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[Confirmed] SYD going UA 3 Cabin 777 in 2014 [and other 747 route changes]

Old Aug 17, 2013, 10:44 am
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Last edit by: Bitterroot
Updates to Wiki as of 20 January 2014

Planned changes in aircraft by date and route:

SFO -- SYD: first 772 departs SFO 27 March; turns to 840 at SYD on 29 March

LAX -- SYD: first 772 departs LAX 29 March; turn off 840-29th.

NRT -- ORD: First 744 departs NRT 27 March (aircraft turn at ORD to PVG and FRA in succession the day following arrival from NRT)
ORD -- NRT: First 744 departs ORD 31 March

ORD -- PVG: First 744 departs ORD 28 March
PVG -- ORD: First 744 departs PVG 29 March

ORD -- FRA: First 744 departs ORD 29 March
FRA -- ORD: First 744 departs FRA 30 March

NRT -- SFO: 852 to operate with 772 27 March through 31 March inclusive (772 coming out of rotation)

Or, you can just go look at the good work here (note that info posted above differs from AIRLINEROUTE info dated 4 January 2014 and before):

http://airlineroute.net/2013/08/17/ua-s14update1/

Or, straight to the source if you want to do your own research:

http://www.oag.com/Global
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[Confirmed] SYD going UA 3 Cabin 777 in 2014 [and other 747 route changes]

Old Aug 14, 2013, 12:34 pm
  #151  
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Originally Posted by greg99
And if, like many business travelers, he can't adjust his travel schedule to match when upgrade seats are available, what should he do then?
Then that would be an answer to my question. I asked why GPUs to upgrade to C aren't a benefit to him. He said it's because he doesn't need to upgrade since he can afford to just pay for C. That seems like a dumb answer. If the answer is that he's always flying on very short notice and on fixed dates and can't get upgrades, that's a different answer.
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Old Aug 14, 2013, 12:43 pm
  #152  
 
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Originally Posted by DaviddesJ
Then that would be an answer to my question. I asked why GPUs to upgrade to C aren't a benefit to him. He said it's because he doesn't need to upgrade since he can afford to just pay for C. That seems like a dumb answer. If the answer is that he's always flying on very short notice and on fixed dates and can't get upgrades, that's a different answer.
It's not a dumb answer. He's saying he won't fly in a class of service less than Business class, and is willing to pay for that and has the resources to do so, and as a result, an upgrade opportunity that does not guarantee that he will fly in C is of no value.

I *could* ride the bus to work, and I *could* get tax benefits for doing so as a result of programs that my company offers. However, I will not ride the bus for a variety of reasons, and thus will not receive the tax benefits, so those programs that my employer offers are of no direct value to me. They may have value to others, but not to me.

I similarly see no direct value from the breastfeeding room that we have in our building. Very important to some, not to me.

Greg

Edited to note that employer programs are of no *direct* value to me - they have recruiting and retention value which do benefit me, so it's not a strictly analogous example, because the OP doesn't benefit if others upgrade.
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Old Aug 14, 2013, 12:54 pm
  #153  
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Originally Posted by greg99
It's not a dumb answer. He's saying he won't fly in a class of service less than Business class, and is willing to pay for that and has the resources to do so, and as a result, an upgrade opportunity that does not guarantee that he will fly in C is of no value.
That doesn't answer the question because the question is about booking guaranteed upgrades.
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Old Aug 14, 2013, 1:17 pm
  #154  
 
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Originally Posted by Xyzzy
Australia is primarily a leisure market. Fewer seats mean higher average fares and a more efficient aircraft means higher prfitability.
At the time of the CNZ deal (when UA mistakenly sold SFO-AKL via SYD in C for $1500 RT), it was rumored that something like 25% of UA's profit came from operating the LAX/SFO-SYD routes. And that they actually SOLD a lot of premier seats, thus the mistake fare was costing them real money, not just displacing upgraders and other riff-raff. (We went over the Christmas holidays, and basically the entire C cabin was filled 6 months in advance with FTers....)

