Cheapflights.com Tips Its Hat to Second Acts of Retired Airplanes

BOSTON, MA--(Marketwired - Nov 6, 2014) - Leaving on a jet plane? Bit of a tired cliché, no? Let's try something new. Maybe taking a boat ride in a jet plane? Teaching a class or transforming one into your home? Sound unreal? Not if you're in one of these unique repurposed planes that have been retired but are far from out of use. The travel experts at Cheapflights.com, the online leader in finding and publishing travel deals, have tracked down the top 11 inventive uses of retired planes  around the world. From hostels to honeymoon suites, these planes that float and feed will blow your mind and make your imagination run wild.

Board these five planes to nowhere:

• Airplane suite, Teuge, Netherlands - What sets Teuge Airport in the Netherlands apart is the sight of a refurbished 131-foot Ilyushin 18 plane, which has become a popular luxury honeymoon destination. Built in 1960, the East German government plane became a restaurant after German unification until Hotelsuites.nl bought it in 2007. Visitors have the complete craft at their disposal -- including a Jacuzzi, an infrared sauna, three flat-screen TVs, a pantry and free wireless internet.
  
  
• Jet Limo, Los Angeles, California, United States - Limo Bob is an American legend. He not only holds the Guinness Book of World Records title for the longest limo ever built (100 feet), he also decided to cut the wings off a Boeing 727 and turn it into a Jet Limo. If you're looking for a grand (and eye catching) way to get around Los Angeles, you can rent this 50-seater for $100,000 a month. And, if you must own this, Limo Bob will sell it -- for $1 million.
  
  
• The Cosmic Muffin, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States - What used to be Howard Hughes' "flying office" can today be seen floating on the waterways of Fort Lauderdale in Florida. The old Boeing 307 Stratoliner was deemed un-flyable in 1969 but rescued from the landfill and converted into an exotic houseboat named the Cosmic Muffin. The Cosmic Muffin has been featured everywhere from CNN to "Ripley's Believe It or Not!," and owner Dave Drimmer operates the plane-boat as a historical attraction that is available for charter.
  
  
• DC-6 Diner, Coventry, United Kingdom - Instead of being recycled for scrap, this classic 1958 Douglas DC-6 was lovingly restored and turned into a one-of-a-kind dining destination that was even featured in James Bond's "Casino Royale." Launched in 2010, DC-6 Diner seats up to 40 guests and overlooks the runway at Coventry Airport.
  
  
• Hotel Costa Verde, Manuel Antonio National Park, Costa Rica - Situated on the edge of the Manuel Antonio National Park in Costa Rica, the Costa Verde Resort converted a 1965 Boeing 727 into a luxury hotel suite. Rescued from its resting place at San Jose airport, the vintage fuselage now sticks out from the lush jungle canopy, affording its lucky residents scenic views that make you feel like you're flying. The same resort has also converted a C-123 Fairchild into a pub. Diners at El Avión get their food delivered from the kitchen on the old fuselage dumbwaiter.
  
  

Want to spread your wings a little further? Check out these six other repurposed planes that round out our list: The 747 Wing House, Malibu, California, United States; Space Shuttle Café, California, United States; Jumbo Stay, Stockholm, Sweden; Mangaweka Skyliner, Mangaweka, New Zealand; Kindergarten in a Plane, Rustavi, Georgia; and The New Jalisco Library, Guadalajara, Mexico. To read the details on these great grounded planes and to see the full list, visit: www.cheapflights.com/news/inventive-uses-of-retired-planes.

About Cheapflights.com part of the Momondo Group
Momondo Group is an online travel media and technology company that is driven by the belief that an open world is a better world. The group now serves travel search and inspiration to over 17.5 million visitors a month -- plus 7 million travel newsletter subscribers -- via its Cheapflights (www.cheapflights.com) and momondo (www.momondo.com) brands.

Skygate began the sourcing of complex air-travel data in 1992, while Cheapflights pioneered the online comparison of flight deals for users in 1996 and momondo launched meta-search in the Nordic countries in 2006.

The Group has offices in London, Copenhagen and Boston with a consumer base across more than 30 core international markets but users all over the world.

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