Originally Posted by
tuolumne
Not really. You're omitting the multitude of 3-class hub-Hub positioning flights that people are taking about when they speak of the good old days. And by that, we mean 95-2010. And the 747-100..those were gone soon after the 36 744s UAL ordered all came in. 3-cabin and most definitely used domestically. I don't know any other airline that ran the amount of intl. widebodies with lie flat F domestically that UAL did those years. Certainly not CO or DL. AMR had some, but didn't have the 3-class lift that UAL had.
Let's not forget the 'ghetto bird' 767s and the domestic 777s or DC-10s.
Each ushered in a new level of density.
Airlines don't want to be flying international config birds dedicated to domestic milk runs unless there's something wrong with the int'l market (read post 9/11 / SARS) or they can do quick turns when connecting. There's no valid 3 cabin market for IAD-LAX outside of a few who connect in IAD (when they should be taking a nonstop on another airline).
That's where these domestic only widebodies come / came in. They weren't comfortable rides 20 years ago, and they aren't today. At least this one has lie flat seats in first.