Originally Posted by
Symmetre
Interesting to have the 77L on my last two YYZ-MUC trips ... traveling there again early next month and it's once again the scheduled AC. My pre-pandemic travels on this route have generally been on a 77W. Not sure why the switch to the smaller airframe now, since the 77Ws were always packed.
I would think it again comes down to the aircraft available to fly the routes AC needs to fly. There are 8 788's and 6 77L's that have to allocated somewhere (as mentioned previously). In normal times the 77L's were allocated to YVR-SYD and YYZ-HKG (4 frames). COVID and the war in Ukraine has turned everything upside down. The 77L hauls more in its belly than a 789, hence why it may be allocated to certain routes over the 789. Since the 789 and 77L have similar seat numbers, AC may shift based on cargo demand, and could potentially do this quite close to the flight time. The refurbishment of the A330 has brought its seat count to 297 which also makes in somewhat interchangeable with the 789 and 77L (if the difference in J and PY seats are ignored). And just because a 77W was packed when you flew it, a 77W may not be available because it is better allocated to another route where the income generated by the flight is greater. It is why all airlines have route planning, yield management, and all sorts of other resources that look at these dynamic factors when allocating certain aircraft to certain routes. It is complex but the way it is done is likely quite sophisticated.