Feb 20, 2014, 8:54 am
Last edit by: JOSECONLSCREW28
LAX-MEL on the new 787-9, 6x weekly
SYD-MEL-SYD tag-on is being dropped.
The 789 is sCO, delivery expected in the summer.
UA options to Australia will now be:
SFO-SYD - 3-class sUA 777
LAX-SYD - 3-class sUA 777
LAX-MEL - sCO 2-class 789 with 48J/88Y+/116Y 252 seats total
GUM-CNS - sCO 2-class 738 (2x per week)
LAX - MEL schedule:
98 LAX - MEL (will not operate on Tuesdays)
10:30p 9:15a+2 1545 (Except Thursday)
9:30p 8:15a+2 1545 (Thursdays Only)
(Operated by a 789 on Sundays, Thursdays, & Saturdays)
(Operated by a 788 on Mondays, Wednesdays, & Fridays)
99 MEL - LAX (will not operate on Thursdays)
11:15a 6:50a 1435 (Except Saturday)
3:15p 10:50a 1435 (Saturdays Only)
(Operated by a 789 on Mondays, Tuesdays, & Saturdays)
(Operated by a 788 on Sundays, Wednesdays, & Fridays)
SYD-MEL-SYD tag-on is being dropped.
The 789 is sCO, delivery expected in the summer.
UA options to Australia will now be:
SFO-SYD - 3-class sUA 777
LAX-SYD - 3-class sUA 777
LAX-MEL - sCO 2-class 789 with 48J/88Y+/116Y 252 seats total
GUM-CNS - sCO 2-class 738 (2x per week)
LAX - MEL schedule:
98 LAX - MEL (will not operate on Tuesdays)
10:30p 9:15a+2 1545 (Except Thursday)
9:30p 8:15a+2 1545 (Thursdays Only)
(Operated by a 789 on Sundays, Thursdays, & Saturdays)
(Operated by a 788 on Mondays, Wednesdays, & Fridays)
99 MEL - LAX (will not operate on Thursdays)
11:15a 6:50a 1435 (Except Saturday)
3:15p 10:50a 1435 (Saturdays Only)
(Operated by a 789 on Mondays, Tuesdays, & Saturdays)
(Operated by a 788 on Sundays, Wednesdays, & Fridays)
UA to Start LAX-MEL (787-9) Service, Effective 26-Oct-2014
Feb 20, 2014, 12:39 am
#106
Join Date: Aug 1999
Location: Australia
Posts: 2,817
Are the J seats on the 787 the same as on the 747s.
Feb 20, 2014, 1:35 am
#108
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Sydney, Australia
Programs: Virgin Aus Platinum; UA 1K; Sofitel Platinum (A-Club); Marriott Platinum; Hilton Gold / Premium Club
Posts: 490
Did anyone notice how much the crew rest is reduced on this? Currently UA fa's arrive on day 1 early am, have day 2 off (or fly Mel), return day 3 arvo. Now they only have 24hrs of rest??? (Ie arrive day 1 / depart day 2.....)
Feb 20, 2014, 1:39 am
#109
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: EWR, BDL
Posts: 4,472
DAY 1: LAX - MEL
Day 2:
Day 3: ARV MEL
Day 4: MEL - LAX.
Also the SYD - MEL - SYD is ending as well.
Some days the layover will be extended by a few hours.
CO FAs also do have some longer layovers. Example if an EWR - Europe flight isn't daily then the crew will have an extended layover.
Last edited by JOSECONLSCREW28; Feb 20, 2014 at 1:54 am
Feb 20, 2014, 1:52 am
#110
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: MEL
Programs: VAG
Posts: 1,865
I see I'm late to this thread to be expressing this sentiment, but I am nonetheless disappointed that it's MEL-LAX instead of MEL-SFO. MEL-SFO would have given UA a genuine competitive advantage: no goddamn LAX.
On MEL-LAX they're just competing with two airlines which are significantly better in every class.
Also, regardless of what a flat map would have you believe, MEL-SFO is actually shorter than MEL-LAX by about 60 miles.
Oh well, as a frequent passenger on MEL-SFO I suppose I should be happy as this means I won't be tempted to go back to flying UA
On MEL-LAX they're just competing with two airlines which are significantly better in every class.
Also, regardless of what a flat map would have you believe, MEL-SFO is actually shorter than MEL-LAX by about 60 miles.
Oh well, as a frequent passenger on MEL-SFO I suppose I should be happy as this means I won't be tempted to go back to flying UA
Feb 20, 2014, 1:53 am
#111
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Sydney, Australia
Programs: Virgin Aus Platinum; UA 1K; Sofitel Platinum (A-Club); Marriott Platinum; Hilton Gold / Premium Club
Posts: 490
Very interesting to see the different flying conditions between the two groups - no wonder they have no agreement!!
http://www.unitedafa.org/contract/ne...ison/chart.pdf
How do the sCO FAs do it? So little rest! Is the same true for pilots??
http://www.unitedafa.org/contract/ne...ison/chart.pdf
How do the sCO FAs do it? So little rest! Is the same true for pilots??
Feb 20, 2014, 4:27 am
#112
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Programs: United 1k
Posts: 133
Everyone complaining about this is unbelievable.
It is a non stop flight to the US from Melbourne. It is a 787. It is Continental Business First, which is MUCH nicer than United Business. It is plenty more business seats back to Australian. The planes get into LAX nice, bright and early, giving you a proper day in LA and much better connections to the East of the USA. Finally, immigration to the US an be rubbish at any airport, it is the luck of the draw.
