Originally Posted by loyalStarwoodfan
I just noticed a schedule change on my itinerary to Taipei in May. The flight number has been changed from 853/852 to 890/891 and the plane downgauged from a 744 to 777XC/XI config. Is this market so uncompetitive that it's being downgauged with the beginning of the summer high season?
It's quite sad to see, esp. since SFO-TPE has already been terminated for quite some time.
What is your source of the information?
I don't see any change.
Logically why would UA pull out 744 and put 772 into that route?
Currently I'm not aware of any route that needs a 744 and I believe there is no extra 772.
I posted UA Pacific schedule change recenty.
To repeat it,
HNL-NRT double daily goes to single daily at the end of March.
Extra 772 that comes from HNL-NRT will go into SFO-NGO.
NRT-ICN double daily will be single daily at the beginning of June.
Extra 772 from NRT-ICN will be used for LAX-NRT.
In order to make a new route, UA has to pull out planes from other routes as they don't have extra planes now.
SFO-TPE was cancelled because of SFO-ICN.
Another route might be cancelled by NRT-CAN.
I wonder why UA doesn't utilize some 762/763/752 on Asian market.
Those planes can give flexbility to UA in Asia.
Look at NW, they use 752/744/742/D10/A332, while UA only use 772 and 744.