Originally Posted by
PsiFighter37
This should be a positive development. Do folks think the A350s get delivered with the existing Polaris seats, or UA will have a newer seat designed by then? Also wonder how likely this makes the sCO 772s to get the new seats if they are only going to have them for less than 10 years (perhaps substantially less, given they are going to be one of the later planes to get them?)
I doubt UA has a new seat by then, but who knows. The sCO aircraft are the newest aircraft, so they will not be the first to go. Also, I doubt all of them will go as some of them are actually quite new and there are not enough A359s being ordered for this to be a direct 1 to 1 replacement. The fact that the 763s are all getting the new seat despite the fact that many of the older aircraft will be the first to go when the 797 arrives (probably 6-7 years) says something about UA's new commitment to having the same product across its fleet.
Originally Posted by
EWR764
^. The 787-10 is under-ranged to be a true 77E replacement, while the 778 is too big and too heavy. The A359 has sold about as well as the 789, while being closer in size to the 787-10 (larger yet), which it has outsold by about 6:1.
The success of the A359 makes me wonder if Boeing would consider abandoning the 777-8 and deploying resources into a 787-10ER...
I doubt it. The 778 has similar capacity to the 77W and Boeing sees the future of the 777 as a larger aircraft, evident by the 77W outselling the 772 1.5:1 with the 772 having a few year head start and not having an order or delivery since 2014. The 787-10 is targeted more at regional service essentially replacing the A330 (think SQ's 787-10 order). Cathay Pacific, the Chinese big 3, Garuda Indonesia, etc. are the target market.
As for abandoning the 778, I can't see it happening. It's range/payload capability is unmatched, so you couldn't really replace its 53 existing orders. I also see Qantas placing an order soon because although it can't fly 300 passengers from LHR-SYD, it can fly more than the A350ULH (225-250 vs 150ish).