sxf24

The first deliveries (originally ordered by CO) will come with the same type of seats currently seen on CO aircraft.

Y will be 9-across.

airb330

Lowering wages (aka living standards) or outsourcing to cheap labor markets is American I suppose then?

The only advantage I see is long and thin routes. I am not going to book UA due to the 787, just like I haven't booked AF for the a380. Schedule, star alliance, and price are all more important factors than a larger window and higher humidity.

sxf24

Outside of a cost of living difference, I'm not aware that Boeing is paying employees in South Carolina less than employees of the same skill/tenor in Washington. I think Boeing believes the benefit is from having a more stable workforce that won't walk out every 3-4 years.

legalalien

I had the pleasure of touring a 787 during last year's StarMegaDO, and I can't wait to fly on it. As a true FTer, I will go out of the way to try any new airplane, be it A380, 787, or C-Series regional. But I also know I'm in a very, very small minority when flying public is taken as whole.

I'm concerned that Boeing and UA are setting unrealistically high expectations with respect to passenger comfort. 14 hours in any coach seat is a challenge, higher humidity or not. A380 is already pressurized to 5,000 ft., and I don't hear about coach passengers arriving to their destination so much more relaxed, than say, B747 passengers. Personal space, quality of IFE, and on-board service have a much higher impact on passenger comfort than anything 787 brings with it. No mood lighting, grand entrance, high-tech windows, or lower cabin pressure can undo the impact of 31" pitch, mediocre food, misbehaving toddlers, or unfriendly flight attendants on a long, full flight. And, when at the end of the day passengers will remember their 787 flight as being not much different from any other flight, it will undermine Boeing's credibility and will seize being any sort of competitive advantage for UA.

In fact, I think the biggest competitive advantage UA will have with the 787 is over itself. I will definitely choose to fly UA 787 over UA 747.

Pingtung

People will go out of their way to sit in E- with 9 across and a 31" pitch? I think not. Price and schedule will determine what plane the masses are on.

zabes64

I would DEFINITELY go out of my way to fly an A380 especially because most airlines have gone out of their way (so it seems) to make them something special on the inside, now I could be wrong, but still.

the 787? No wouldn't go out of my way 1 bit unless the seating was 2 5 2, but I'm sure its 3 3 3, so it won't do a thing to keep my business... UA planes interior generally looks cheap and even when it's redone it doesn't take long for it to look like crap.

roknroll

I think this is a more accurate view. Keep in mind this is a forum for flying enthusiasts and people who fly a LOT. It's a small bubble that doesn't really represent the bulk of the flying public. A lot of us might search for and choose to fly the 787, but the bulk of the public and revenue is just looking for the cheapest ticket.

Before I flew a lot (and for the most part even still) my booking priority went price, seat availability, routing/layovers, airline, airplane. Airline/Airplane were usually more of a tie breaker when the first 3 were similar. Most people aren't even going to consider the aircraft type.

But United doesn't really need everyone to want to fly the 787. If a small portion of the flying community, especially high rev passengers who fly a lot prioritize flying on the 787, they might get a couple % boost. In these days, that's all they can really expect and I think it's realistic.

Now, if the 787 allows them to price routes more competitively then it will give them an advantage. Not because people 'want' to fly on the 787, but because it happens to be the best option.

Another factor, and this is 100% speculation since I know little of airline economics, is paid premium cabin travel. People paying for C or F would probably be choosing a new 787 with United over an older plane with another airline. Only problem is that the A380 kind of beat them to it, so when the 787 arrives, there will be plenty of other options on a brand new plane with many other airlines.

legalalien

I don't know...a lie-flat seat is just good, in my opinion, on a 777, 330, or 380 as it is on a 787. I suppose if there are two non-stop flights departing around the same time, costing the same, and no airline/alliance preference, one might pick based on the aircraft. But how often does it happen?

In fact, I would pick an older UA 767 with new lie-flat C seats over a brand spanking new LH A380 and their inclined C seats. YMMV, of course.

jupper

This years SMD3 A388 JFK-FRA flight vs last years SMD2 B744 JFK-FRA, both in Y, trust me, this year won hands down. Comfort of seat and "climate" certainly made me much fitter upon arrival. The IFE was also better, but kept me more awake then on the B744.


We don't know what the interior will look like, nor the configuration and seats, so we'll have to wait and see. A lot of what the B787 brings is already common from the A380 of course...

mduell

The difference is in FL you want to get it down from 90% to the comfort zone, on planes they're moving it up from the single digits to the comfort zone.

Most major operators will be 9 abreast in Economy, including United.

legalalien

Hmm...I didn't notice much difference. I was in F though.

Seriously though, I wonder how much of that was attributable to air pressure, and how much was due to the seat itself and possibly the IFE.

sbm12

In the case of Lufty, the difference between their A380 in Y and their 744 in Y is absolutely noticeable.

halls120

I avoid both the A380 and B744, because I don't want to arrive and compete with a mass of humanity upon arrival. My perfect current international ride is on a 767 or 330.

STS-134

Meh, as long as you're near the FRONT of that mass of humanity, why does it matter? I'm usually in the first 1/3 of the people off the plane, and by the time I get to customs, I've probably passed at least 30-50% of the people who got off the plane before I did.

When I arrived in NRT both times I went there (aboard a 744), I was probably the 30th to 40th person from that plane arriving at customs. I'd guess I was probably about 60th to 70th off the plane, and I passed at least 30-40 pax in the terminal.

dr__bob

Of course, none of that matters when you just landed after 2 or 3 747's... Gosh, that's so much fun!