Amidst the sad retirement of the Concorde, a glimmer of light shines through. For the nominal price of $60,300 on E-bay, a Toledo, Ohio, man purchased the final two seats on the last flight to help bid the plane a proper adieu.
Proceeds from the ticket sales will go to charities, including UNICEF, Boys and Girls Club of America, Reading is Fundamental and the Fred Rogers Fund, according to MSNBC.
The Concorde is a supersonic passenger jet that travels from Europe to New York. British Airways and Air France both operated a fleet of Concordes. But Air France discontinued its operations earlier this year, and on Friday British Airways will complete its final commercial Concorde flight.
The $60,300 paid for the final farewell tickets include an appearance on this morning's "Today Show," where the man received his two tickets, about $25,000 worth of travel accommodations, including one night in a London hotel and two nights in a New York hotel, a limo ride and front-row seats at the Concorde's retirement party.
The unique aircraft had a noble and star-studded history, clouted by a single tragedy that caused a 15-month suspension of service. The Concorde carried passengers - many celebrities, including British Prime Minister Tony Blair, musicians and business travelers - with speed and comfort.
The Concorde has been surrounded with questions since its July 25, 2000, crash that killed 113 people in France. However, this is the only major problem the model has seen, and in its 30 years of operation, the fleet has experienced no more maintenance issues than any other airliner.
Part of the reason for the Concorde's commercial cessation is the decrease in demand for elite international air travel. No other commercial aircraft is operating currently at supersonic speeds. The void that the Concorde will leave in the skies undoubtedly will be filled in the near future.
I look forward to the evolution that this retirement will bring to the airline industry.
Matt Snowden is a finance senior and can be reached at matthew.snowden@asu.edu.