Now I realize that competition on that route has from QF/UA to include DL/VX. But calling the one-time most profitable route in the entire network a leisure route sounds crazy.
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Old Aug 14, 2013, 1:24 pm
  #155  
 
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Originally Posted by LordTentacle
Not all of us have such the "horrid" time
The vast majority of us never have an issue and thus never post
Rule 1 of FT: don't let facts stand in the way of a good rant. On-time stats straight from EF:



Long story short, the SYD route has horrific on-time and reliability metrics. I, for one, welcome the PMCO 772's on this route.
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Old Aug 14, 2013, 1:38 pm
  #156  
 
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Instead of all the bickering about upgrades, I would be interested in a discussion about whether this scheme:

777 SFO-SYD
777 LAX-SYD
787 LAX-MEL

could possibly be more profitable in the long run than the current scheme:

747 SFO-SYD
747 LAX-SYD-MEL

Or would it really be more profitable to just cut capacity and fly two 777s and nothing else?
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Old Aug 14, 2013, 1:40 pm
  #157  
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The MEL flight makes sense to me, although it should depart from SFO.

Also, some days are clearly more popular than others, would it be viable to fly one flight on some days and two flights on other days?
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Old Aug 14, 2013, 1:43 pm
  #158  
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Originally Posted by unavaca
Quote:





Originally Posted by LordTentacle


Not all of us have such the "horrid" time
The vast majority of us never have an issue and thus never post




Rule 1 of FT: don't let facts stand in the way of a good rant. On-time stats straight from EF:



Long story short, the SYD route has horrific on-time and reliability metrics. I, for one, welcome the PMCO 772's on this route.
Why isn't management fixing this issue today? Jeff has been firmly in charge nearly 3 full years now.

Also, let us take a gander at some 787 records...
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Old Aug 14, 2013, 1:43 pm
  #159  
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Originally Posted by kevanyalowitz
Data please. Does UA-OZ have less paid premium traffic than other pacific routes?
I got that straight form the mouths of airline executives who knw the data behind such things.

Originally Posted by unavaca
Long story short, the SYD route has horrific on-time and reliability metrics. I, for one, welcome the PMCO 772's on this route.
Me t
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Old Aug 14, 2013, 1:48 pm
  #160  
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Originally Posted by Xyzzy
Quote:





Originally Posted by kevanyalowitz


Data please. Does UA-OZ have less paid premium traffic than other pacific routes?




I got that straight form the mouths of airline executives who knw the data behind such things.
The same ones that said HKG-SIN-HKG is 737 worthy? Or "smarter" ones.
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Old Aug 14, 2013, 1:51 pm
  #161  
 
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I fly SFO-SYD 2X per year, for the last 8 years, all on business.

I've GPU'd to C about 95% of the time, in all seasons.^^^

While I prefer the upstairs C on the 744, I have to agree with previous posts that the reliability of those old birds has really deteriorated. I've been delayed numerous times as well as spent nights in both SYD and SFO for flights that have gone mechanical, not to mention wall panels falling off in the head, overhead air vents popping out of the panel, etc. etc.

I hate to see the upstairs go away but if it means a more reliable plane, I'll take it.
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Old Aug 14, 2013, 1:54 pm
  #162  
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Originally Posted by uastarflyer
Why isn't management fixing this issue today? Jeff has been firmly in charge nearly 3 full years now.
We'll get him a wrench.
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Old Aug 14, 2013, 1:57 pm
  #163  
 
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Happy I'm starting a phase out. BA and OW are pretty nice now. If I can't get to oz on swus in paid w, no need to be UA flyer for me. Time will tell... 8 swus to urn until 2015, so maybe things will still pan out for UA.
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Old Aug 14, 2013, 2:05 pm
  #164  
 
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Originally Posted by uastarflyer
Why isn't management fixing this issue today? Jeff has been firmly in charge nearly 3 full years now.
He is. He's nixing the unreliable 747s for the more reliable PMCO 777s.
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Old Aug 14, 2013, 2:06 pm
  #165  
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Originally Posted by uastarflyer
The same ones that said HKG-SIN-HKG is 737 worthy? Or "smarter" ones.
Smarter nes.
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