Originally Posted by
RaflW
I can't imagine it'd be a day to add P.S. Re-spacing the PSUs (including the O2 masks and gaspers), installing different bulkheads between J and PS, plus probably adding a bulkhead between PS and Y+ (or Y?), as well as aisle offsets from J to PS to Y.
There are also multiple subfleets of 763s. There's the high J (and high J with crew rest access), the low J, the ex-Gulf Air with the L2/R2 doors, etc. It's a complex matrix, and DL has indicated that the reason for the 35 new A330s is for fleet replacement of 763s -- though if loads and revenue are good, I'm sure some added international capacity is in some scenario planning. The 763s are of varying ages, so I'm sure a staggered retirement is planned. Is it worth adding PS to a plane that'll be parked in 1 to 4 or 5 years? I'm not one of their bean counters, so I can't speculate.
Oh, but, like Delta is doing with flights to KEF on the 757, they could use the 76P with domestic F seats and just rebrand it P.S. That takes just minutes to provision with P.S. headsets and menu cards.
Some 767s may age out by 2021, but only a small minority. Delta has nearly 80 767s and they are the stalwarts of Delta's high yielding TATL traffic. They are using A330s as fleet replacements because they have to, not particularly because they want to. Delta will be flying at least some 767s internationally for at least another decade.
I agree I am curious about the planes on the bubble (767s that may age out around 2022-2023 so not worth doing a full refurb if the target is 2021). Perhaps they'll not be refurbed and be used exclusively for the D1 premium transcons.