I was bored and decided to investigate some things coming up with the international schedules for the red tail. Some key dates appeared and while I know none of this is new news, the schedule adjustments might yield some one off equipment subs etc... I'll start with the Pacific, where most the changes are occuring.

July 1 -

3rd daily HNL-NRT starts and using 330 equipment. The interesting thing is that this a/c originates in NRT with the flight 84 on July 1. This means that the 333 will need to be brought over to NRT which will likely involve routing a 333 MSP-SEA-NRT on the 30th June... so be on the look out for this equipment substitution. This is likely due to a new 333 being delivred, which may or may not be utilized for this new service. A likely schedule for the sub could be:

MSP-SEA #171 920am-1059am
SEA-NRT #085 355pm-610pm
NRT-HNL #084 925pm-950am

Also on July 1, HNL-KIX becomes a 333. When looking at the downloadable timetable it appears that this new service comences from HNL and not from Japan as the new NRT flight. Also, looking at the schedule timings, it appears this will be facilitated by using the inbound MSP flight (#809). The likely schedule will look like this:

MSP-HNL #809 1130am-242pm
HNL-KIX #015 440pm-830pm

By using the inbound 333 from MSP, that leaves two 333s on the ground in HNL, but 3 flights to launch with a 333! Oh, but there is a remedy for this! It isn't reflected in the timetable, nor on nwa.com, but if I was to wager an educated guess this is what I think will happen. July 1 also sees the last 744 KIX-HNL service. Upon arrival in HNL, the 744 has nowhere to go and with MSP not having an a/c assigned to it, it's highly likely they'll use the 744 for the HNL-MSP segment. Once in MSP they can do what they need with it. A likely routing could be as follows:

KIX-HNL #016 1030pm-1115am
HNL-MSP #808 520pm-555am

Yet another important change on July 1, is when the first of the last two remaining 742s will be withdrawn from service. Upon arrival of #73 GUM-NRT, that 742 will be ferried back or routed back via scheduled service. THis means on July 1, NRT-GUM-NRT becomes a 744.

The next change comes on September 1 when the seasonal 3rd NRT flight (a 333) ends and flight 22 NRT-HNL switches from a 744 to a 333. So on August 31, when #83 gets into NRT, it will turn around to HNL as flight 22 and become a 333 like this:

HNL-NRT #083 240pm-600pm departs 8/31, arrives 9/1
NRT-HNL #022 855pm-905pm departs 9/1

Also on September 1, the last 742s ends passenger scheduled service out of NRT. This means on September 2, NRT-SPN will become a 333. This will probably mean another new delivery and will likely require another equipment subsitution as described above (MSP-SEA-NRT) and would likely occur on August 31 arriving in the evening of September 1, so as to position to operate the #76 at 1035am on September 2. All of this means that there could be a 742 subbing for its return to the states on any number of sectors.

On September 28, the same sort of thing happens for the NRT-GUM service when it switches from 744 to 333. I haven't been able to figure out where all these 744s are going because by the end of September I can only count 13 in rotation with probably a spare in DTW as is scheduled now. Could this mean the beginning of those a/c going to 744F conversion? Or does it mean something new for the fall?

As for Europe some key dates to remember are:

5/7 - The 2nd DTW-FRA launches using 752s. This is ends 10/26.
6/5 - DTW-DUS starts 5/week and goes daily on 6/17.
6/15 - DTW-BRU daily 752 starts
7/1 - BDL-AMS daily 752 commences
7/1 - DTW-AMS 5th daily flight #36 begins
7/15 - BOS-AMS 2nd daily innauguarates with the 752.

The key to 5/7 means that NWA has probably got an Atlantic configured 757 completed by now and is flying the system. Or, it could mean that they're not going to put it into revenue service until the flight leaves tomorrow night for FRA. Either way, as soon as someone flies it, a report on the WBC seat and ammenities in coach needs to be posted!

