Aug 17, 2013, 10:44 am

FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides

Updates to Wiki as of 20 January 2014

Planned changes in aircraft by date and route:

SFO -- SYD: first 772 departs SFO 27 March; turns to 840 at SYD on 29 March

LAX -- SYD: first 772 departs LAX 29 March; turn off 840-29th.

NRT -- ORD: First 744 departs NRT 27 March (aircraft turn at ORD to PVG and FRA in succession the day following arrival from NRT)
ORD -- NRT: First 744 departs ORD 31 March

ORD -- PVG: First 744 departs ORD 28 March
PVG -- ORD: First 744 departs PVG 29 March

ORD -- FRA: First 744 departs ORD 29 March
FRA -- ORD: First 744 departs FRA 30 March

NRT -- SFO: 852 to operate with 772 27 March through 31 March inclusive (772 coming out of rotation)

Or, you can just go look at the good work here (note that info posted above differs from AIRLINEROUTE info dated 4 January 2014 and before):

http://airlineroute.net/2013/08/17/ua-s14update1/

Or, straight to the source if you want to do your own research:

http://www.oag.com/Global

[Confirmed] SYD going UA 3 Cabin 777 in 2014 [and other 747 route changes]

Closed Thread Subscribe

Thread Tools

Search this Thread

Aug 16, 2013, 9:59 am

#271

EWR764

Join Date: Jan 2005

Location: New York, NY

Programs: UA, AA, DL, Hertz, Avis, National, Hyatt, Hilton, SPG, Marriott

Posts: 9,447

Quote:

Originally Posted by uastarflyer

Same with sending 747s back to ORD so soon after making a big deal if consolidating them at SFO. Laser sharp planning skills.

Right?

UAL invested several million dollars over the past eighteen months in various life extension and reliability-improving mods to the 747 fleet. This work was carried out in PEK and SFO, to my understanding. At this point, the airline may feel more comfortable with the dispatch reliability of the fleet to deploy it elsewhere, as we are expected to see next year.

I'm not sure if they actually intended to move the 747s out of SFO so quickly, but at least they feel as though they can do so without major operational repercussions. They also may have seen a decrease in customer satisfaction with the 747's abysmal Y product replacing the much more pleasant 777 on a number of lucrative transpac routes from SFO.

Quote:

Originally Posted by golfingboy

Forget sentimentalism, you will be seeing HNL more than you would like. Maybe FedEx should expand their HNL-SYD route to take on the excess cargo that UA will be leaving behind.

This has been stated over and over, but the 777 actually has a larger freight volume than the 744. This move is about skimming the lower-yield pax off UAL airplanes, not cargo.

Aug 16, 2013, 10:50 am

#272

Pat89339

Moderator: Mileage Run, United Airlines; FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Jan 2004

Location: The City/Honolulu

Programs: UA 3MM; Hyatt Glob*****; Hilton Diamond

Posts: 14,473

I'll miss the upper deck on the 747 to SYD/MEL, but if my W fare won't clear it'll be a marginally better experience in Y, I guess...

Aug 16, 2013, 11:24 am

#273

mduell

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: May 2007

Location: Houston

Programs: UA Plat, Marriott Gold

Posts: 12,691

United B744 on time performance has improved a little bit, but they're still really lagging Delta 744 on time performance.

Code:

   Month    | UA OTP | DL OTP | UA - DL
------------+--------+--------+---------
 2012-08-01 |     60 |     83 |     -23
 2012-09-01 |     64 |     80 |     -16
 2012-10-01 |     66 |     83 |     -17
 2012-11-01 |     66 |     85 |     -19
 2012-12-01 |     60 |     81 |     -21
 2013-01-01 |     77 |     86 |     -9
 2013-02-01 |     76 |     84 |     -8
 2013-03-01 |     68 |     82 |     -14
 2013-04-01 |     67 |     80 |     -13
 2013-05-01 |     74 |     85 |     -11
 2013-06-01 |     69 |     84 |     -15
 2013-07-01 |     67 |     85 |     -18
 2013-08-01 |     75 |     90 |     -15

Aug 16, 2013, 12:34 pm

#274

Always Flyin

Join Date: Jan 2000

Location: London; Bangkok; Las Vegas

Programs: AA Exec Plat; UA MM Gold; Marriott Lifetime Titanium; Hilton Diamond

Posts: 8,745

Quote:

Originally Posted by goingbananas

A lot...lot..lot less....

Whew! Thanks for clearing up my confusion!

Aug 16, 2013, 2:10 pm

#275

Infinite1K

Join Date: Apr 2010

Programs: AA PP, UA 1K/MM, WoH Globalist, HH Gold

Posts: 1,195

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pi7473000

United will likely drop off of this route if they change to an outdated PMCO 777. The 777 in BF is awful and not a competitive aircraft for this route not to mention the PMCO crews that might fly this are not nearly as service oriented!

