opportunity to fly on these great old birds.
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