WheelsUpGal

Booked a flight to Dublin over New Years on United. Upgraded to Business First. Just checked the load and there's been an equipment change from an intimate 757-200 (2 class) to a 3 class 777-200 with the 2-4-2 seats across instead of what I booked which was just 2 and 2.

I'm bummed.

But it's still 5 months out.

I haven't traveled a lot in the last decade and am just wondering if this happens a lot AND if there's a chance they might switch it back???

First post so be gentle. I DID search for 'equipment change' and didn't find anything.

Thanks!

obscure2k

Welcome to Flyertalk, WheelsUpGal. I am moving your thread to the UA Forum. You will find a gentle, helpful forum.
Obscure2k
TravelBuzz Moderator

channa

They could always switch it back, so you never know.

That said, many would consider the 777 an upgrade, especially if you can secure the 2-pack side, as it's larger equipment.

emcampbe

There's always a chance they might switch it back, but probably not that likely, especially given UA was mostly phasing out using 757s for TATL. And yes, it happens sometimes. Especially for flights booked several months out.

I wouldn't be bummed (unless you get stick in a middle seat, which I'm guessing isn't an issue at this point) - A lot of people prefer a widebody vs. the one-aisle on the 757. I suspect for travel in January, its probably not difficult to get a seat in on one of the 2 sides, which puts you in not much of a different scenario - where your either in an aisle seat or a window seat where you have to climb over someone anyway to get out. Personally, I like the PMUA biz seats better, but I know everyone has their personal opinions - though it seems odd if you haven't flown this way before, I actually like the backwards facing seats better - a bit weird during taxi, but otherwise, you barely know. IME, the IFE has a much better interface as well than the PMCO international birds.

Juventini

Per airlineroute.net
http://www.routesonline.com/news/38/...ation-changes/

Newark – Dublin 29OCT16 – 08MAR17 Service operates 1 daily instead of 2 daily, however operational aircraft switches from 757 to 767-400ER (777-200ER from 19DEC16 to 15FEB17 and from 28FEB17)

JOSECONLSCREW28

The 75B that would normally fly this route is being moved to EWR-AMS & EWR-LHR

mduell

All the time.

kluau88

One should feel fortunate that you got an upgauge to a 777 as with the 757 you always run the gauntlet of having to make a fuel stop when traveling from Europe to the US in the winter.

WineCountryUA

The farther out you book the greater the chances of this and as you get closer to departure (especially under 3 months and under) the less likely.

While there is always a chance, in my experience it occurs for a small minority of my flights. But it feels there has been a bit of an increase in this recently, between aircraft retirements, new aircraft, shift of aircraft configurations, network changes (new routes added, some routes dropped / reduced), right sizing of capacity, ...

But things are less stable than they were a decade ago.

mduell

Flights scheduled, by aircraft type, for UA in the month of July 2016, by date the schedule was published (Aug 1, 2015 or July 1 2016):

As you can see the total number of flights doesn't change much, but with the narrowbodies there's a lot of swaps. The 738/739 are almost entirely scheduled as 738 far out, many of the 319/320 are swapped to E7W or some 737 model, and the 753s get subbed for other narrowbodies in the advance schedule. Anecdotally UA seems to revise the schedule about 3 months out, both for aircraft type and departure time.

Of those 149k scheduled flights this month, only 20k (13%) are the same flight number, origin, destination, and equipment between the schedule 11 months out and the schedule the month-of. But 139k (93%) are the same using the schedule from 2-3 months out (May 1, 2016 schedule for July 2016 flights).

EWR764

Grab a seat in rows 6/7 AB/JK... it's a pretty intimate mini-cabin (same 16 seats) and the outboard pairs will approximate the experience of the sCO 752.

IMO 757 -> 777 is a win.

WheelsUpGal

I really appreciate all the replies. Took me a while to find my post . . . plan to do a LOT of traveling in the next few years so this forum is a huge help. I considered other airlines (particularly Air New Zealand) but I have miles with United so may as well use them. I flew to London in November 2015 . . can't remember the type of plane but the front cabin had about 5 rows. I was in 1J and was kind of freaked out by those 4 people in CDGH who were all staring at me!And really - 2 - 4 - 2? That's outrageous to me (as I said, haven't flown in too long).

We (my niece and I) are in 6JK. Good to know (and I didn't really take it in) that that front cabin is quite small. I also read that there is a US Passport control at the airport in Dublin? That's helpful!

IS there a dictionary anywhere? I go PMUA and PMCO and IFE . . but what is IFE and sCO?

I promise to get up to speed and am happy to report back on both trips. Return from Dublin we're in Economy Plus because Auntie was feeling poor and it's a day flight.

Suspect Economy Plus is not all that plus? Will search threads . . .

THANK YOU ALL! Incredibly helpful folks and forum!

mahasamatman

You might find this thread useful: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...-glossary.html

IFE = In-Flight Entertainment
sCO = Subsidiary CO (United still operates as two separate subsidiaries)

WheelsUpGal

Thanks for the link. That's really impressive! I think it was IME that threw me but now I realize it's In My Experience.

I LOVE FlyerTalk!

Thanks! :-::-::-::-::-:

cur

woah woah woahstop

i dunno about ny-dublin on air new zealand but you are aware that you can book nz flights off mileage plus? nz bidness class does not show up automatically on the website but it is possible. however as a 6'5" dude i hate the nz bidness class seats. anyways:
http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.c...-to-australia/
http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea....-to-book-them/
ALSO familiarize yourself with UA's very very very generous open jaw and stop over rules. this is HUGE:
http://www.extrapackofpeanuts.com/ma...aws-on-united/ (bookmark this)
http://milecards.com/1588424767/how-...ch-your-miles/


i also dunno if 242 777 from a 57 22 is an upgrade, them seats are tight. it's a ridiculous config, but you also get a lieflat and it really is far from the worst thing in the world.


i find it to be plus and it's one of the reasons i'm loyal to ua. but all you get is meal service first and plenty of leg room at any seat. i guess that's not plus to most. it is not premium economy.