This new service is all good.
It is a non stop flight to the US from Melbourne. It is a 787. It is Continental Business First, which is MUCH nicer than United Business. It is plenty more business seats back to Australian. The planes get into LAX nice, bright and early, giving you a proper day in LA and much better connections to the East of the USA. Finally, immigration to the US an be rubbish at any airport, it is the luck of the draw.
This new service is all good.
Feb 20, 2014, 4:34 am
#113
Join Date: May 2007
Location: variously: PVG, SFO, LHR
Programs: AA ExPlat, UA 1MM Gold, Hyatt Glob, Marriott Plat, IHG Plat, HH Gold
Posts: 1,678
That's sort of a fatuous thing to say in itself, no? How about letting other have diverging opinions without resorting to constant rebukes of FT and it's members when they fail to uphold absolute praise for any announcements from the company makes? It's unnecessary.
Yeah San Francisco is known for all their theme parks (disneyland, seaworld, california adventure, magic mountain, knotts berry farm, universal studios..etc), hollywood blvd, all the major tourist attractions of america, celebrity stalking tours, etc. Regardless of anyone's opinion, more people visit LA than SF. So it makes a LOT of sense UA would fly LAX-MEL vs SFO-MEL.
Feb 20, 2014, 5:20 am
#114
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Houston
Programs: UA GS 2.6MM & Lifetime UC, Qantas Platinum, Hilton Lifetime Diamond, Bonvoy Platinum, HawaiianMiles
Posts: 8,767
Everyone complaining about this is unbelievable.
It is a non stop flight to the US from Melbourne. It is a 787. It is Continental Business First, which is MUCH nicer than United Business. It is plenty more business seats back to Australian. The planes get into LAX nice, bright and early, giving you a proper day in LA and much better connections to the East of the USA. Finally, immigration to the US an be rubbish at any airport, it is the luck of the draw.
This new service is all good.
It is a non stop flight to the US from Melbourne. It is a 787. It is Continental Business First, which is MUCH nicer than United Business. It is plenty more business seats back to Australian. The planes get into LAX nice, bright and early, giving you a proper day in LA and much better connections to the East of the USA. Finally, immigration to the US an be rubbish at any airport, it is the luck of the draw.
This new service is all good.
Feb 20, 2014, 5:24 am
#115
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: London; Bangkok; Las Vegas
Programs: AA Exec Plat; UA MM Gold; Marriott Lifetime Titanium; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 8,752
What I hate about international at LAX is connecting. There's the confusing path to follow when exiting arrivals and getting back to domestic connections, going outside, then trying to find an escalator or elevator up to the departures level. Granted, it's been 2 years since I made an international connection at LAX, so maybe that's finally improved, but if you're connecting, LAX isn't as much fun.
Agreed 100%. It's the customs backup that is the real problem because it also affects Global Entry members. I don't know why the GE experience isn't made more consistent, since there are some airports that allow 'fast track' or 'front of the line' privileges also at customs.
My unwillingness to go through immigration/customs in LAX is the only reason I ever still fly UA, for the LAS-SFO route on the ends of my TPACs.
My unwillingness to go through immigration/customs in LAX is the only reason I ever still fly UA, for the LAS-SFO route on the ends of my TPACs.
United has its own customs and immigration facility in T7. There will be no dealing with the Bradley Terminal. Rare is the time when there is even another flight arriving at the same time. I have never had an issue promptly clearing customs and immigration at LAX T7.
There are separate Global Entry lines for customs in T7 and in the Bradley Terminal.
Connecting to domestic flights? Immediately at the exit from customs, inside the terminal, is an escalator up to departures. Couldn't be much easier.
I am not a huge fan of the Bradley Terminal, but it beats the heck out of IAD.
It will so extremely overcrowded. You will stuck at immigrations. You don't want to get any problem. I think they will be at Tom Bradley International Terminal.
Feb 20, 2014, 5:51 am
#116
Join Date: Jun 2008
Programs: TK*G (E+), IHG Plat Ambassador
Posts: 7,884
Feb 20, 2014, 6:46 am
#117
Moderator, Omni, Omni/PR, Omni/Games, FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Between DCA and IAD
Programs: UA 1K MM; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 67,254
Yeah San Francisco is known for all their theme parks (disneyland, seaworld, california adventure, magic mountain, knotts berry farm, universal studios..etc), hollywood blvd, all the major tourist attractions of america, celebrity stalking tours, etc. Regardless of anyone's opinion, more people visit LA than SF. So it makes a LOT of sense UA would fly LAX-MEL vs SFO-MEL.
Feb 20, 2014, 7:45 am
#118
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: LAX,SNA,SAN
Programs: UA GS, Marriott LP, Hertz Gold
Posts: 861
No way will UA ever not consider LAX as a major hub with Asia and South Pacific in the picture. LAX has become the battle ground airport in the west. SEA is starting to be a battleground airport as well but LAX is a major player for DL,AA,UA.
Feb 20, 2014, 7:50 am
#119
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: SF Bay Area
Programs: None - previously UA
Posts: 4,901
Btw, the 787 seats are marginally wider than the 744 seats by 1/3rd of an inch. I'm assuming you'll get more than 3" of addl E+ space though, nevermind a new interior and AVOD finally. 17" is the industry norm, even carriers like EK are doing it and well nobody complains about the comfort on a 10-abreast EK 77W.
Last edited by escapefromphl; Feb 20, 2014 at 7:55 am