JOSECONLSCREW28

Jus out of curiosity does anyone happen to knw how many UA 777s have been reconfigured to the new cofiguration with new F suites? New business class and 3-3-3 configuration in economy class ?

Bitterroot

Ten, with two in the shop.

See http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...et-2011-a.html

travelinmanS

So awesome! A 737 is exactly what was missing on that HKG-SIN route. For sure now I'll pick UA over SQ or CX on SFO-HKG-SIN. I love flying in cramped conditions after a 14 hour transpac...Jeff knows exactly what I need, it's uncanny

Seriously, why don't they just can the route entirely and code share with SQ rather than run a rinky dink 737 on this 3.5 hour Int'l flight?

JOSECONLSCREW28

Great thanks !

wilp888

Exactly. I think the original reason for continuing service to SIN/SGN was UA didn't want to pay the high fees for parking in HKG overnight. Obviously the high fuel price is changing the equation. I hope it's not going to be a schedule change.

rkkwan

It'd be tough for them to not layover all the aircraft while maintaining the onward connections for all flights.

The ORD (and probably EWR) flights have to do what AC is doing for its YYZ-HKG-YYZ run. Depart ORD/EWR at around 10a, arrive HKG around 1:30p. Depart HKG around 3p, and get back to ORD/EWR at 6p. Still that doesn't allow a lot of connection in the front end, with the 10am departrue. If they push back an hour, flights arrive back to ORD/EWR at 7p, and again problem other end.

Worse, for the SFO flight to arrive HKG at 1:30, it has to depart at 8a. Meaning zero connection possible.

Basically, it won't work with the day flights.

Alternative is to depart the US late in the day, and arrive HKG early in the morning for all flights, like what SQ does from SFO, and some of CX's flights.

EWR/ORD can depart at around 1a and SFO at midnight; and all arrive HKG at 5a. Problem is that they will then need two separate 737s to run the HKG-SIN leg, since one cannot make it there and back in time to connect to the flights departing HKG for the US, latest at around 3p.

AC is the only N. American airline flying to HKG without laying over the planes in Asia, but their passengers from YVR and YYZ are mostly O/D, or at most a short connection from YUL to YYZ. Not so with CO/UA's operation.

nova08

Yes, the profit from operating the flight (minus the fuel/maintenence/service) has to be consistently greater than the parking fees. Also note that SG recently reduced the all C A345 SIN-LAX flt.

Also remember that eventually the aircraft that rotates on EWR-HKG-EWR will be in the mix, I am not sure how CO's existing schedule compares with UA's

UNITED959

Because after you've flown 16 hours ORD-HKG and then have another 4 to go on HKG-SIN, the upright seat is horrid compared to a lie-flat bed.

Mbenz

precisely, I often don't sleep on the TPACs but sleep almost the whole of the 3-4hr intra Asia UA flights.

However, understand the economics on UAs side but not looking forward to the reduction in C/F for upgrades, as well as increased costs overall. My understanding was always these flights were full with cargo, wonder how that plays into the economics of going 744->738?

hulagrrl210

It's from Continental merged with Air Micronesia creating Continental Micronesia. The flights still go by the call sign "Air Mike" even though they are essentially Continental flights with Continental aircraft.

LAX

That's a valid point. Perhaps new UA brass wants bragging rights to over X number of destinations on its own metal.

I agree that if a route is not making money, it should be canned. Perhaps if UA continues to lose money on that segment, it will be canned?!

LAX

Bitterroot

I'm with you and UA959: by the time I leave HKG for SIN, it's 4 or 5 am Pacific Time (depending on DST), and I usually haven't slept much on the SFO - HKG leg, even in F.

So, it's the quick supper ex HKG and sleep through the short leg.

No way I'll settle for a CO 738.................

unavaca

I don't understand why UA doesn't do this. CI and BR both do this for their SFO-TPE flights and is totally awesome. You get on the flight at midnight and arrive in Asia at 8am ready to go to work and/or start your day. It's really a win-win.

mobilebucky

Exactly, being hub captive, the only incentive til now is I don't have to deal with narrow bodies on crossing either side of the pond, so I don't mind paying a bit extra for that.

Some how I have a bad feeling that next year SQ won't let us use the SKL in SIN because of these ghetto birds flying in and out of SIN.

I would love that too, but reality is it is pretty tough to have a red eye flight arrived in HKG early in the morning and start working right away. Much easier to arrived in early evening have a meal and turn-in early and fully recharge next morning.

It makes sense if they do maintenance work in HKG, but currently they are doing it here in ORD/SFO. I don't care how expensive the fuel price is but parking the birds on both end for 12+ hrs just doesn't make financial sense. If that is the case, they have to adjust their schedule to improve utilization.

trust77

Wow. This confirms what many of the CO inflight crews have been telling me when I fly b/w GUM-HNL While I say it's great that a UA 777 will fly this route, I want to know what will happen to these very senior inflight crew members that work GUM-HNL. They are some of the best in the industry and in this part of the world. It would be ashamed if they left this route. As I understand, the issue is that these former CS (now CO) flight attendants won't be certified to work the UA fleet by then.

Personally, And granted they use the three class 777, I am looking forward to flying Intl First for the sake of the bed. Yes, I know that it may be The old 777 bed, but it beats the current recliner on CO 764 a/c.

I look forward to the schedules loading at which time we'll know which 777 it is.

I'm sure I've flown with and know your family members. As I said in an earlier post, a lot of the inflight staff who fly GUM-HNL have been telling me about this and so I guess this internal memo memorializes it.

I too hope that your relatives and all the other wonderful people that work this route are some how integrated into the system allowing them to work this route.