MSP-NRT to go 777 starting in the fall.
 

Per DeltaNet, MSP NRT will be going to a 777 this fall.

Quote:
MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL, July 21, 2011 – Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) today announced it will begin operating flights between Minneapolis-St. Paul and Tokyo with Boeing 777 aircraft this fall, offering full flat-bed seats in BusinessElite and individual on-demand entertainment throughout both cabins of service.

I had noticed in the winter schedules that they were going to operate 2 intra-Asia 777 routes (NRT-HKG, NRT-SIN) but only one TPAC 777 route from NRT (NRT-ATL). Didn't think they were going to keep that situation for long (keeping a 777 only on an interport run).

There is also DTW-HKG.

Right, but the DTW-HKG bird couldn't operate HKG-NRT-HKG in time with the NRT banks and then return on HKG-DTW on any kind of reasonable schedule.

No but just 2 operate the DTW-HKG-DTW flights there are 2 777's in rotation. Not to mention that HKG is a heavy maintenance base.

That is a significant reduction in the number of seats, both business and coach.

I guess this is a strong indication of how committed Delta is to MSP and Minnesota. :rolleyes:

Until the 744 refurbs are done, that is a significant improvement in the quality of the hard product, both business and coach.

^

Plus those birds aren't exactly filling to capacity as it is.

Great news for MSP, a huge upgrade in coach and a nice upgrade to fully flat beds in Biz.

You're telling me the refurbs are going to take the entire 744 fleet out of service at once? Or only on the MSP-NRT route? Where are the other 744 route changes to account for this theory?

Normally an airline rotates the fleet through refurbishments, especially when the airline has spares of that fleet type sitting around during the winter months. They don't downgrade the service for an entire season (or longer).

Oh, really? I regularly take that flight. I rarely see an empty coach seat.

I think you misread the post. For those flying in Y on MSP-NRT the introduction of the 777 will be a nice improvement over the 747s as currently configured.

Better quality, but a true reflection on what DL management feels towards MSP/MN. I don't blame them, I'm rather glad I've left MN.

The true reflection is they like their Minnesotan customers so much their sending them their nicest plane? :confused:

I didn't misread it.

My point is there will be 104 fewer coach seats every day to NRT (and 20 fewer BE seats every day). That's a significant cut in available seats on a flight that is nearly always full.

For those 124 extra seats, they'll have to connect thru somewhere else, likely the West Coast, which is served by 763ERs with (you guessed it) a coach product very similar to the 744s. Or they'll be routed through ATL or DTW.

When fleet upgrades happen, they rotate the changes through, not make a schedule change for the entire season.