I hope this all makes sense. When I have time I'll try and figure out the comings and goings of the 333 fleet at the beginning of the fall schedule when the traditional Europe pulldown occurs.

AZJ

What if they are sending a 744 in for heavy maintenance on July 1? Then they could just send it back to Hong Kong or wherever.

AZJ... Thanks for the update... so where are all the 744's going? That to me is the big question...

Wow--nice analysis! Monitoring the NWA fleet should continue to be really interesting in the next few years. Atlantic 757s are entering service soon, more A330s continue to be delivered, and next year the 787s will begin coming on board!
I can't believe that Atlantic 757 service begins today! I can't wait to hear what the new configuration, IFE, etc. is like. Hopefully some 757s have had their internal conversions. (We haven't heard anything definite yet!) I just hope, for the passenger's sake, that NWA isn't planning on using any domestic 757s for the first few weeks of this new service (until more conversions have been done).

I will be absolutely shocked if this were to happen. I doubt it, though.

What I really am hoping for is 330 service between SEA and HNL. That and AS service to Hawaii -- the two FT rumors that keep me up at night...

I was under the impression that this was already happening...
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showt...t=sea-hnl+a333

Perhaps this is where that extra A333 comes in AZJ?

I certainly thought it was compelling, but there still isn't anything on the schedule, out through the end of 2007.

Flew DTW-FRA on the 333 today and saw a wingletted 757 in DTW on a hardstand near one of the hangars. I assume this is a newly re-configured bird getting ready for the FRA flight. As I got off the plane, I overheard an FA saying there were bringing 21 crew on the flight (for the return 757 flight, I assume). Finally, AVOD systems were dead on rows 19-28 for the entire flight. We got 5000 mile/$50 off vouchers, but it was one boring flight.

The new schedules haven't come out yet. Unless NW has pulled this option, I'd still expect to see it happening.

Unless "Scoopy" can give us an inside scoop otherwise?

I would love to see a sub 744 on the MSP-HNL route. If they are going to do it they better throw it into the schedule soon since they will have nearly double the WBC seats (everybody gets an upgrade!) and another 60 or so coach seats to sell.

I was just looking at the 757's availability tonight. It looks like the 330 is either full or over Y2 B1, the 757 is wide open in back and J5. I have a feeling today would be a good bump chance on the 330 and then you could ride on the 757, $750 ECV richer and tell us all about it.

TUS-MSP-TUS?

(Sorry for stealing your thunder, redtailshark... )

To my mind, this also begs the question of what will NW do with the TATL configured 757's in the winter. Obviously some of the routes will stay, like BDL-AMS (if it works), DTW-DUS, and DTW-BRU. DTW-AMS, however, is scheduled to go down to 4x daily, which will either free up a 330 or 757. Additionally, BOS will probably go down to 1x daily, which should free up another 757. DTW-HNL is 3800 NM, which would be really tight or impossible for a TATL 757, but if the plane that was pulled from DTW-AMS was the 330, it could seasonal service from DTW-HNL.

I'm on NW93 DUS-DTW on Aug 6th. I'm quite curious myself.

Slippahs - why is it so far fetched to see the 744 HNL-MSP? It only makes sense to use it for revenue service as opposed to ferrying it out and ferrying a 330 into HNL to operate the flight. Bottom line is that they are short an airplane according to the schedules on that day. It would be nice to see the 330 do SEA and use that to bridge into Asia, like the old days when 925/924 was a DC10.

Humanoid - I'm still investigating the fall Atlantic schedule, but it appears that all the 757 service remains, except for the FRA service, which we knew was only seasonal. It seems that the 752 that runs the 5th AMS will become the 4th AMS along side three 330s. I think that the 330 is replaces will allow NWA to resume the EWR service.

Remember... all this is based on my, who has no inside info whatsoever. I did all this based on what I could find in the timetable and nwa.com. Especially with the fall stuff, it will probably change.


AZJ