Originally Posted by
uanj
I flew the HKG-SEA route right after it started, too. I am nearly 100% sure it was a 747-100, not an SP though. Back in the those days I had a logbook from Lufthansa where I kept track of my flight details. The SPs I believe came shortly thereafter with the purchase of PA's Pacific Division. PA had requested Boeing develop a 747 which could fly JFK-TYO and first 747-100s could not do the range.
Perhaps you can look up the range of 747-100 and distance between SEA-HKG to see if it is possible ???
UA SEA-HKG definitely flew for more than 2 years as the CP DC10 stayed in the fleet for 4 years then returned to CP when PA's SP arrived, then flew for further 2 years before the route was sold to NW as NW 7/8, which later on got dropped and in favor to start the short lived MSP-HKG as NW 97/98
Originally Posted by
uanj
In the 90s in addition to the US mainland UA ran tags from HKG to NRT, SIN, SGN, BKK and DEL but never all at the same time. SIN and NRT were constants, DEL was first and after it was dropped UA played around with BKK and SGN.
HKG-SGN actually didn't exist in the 90s but inaugural in 2004, there wasn't any US service to Vietnam not since PA left at 1975. The inaugural was performed by 2nd UA plane painted in new livery rising blue N196UA. The UA HK ticket office (still at Gateway tower at the time) even printed travel brochure at the time for travel to vietnam with the inaugural 744 photo
Originally Posted by
uanj
Regardless of its UA's long history at HKG, HKG's place in the world has drastically changed and the political situation further erodes its desirability as a travel or transit destination. My guess is HKG-SFO passenger service will resume late this year and ORD and LAX 2023. But I would not be surprised if UA does not resume either LAX or ORD. HKG's heyday as a travel hub is behind us, time to move on.
LAX-HKG would never return as even AA dropped LAX-HKG before pandemic, no chance at all unless CX back off. Before the pandemic CX had long established it's 3x daily LAX-HKG