ubernostrum

I've always assumed it's because the IFE content requires paying the content providers (i.e., movie/TV studios, record labels, etc.), and running it on domestic as well as international would cost more.

beachbrew

I'm assuming the widebodies are still only flown by east crews? Do the flight numbers still dictate which are east crews and what are west or did that change with the merger?

BoeingBoy

Correct - the big money was for content fees.

Jim

BoeingBoy

Yes, the wodebodies are still flown by east pilots - the US FAs reached a combined contract for east and west but I don't know if they're still flying separately from west FAs or not.

As far as the merger, no flight numbers have changed on either the AA or US side. All that's happened so far is the first phase of codeshares between AA and US has taken effect so a given US flight will also carry an AA flight number and a given AA flight will also have a US flight number.

The big changes for flight crews is the operational merger, estimated to be 18-24 months after the actual corporate merger. That will be the first time any pilots and FAs can fly from any base and for pilots any airplane. In the mean time there are seniority lists to be integrated, combined contracts to be negotiated, and the single operating certificate approval to obtain from the FAA. I haven't kept up with what's happening with the US and AA FAs so don't know where in the process they stand.

Jim

PS - you asked about east/west flight numbers. As I type this the different US flight numbers still apply - <699 = west, 700> = east.

FlightNurse

The wide-bodied are flown by East pilots, as far as the FA's go, they are integrated, so you could have a mixture of East and West...

rltycheck

Came back from LA in PHX last Wednesday just as a ground crew shift change was going on, and was on the Skytrain with a bunch of the guys who were all talking about the 330 tug that just arrived and was over by the paint shop.

I can't wait to see twin aisle service into PHX, even if temporary. With the equipment here, maybe it will become more common -

WiscAZ

We were scheduled a month or so back on the 330 from CLT to PHX and I checked yesterday and it was switched to a 321

BoeingBoy

With the A332's that arrived over the winter there's a bigger surplus of A330's than normal on the off season since most of the newly announced TATL service doesn't start till the spring. So it's entirely possible that there could be more domestic A330 service for a couple or three months and CLT/PHL-PHX is a good route for it.

There's also the possibility that there's some rearranging of routes/equipment with the combined fleet allowing possibilities that US hasn't had.

Jim

pa3lsvt

I flew Envoy PHL-CLT last week. Nice cabin - I can't wait to take it on the promised trip to FCO with Mrs. pa3lsvt.

BoeingBoy

That is a pretty regular use of the 330 for two reasons - get the plane to CLT for maintenance and rotate them between the Brazil and Europe flights to balance hours across those planes.

Jim

N830MH

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/AWE861

Head's up for PHX Spotter!! US is sending A332 aircraft to PHX.

Get your camera ready!!!

PainCorp

Will this really show up, unlike the VS announcement today?

phlwookie

If FlightAware is to be believed, which it isn't always, it was operated by N286AY, which is indeed an A332:

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N...300Z/KCLT/KPHX

It's more unusual for FA to be wrong about a flight with a specific registration rather than just a callsign, though, so it seems pretty likely there's an A332 in PHX right now.

twa777

It looks like there's an A332 flight in the schedule from CLT to PHX and back for at least a couple weeks, with the return flight in the wee hours of the morning. Perhaps extra lift to support spring training?

N830MH

Yes, you may be right. There is lots of baseball fans who come to PHX to watch Spring Training game. That's why they want to come.