Q400 First Class Retrofit Update
Dec 22, 2011, 10:29 pm
#1
Company Representative, United Airlines
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Chicago, Houston, or somewhere in between
Posts: 2,176
Q400 First Class Retrofit Update
Hi Everyone,
As promised a few months back, we’ve begun the process of adding First Class to our Colgan-operated Q400 fleet. The first aircraft was introduced earlier this week (N323NG, aircraft 821). We expect to be complete with this retrofit by late next summer, and will be focusing on one aircraft base at a time, with northeast-based aircraft as our first priority. As each base is completed, or close to it, we will introduce the First Class product on these aircraft and begin selling First Class in the advance period. Until then, however, the scenario where First Class equipped aircraft begin to show up in advance of us offering a First Class product on these aircraft will be a common one. Here are a few good things to know during this interim period:
Also worth noting, within the next few months, we will also be adding Economy Plus to our Q400 fleet. We’ll keep you posted on any changes as we progress through the remainder of the fleet.
Shannon Kelly
Director, Customer Insights
United Airlines
As promised a few months back, we’ve begun the process of adding First Class to our Colgan-operated Q400 fleet. The first aircraft was introduced earlier this week (N323NG, aircraft 821). We expect to be complete with this retrofit by late next summer, and will be focusing on one aircraft base at a time, with northeast-based aircraft as our first priority. As each base is completed, or close to it, we will introduce the First Class product on these aircraft and begin selling First Class in the advance period. Until then, however, the scenario where First Class equipped aircraft begin to show up in advance of us offering a First Class product on these aircraft will be a common one. Here are a few good things to know during this interim period:
- All flights will be sold as a single cabin (Economy Class) aircraft. During this interim period we won’t yet have First Class service on these flights. Although some aircraft will have the First Class seats, you can expect Economy Class standards for food, beverage, and service to apply.
- Before check-in, seat maps on both reconfigured and non-reconfigured aircraft will be treated the same. Specifically, this means some seats in the first few rows will disappear from the advance seat map to ensure we minimize re-seating complications. It also means seats in these rows will show up as Economy preferred seating and Economy Extra Legroom seats. If you're able to snag a seat in rows 1, 2 or 3 and a reconfigured aircraft is assigned to your flight during this interim period, you will get to enjoy the larger seat.
- Upgrades will not be applicable until we begin selling First Class on these flights. In this interim period, when we will be treating these seats as preferred and extra legroom seats, First Class upgrades will not apply. This includes mileage reward upgrades, complimentary Elite upgrades, instant Elite upgrades and revenue buy-up upgrades.
- Beware of pre-assigning into rows 1, 2, or 3 too far in advance. If you pre-assign into row 1, 2 or 3, prior to us offering First Class on these flights, and we then subsequently introduce First Class, we’ll do our best to reaccomodate you to a comparable preferred Economy Class seat. These logistics are still being worked out, but wanted to make sure you were aware.
Shannon Kelly
Director, Customer Insights
United Airlines
Last edited by UA Insider; Dec 24, 2011 at 8:41 am Reason: typo
Dec 22, 2011, 10:48 pm
#3
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Austin
Programs: CO Plat, Hertz Gold, Hilton & Avis Gold, Starwood Gold
Posts: 62
Hi Everyone,
As promised a few months back, we’ve begun the process of adding First Class to our Colgan-operated Q400 fleet. The first aircraft was introduced earlier this week (N323NG, aircraft 821). We expect to be complete with this retrofit by late next summer, and will be focusing on one aircraft base at a time, with northeast-based aircraft as our first priority. As each base is completed, or close to it, we will introduce the First Class product on these aircraft and begin selling First Class in the advance period. Until then, however, the scenario where First Class equipped aircraft begin to show up in advance of us offering a First Class product on these aircraft will be a common one. Here are a few good things to know during this interim period:
Also worth noting, within the next few months, we will also be adding Economy Plus to our Q400 fleet. We’ll keep you posted on any changes as we progress through the remainder of the fleet.
