The Queen of the Skies Is Coming Back to Rio, Just for a Few Weeks

The Queen of the Skies Is Coming Back to Rio, Just for a Few Weeks because Lufthansa’s rare 747-8 will temporarily replace the usual Boeing 787 Dreamliner on the Rio de Janeiro–Frankfurt route. The aircraft will operate from about October 25 to November 11, marking a short autumn appearance over Rio. Lufthansa’s last passenger 747-8 swap adds 62 Business Class seats and, uniquely, eight First Class seats that the Dreamliner does not offer. First Class bookings carry a premium, with one-way fares to South America described as several thousand dollars and sometimes above $5,000 when available. Lufthansa, the biggest operator of the 747-8, is keeping its newer jumbo fleet in service into the 2030s. After this stint, the route is scheduled to revert to the Dreamliner with Lufthansa’s latest long-haul cabin.