Didn't Tom Stuker earn a fair bit of his miles flying F on the LAX-SYD route?

Wonder if he would give up his F seat on a 747 for a BF seat on a pmCO 777?

Aug 16, 2013, 2:18 pm

#276

pigx5

Join Date: Aug 2006

Location: US

Programs: AA/UA/DL

Posts: 2,773

Quote:

Originally Posted by EWR764

This has been stated over and over, but the 777 actually has a larger freight volume than the 744. This move is about skimming the lower-yield pax off UAL airplanes, not cargo.

However, it seems that every time UA changes to a smaller aircraft on many routes, they drive away more HVFs than skimming the lower-yield pax.

Aug 16, 2013, 2:19 pm

#277

DaviddesJ

Suspended

Join Date: May 2011

Location: SFO

Programs: UA 1K

Posts: 1,961

Quote:

Originally Posted by pigx5

However, it seems that every time UA changes to a smaller aircraft on many routes, they drive away more HVFs than skimming the lower-yield pax.

Does it seem that way to you, based on reading FT, or does it seem that way to them, based on the actual data that they possess and you don't?

Aug 16, 2013, 3:32 pm

#278

uastarflyer

A FlyerTalk Posting Legend

Join Date: Aug 2003

Programs: UA 1K 1MM (finally!), IHG AMB-Spire, HH Diamond

Posts: 60,169

Quote:

Originally Posted by pigx5

Quote:

Originally Posted by EWR764

This has been stated over and over, but the 777 actually has a larger freight volume than the 744. This move is about skimming the lower-yield pax off UAL airplanes, not cargo.

However, it seems that every time UA changes to a smaller aircraft on many routes, they drive away more HVFs than skimming the lower-yield pax.

In this case though they are preserving 3 class service comparable to the 744.

When they replaced 744 with 737 HKg-SIN they skimmed from the top and bottom. That is why that little experiment was shelved.

Aug 16, 2013, 3:59 pm

#279

cesco.g

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Oct 1999

Posts: 11,468

Quote:

Originally Posted by uastarflyer

In this case though they are preserving 3 class service comparable to the 744.

um, eh. wasn't this supposed to be the pmCO 777 2-class taking the 744 spot?
unless Y+ is now the new third class?
Or am I missing something?

Aug 16, 2013, 4:25 pm

#280

kevanyalowitz

Join Date: Mar 2002

Location: SEA, WAS, PEK

Programs: UA 3K UGS 3MM

Posts: 2,176

Quote:

Originally Posted by cesco.g

um, eh. wasn't this supposed to be the pmCO 777 2-class taking the 744 spot?
unless Y+ is now the new third class?
Or am I missing something?

It's a pmUA 3-cabin 777 ^

Aug 16, 2013, 4:27 pm

#281

nova08

Join Date: May 2009

Location: PHL

Posts: 2,842

Well, while we are projecting these changes UA has announced on FB that they will have a new 787 route next spring.

Aug 16, 2013, 4:47 pm

#282

JOSECONLSCREW28

Join Date: Aug 2009

Location: EWR, BDL

Posts: 4,471

Quote:

Originally Posted by nova08

Well, while we are projecting these changes UA has announced on FB that they will have a new 787 route next spring.

That 787 route is SFO - KIX.

Aug 16, 2013, 4:59 pm

#283

colpuck

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Jul 2007

Location: DFW

Programs: UA Pleb, HH Gold, PWP General Secretary

Posts: 23,199

I just can't get excited about 2-4-2 business class on LAX-SYD. Looks like I either redeem for F or fly another carrier.

Aug 16, 2013, 5:08 pm

#284

uastarflyer

A FlyerTalk Posting Legend

Join Date: Aug 2003

Programs: UA 1K 1MM (finally!), IHG AMB-Spire, HH Diamond

Posts: 60,169

Quote:

Originally Posted by colpuck

I just can't get excited about 2-4-2 business class on LAX-SYD. Looks like I either redeem for F or fly another carrier.

You only noticed this configuration today? It has been in place (on LAX-SYD) for about 3-4 years.

Edit to add route. As if that wasn't obvious.

Last edited by uastarflyer; Aug 16, 2013 at 5:15 pm

Aug 16, 2013, 5:44 pm

#285

UA-NYC

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Apr 2008

Location: LGA/JFK/EWR

Programs: UA 1K1.75MM, Hyatt Globalist, abandoned Marriott LTT (RIP SPG), Hertz PC

Posts: 21,167

Quote:

Originally Posted by colpuck

I just can't get excited about 2-4-2 business class on LAX-SYD. Looks like I either redeem for F or fly another carrier.

Why? 75% of the C seats are perfectly fine. Just stay away from the middle 10 and you're good to go.