Shannon Kelly
Director, Customer Insights
United Airlines
As promised a few months back, we’ve begun the process of adding First Class to our Colgan-operated Q400 fleet. The first aircraft was introduced earlier this week (N323NG, aircraft 821). We expect to be complete with this retrofit by late next summer, and will be focusing on one aircraft base at a time, with northeast-based aircraft as our first priority. As each base is completed, or close to it, we will introduce the First Class product on these aircraft and begin selling First Class in the advance period. Until then, however, the scenario where First Class equipped aircraft begin to show up in advance of us offering a First Class product on these aircraft will be a common one. Here are a few good things to know during this interim period:
- All flights will be sold as a single cabin (Economy Class) aircraft. During this interim period we won’t yet have First Class service on these flights. Although some aircraft will have the First Class seats, you can expect Economy Class standards for food, beverage, and service to apply.
- Before check-in, seat maps on both reconfigured and non-reconfigured aircraft will be treated the same. Specifically, this means some seats in the first few rows will disappear from the advance seat map to ensure we minimize re-seating complications. It also means seats in these rows will show up as Economy preferred seating and Economy Extra Legroom seats. If you're able to snag a seat in rows 1, 2 or 3 and a reconfigured aircraft is assigned to your flight during this interim period, you will get to enjoy the larger seat.
- Upgrades will not be applicable until we begin selling First Class on these flights. In this interim period, when we will be treating these seats as preferred and extra legroom seats, First Class upgrades will not apply. This includes mileage reward upgrades, complimentary Elite upgrades, instant Elite upgrades and revenue buy-up upgrades.
- Beware or pre-assigning into rows 1, 2, or 3 too far in advance. If you pre-assign into row 1, 2 or 3, prior to us offering First Class on these flights, and we then subsequently introduce First Class, we’ll do our best to reaccomodate you to a comparable preferred Economy Class seat. These logistics are still being worked out, but wanted to make sure you were aware.
Shannon Kelly
Director, Customer Insights
United Airlines
Last edited by l etoile; Dec 23, 2011 at 11:43 am Reason: Inappropriate comments removed per TOS
Dec 22, 2011, 10:51 pm
#4
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: SoCal
Programs: UA Plat, National Exec Elite
Posts: 833
Dec 22, 2011, 10:55 pm
#5
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: SJC
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 609
Dec 22, 2011, 11:46 pm
#7
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: DAL
Programs: UA 1K AA EXP
Posts: 632
Geesh 
. I have flown on many of these Colgan Q400s and the crews have been some of the best I have seen overall on CO including mainline. They are usually happy and very nice. They have always done a beverage service between DAL and IAH^^^ So much better than lazy a$$ Skywest F/As which have NEVER done a beverage service between DAL and IAH. ExpressJet also does beverage service, but from my experience Colgan Q400 F/As act happier.
I kind of attribute the cheerful attitude of Colgan Q400 F/As because they are so happy to not be on the Saab's anymore.
. I have flown on many of these Colgan Q400s and the crews have been some of the best I have seen overall on CO including mainline. They are usually happy and very nice. They have always done a beverage service between DAL and IAH^^^ So much better than lazy a$$ Skywest F/As which have NEVER done a beverage service between DAL and IAH. ExpressJet also does beverage service, but from my experience Colgan Q400 F/As act happier. I kind of attribute the cheerful attitude of Colgan Q400 F/As because they are so happy to not be on the Saab's anymore.
Last edited by l etoile; Dec 23, 2011 at 11:46 am Reason: Quote edited per TOS
Dec 23, 2011, 12:00 am
#8
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Northeast Kansas | Colorado Native
Programs: Amex Gold/Plat, UA *G, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott LT Gold, NEXUS, TSA Disparager Unobtanium
Posts: 21,603
Thanks for the update Shannon. I'm sure those that don't mind flying Clgan will enjoy the F seats...
lgan will enjoy the F seats...
Dec 23, 2011, 7:10 am
#9
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: A menace to everything in the sky. Yes. Even birds.
Programs: Eh+ Rapid Rolleyes
Posts: 14,519
UA Insider, thanks for the update on the Q retrofits.
As someone who gets frequently abused by CoCo, there are often weight and balance issues on these planes. Just curious how Colgan plans to operate and sell an F and E+ cabin when invariably everyone is forced to sit behind the wing.
When this happens, will these be treated as downgrades?
If I may, I'd also like to suggest a further enhancements to the Q fleet -- cancel the contract with Colgan.
ETA: someone on your side could easily look at my OP account and see where I've flown other Star Alliance carriers (and credited to OP) on routes where Colgan operated aircraft directly compete and crunch some numbers to quantify known lost business. The addition of E+ and F will not change that ratio going forward. I don't mind props at all. But I do mind Colgan.
