why does UA continue to fly those abysmal 763s to South America?
Mar 14, 2012, 1:33 am
#16
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 10,222
Is there any information about why United continues to fly these abysmal 777s to South America? I had prepared my husband today for his flight (using my SWUs) to Lima, Peru from Houston. I told him it was referred to as the Ghetto Bird on Flyertalk. He got on the plane and emailed to say that the terminology was overly generous. With LAN offering flat-bed seats, why does UA fly these outrageously old aircraft? The first class section does not even have footrests!! Any insight on United's plans here? I fly frequently to Lima, and am considering my next flight on LAN.
Mar 14, 2012, 8:11 am
#17
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Join Date: Apr 2008
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The ps aircraft are to be fitted with 28 lie-flat C seats. That's still less premium seats that today, and there will be a lot more Y seats, so upgrades will be tougher, but it won't be only 12 seats. Even CO's 752's used for transatlantic ops have 16 F seats aft of door 2L, and I believe they will use the same seating on the reconfigured ps birds.
No idea how many BF seats will go into the 2-class 763s but there's no reason to believe it will be much less than in today's 3-class 763s.
No idea how many BF seats will go into the 2-class 763s but there's no reason to believe it will be much less than in today's 3-class 763s.
Mar 14, 2012, 8:21 am
#18
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: USA
Posts: 1,812
Not true. I was on this flight once in a 73x (can't remember which version it was), but this was back in 2006 or 2007.
Mar 14, 2012, 8:47 am
#19
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: Denver, Colorado, USA
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Posts: 3,335
As it goes, the Houston-Lima flight isn't that long. It's only 6:35 IAH-LIM, less than DEN-HNL, also a 763, at 7:37. International, yes, but really not unbearably long with that configuration.
Mar 14, 2012, 9:14 am
#20
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: IAH
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I haven't seen any speculation on what the 2-class BF-equipped 763s might end up with for a seat quantity configuration.
They managed to squeeze 39 of the BF pods into the reconfigured 764s; it will depend on how much distance there is between the doors on the 763s.
EDIT: In doing a little research, I discovered that the 763s come in configurations with either (a) two sets of doors forward of the wings and without overwing exits, or (b) only one set of forward doors and overwing exits. It appears that UA's 763s are the latter type, meaning they have a bit more flexibility in the interior layout (they're not having to fight against that other forward door). I should think they'd be able to get 5 or 6 rows of pods (either 25 or 30 seats) in without much difficulty.
They managed to squeeze 39 of the BF pods into the reconfigured 764s; it will depend on how much distance there is between the doors on the 763s.
EDIT: In doing a little research, I discovered that the 763s come in configurations with either (a) two sets of doors forward of the wings and without overwing exits, or (b) only one set of forward doors and overwing exits. It appears that UA's 763s are the latter type, meaning they have a bit more flexibility in the interior layout (they're not having to fight against that other forward door). I should think they'd be able to get 5 or 6 rows of pods (either 25 or 30 seats) in without much difficulty.
Last edited by SeaRaptor; Mar 14, 2012 at 9:39 am