Aug 17, 2013, 10:44 am
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
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
[Confirmed] SYD going UA 3 Cabin 777 in 2014 [and other 747 route changes]
Mar 10, 2014, 7:57 am
#481
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,446
Mar 10, 2014, 10:20 am
#482
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: No. California
Programs: UA MP HH LTD
Posts: 2,038
Apr 18, 2014, 12:01 am
#483
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Everywhere you wanna be
Programs: AA EP | UA 1K
Posts: 1,657
Rumors are if the change to the 772 doesn't yield better profits, UA will drop the route and let NZ take over responsibility flying to SYD.
Multiple friends in UA all tell me that SYD is one the lowest yield international routes.
Multiple friends in UA all tell me that SYD is one the lowest yield international routes.
Apr 18, 2014, 12:04 am
#484
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: San Francisco/Sydney
Programs: UA 1K/MM, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Something, IHG Gold, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 8,151
Whilst I could believe a reduction in capacity, going from a planned 3 flights a day to none seems a little hard to believe...
Apr 18, 2014, 12:58 am
#485
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: SYD
Programs: QF WP/LTG | UA P
Posts: 13,530
Apr 18, 2014, 1:05 am
#486
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,446
Apr 18, 2014, 6:47 am
#487
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Sydney, NSW Australia
Posts: 895
Whilst the 772 (down from a daily 744 out of LAX) was the beginning of the end for the AKL services my experience is that the SYD fares are more expensive than any of the other TransPac flights.
Apr 18, 2014, 7:39 am
#488
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 3,361
The routes with the longest stage lengths almost always have the lowest yields on a seat mile basis (the most common definition of yields). They also have lower costs per seat mile, which can still result in the routes being quite profitable.
You can't look at only half of the equation and expect to stay in business.
You can't look at only half of the equation and expect to stay in business.
Apr 18, 2014, 8:12 am
#489
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2001
Programs: DL 1 million, AA 1 mil, HH lapsed Diamond, Marriott Plat
Posts: 28,190
No, they don't. Costs stop declining (and then rise) as stage length increases because the aircraft is a flying gas can, burning lots of fuel on ULH stages just to carry fuel.
Apr 18, 2014, 9:06 am
#490
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Minneapolis, MN (MSP)
Programs: DL DM, UA 1K MM, Subway Club Member
Posts: 1,988
I don't doubt that, on a per seat mile, the revenue on the SYD flights is lower than other flights, but I suspect that the profit is higher (or at least high enough).
UA must see some potential since they are adding seats with the 787 to MEL (a net increase even from the 2x 747 days).
Apr 18, 2014, 1:49 pm
#491
Join Date: Mar 2007
Programs: UA 1K, Marriott Gold, SPG Gold
Posts: 1,498
Any one with recent experiences waitlisting for I/IN space on the SFO-SYD route? I'm currently booked on SFO-YVR-SYD leaving on a Sunday next month for a two person itinerary, waitlisted for IN on the non-stop. Would prefer not to go the long way. Seat map (insert disclaimer on how seatmap is not a marker of loads), is 13/40 occupied in J, 4/8 in F.
On a related note, which typically clears first, an award waitlist or a GPU waitlist?
On a related note, which typically clears first, an award waitlist or a GPU waitlist?
Apr 19, 2014, 12:58 am
#492
Join Date: Nov 2009
Programs: United mileage Plus 1k and Million Miler, Krisflyer, Air New Zealand, Qantas, Virgin
Posts: 211
This seems strange giving they are adding a melbourne flight in October, and the first 787 was originally scheduled for Auckland.
Apr 19, 2014, 7:51 am
#493
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: En Route
Programs: Many
Posts: 6,798
Another feather in the cap of the new award chart! Just change it to hugely inflated rates for flying on a partner then cancel UA service to anywhere anyone would want to go so that we have no choice BUT to fly on partner metal.
Apr 19, 2014, 8:49 am
#494
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: SF Bay Area
Programs: UA GS 2MM
Posts: 947
Seat question
I've seen 2 types of 772 biz seat arm rests - the swing-up type and the ones where the arm rest can be pushed down into the seat base. I'd like to know if the SYD flights consistently have one or the other. I've always preferred a window seat with the push-down type...
Apr 20, 2014, 6:24 pm
#495
Join Date: Nov 2009
Programs: United mileage Plus 1k and Million Miler, Krisflyer, Air New Zealand, Qantas, Virgin
Posts: 211
Are you talking lie flat seats or something else? I flew biz first time this year in 777 on this route last week. Beds are harder and narrower and not full 180, lie flat compared to old 747 configuration. Personal space seems tighter as well. Comparatively, the old United 747 flat bed seats were shorter, more cramped than anything I had flown previously on Air NZ or Singapore or Emirates. It doesn't seem an upgrade in biz class, more a step back.