And with the NE Regional now getting wi-fi, there's fixin' to be more lost business in the very profitable NE corridor, from at least me.
As someone who gets frequently abused by CoCo, there are often weight and balance issues on these planes. Just curious how Colgan plans to operate and sell an F and E+ cabin when invariably everyone is forced to sit behind the wing.
When this happens, will these be treated as downgrades?
If I may, I'd also like to suggest a further enhancements to the Q fleet -- cancel the contract with Colgan.
ETA: someone on your side could easily look at my OP account and see where I've flown other Star Alliance carriers (and credited to OP) on routes where Colgan operated aircraft directly compete and crunch some numbers to quantify known lost business. The addition of E+ and F will not change that ratio going forward. I don't mind props at all. But I do mind Colgan.
And with the NE Regional now getting wi-fi, there's fixin' to be more lost business in the very profitable NE corridor, from at least me.
Last edited by belynch; Dec 23, 2011 at 7:50 am Reason: CoCo abuses me.
Dec 23, 2011, 7:10 am
#10
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: ATL
Programs: UA 3.6 MM, Marriott Lifetime Plat
Posts: 2,582
Who will be flying the airplanes is actually now a pretty good question given that the FAA is raising crew rest requirements with Colgan as the posterchild for putting exhausted crew into the cockpit http://www.faa.gov/news/press_releas...m?newsId=11839
Dec 23, 2011, 8:35 am
#11
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: SEA
Programs: UA AS DL Hyatt SPG/Bonvoy HHonors
Posts: 2,008
This is a great development, and I hope that Y+ follows quickly.
Since the economics of 50-seat RJs means they are going to be disappearing, hope the better economics of Q400's will mean service can be preserved.
Since the economics of 50-seat RJs means they are going to be disappearing, hope the better economics of Q400's will mean service can be preserved.
Dec 23, 2011, 9:06 am
#12
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: ATL
Programs: UA 3.6 MM, Marriott Lifetime Plat
Posts: 2,582
Economics of the Q400s? Remember you get what you pay for and Colgan has already shown me that its an operational disaster. 2/3 of my flights on them they are horribly delayed, weight and balance issues, and its only going to get worse now that the FAA wont allow them to work their crews to the absolute limit. They already had crew staffing issues when pilot rest periods were shorter. The problem is CO management infatuated with the low CASM that Colgan achieves through slave labor and CO ignores the high associated costs of a poorly performing contract carrier-misconnects, cancellations etc.
Dec 23, 2011, 9:07 am
#13
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Programs: UA 1K 1MMer & LT UC (when flying UA); Hyatt Credit Cardist; HHonors Diamond; Marriott Gold via UA 1K
Posts: 6,956
Edited because I realized I was looking at the seat map for the wrong RJ leg!
Thanks, Shannon. I went into my reservation for January 16, and I see that I am still in 2C. I presume that I will stay in 2C regardless of whether or not the aircraft assigned to my flight has been retrofitted?
Thanks, Shannon. I went into my reservation for January 16, and I see that I am still in 2C. I presume that I will stay in 2C regardless of whether or not the aircraft assigned to my flight has been retrofitted?
Dec 23, 2011, 9:12 am
#14
Join Date: May 2009
Location: PHL
Posts: 2,842
UA Insider, thanks for the update on the Q retrofits.
As someone who gets frequently abused by CoCo, there are often weight and balance issues on these planes. Just curious how Colgan plans to operate and sell an F and E+ cabin when invariably everyone is forced to sit behind the wing.
When this happens, will these be treated as downgrades?
As someone who gets frequently abused by CoCo, there are often weight and balance issues on these planes. Just curious how Colgan plans to operate and sell an F and E+ cabin when invariably everyone is forced to sit behind the wing.
When this happens, will these be treated as downgrades?
Dec 23, 2011, 9:18 am
#15
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: SAN
Programs: AA EP 2MM; AS 75k; UA PP 2MM
Posts: 94
Q400 good plane to begin with
I've done IAD-PIT on Q400 and have admired how new, clean, and spacious. It seems that seat pitch is already E+ standard. While I typically "reserve" seat in rows 1-4, I instinctively head to rear of plane in anticipation of weight/balance request.