DXjr

This article states DCA, and doing a quick search results in:

5249 ORD-DCA 1105 1354
5249 DCA-ORD 1442 1548

They aren't called the E-180 for nothing.

txp

It seems as though in the past few years, at least from IAH, UA has decided to not compete on routes between a UA hub (IAH) and the hub of another airline.

Examples: IAH-DFW used to be mainline, now only RJ so I fly AA on that route which still has mainline md-88 jets.

IAH-ATL only RJs, all the 737 gone. DL has a large number of mainline flights a day and the F fare could be as low as $550 RT, this one isn't even a close call.

IAH-MSP used to have a few mainline flights per day, now all RJs, DL still flies mainline jets.

LASUA1K

As you have said before, problem with Express, UA employees are quick to point out that it is not United.

My past is proof, when things go wrong, either cancelled, bag lost, UA blames the Express. I had UA give me Skywest phone number in the past, when they lost my bag... Really? UA just washes there hands and walks away when it's an Express "problem".

FlyingNut724

In my experience the Barbie jets are likely to get cancelled because of weather at the drop of a hat. The last time I tried to fly a barbie jet home was DEN-EGE. It started snowing and the flight was cancelled. When I drove the rental car to EGE to pick up my own car parked at EGE, the AA 757s and DL 757s had just arrived.

kettle1

Why does UA not make every domestic flt express? Less costs, no blame. UA did not screw this up - Express did. Lower costs.

UA had these Skywest planes designed to UA "standards" - correct? How or why did DL set their "standards" to a higher level, also on Skywest planes? No meal on a 4 hour flt in FC? That is a complete joke. I'll say it, is this Texas Think? Even Lorenzo provided meals on a 4 hour flt. Hell, I had meal service on 1-1/2 hour flts in the past. UA has turned into a complete joke.

Again, just let Express take over all domestic flts and everyone will be happy, except the customer. At least when I book on Frontier, Spirit or Allegiant I know what I am getting. Come on UA!

TravellingMan

Back to flying United briefly after a 3 month break. Nothing has improved. Glad there were no delays or cancellations.

I think the game plan is as follows:

Year 2014: Start moving hub-hub travel to RJs too.
Year 2018: No more domestic mainline. All RJs flown by express carriers.
Year 2020: No more international mainline. Move this to * Alliance partners or even better SkyWest to operate the 737 fleet. Anything that does not fit a 737 will take a stopover.
Vision 2020: United successfully transforms from an airline with physical assets to a marketing entity. No more pesky employees and their Unions; hard assets are for losers
Year 2022: Chase takes over United as it helps to cultivate HVC by throwing them a bone.

demkr

Well, atleast as of now, it appears no meal is to be served in F on the 1589 flight. When the switchover happened from A319-> E175 meal went from "Lunch" to "None" and "Dinner" to "None."

Starvation-friendly.

Kacee

Not me.

SFO: Andale Friendly.

MSP: Axel's Bonfire Friendly.

Or more likely, whatever DL serves me

tealeaf99

I think there is a lot of truth in that statement.

My monthly SFO-MSP is now going to DL. I will not tolerate a barbie jet on this route regardless of increased frequency, increased number of F seats, etc. I have had enough UA barbie jet delays and cancellations over the past few months.

DXjr

There's no difference in the minimums (which are VERY high, by the way) to get into EGE between mainline or regional. Where there IS a difference, is timing. The ATL and DFW flights will already have been airborne before the planning even started on the DEN-EGE flight. Thus, since it's a short flight, the DEN-EGE flight will have one of two things stacked against it; namely, a weather forecast that doesn't allow the flight to depart, or the current weather at the airport is below minimums, which doesn't allow the flight to depart.

In your case, it's highly probable that a new forecast came out that would have prevented departure for several hours, so to keep the schedule, the only logical choice was to cancel this EGE flight.

GoAmtrak

This is really sad. Since the merger, SFO-MSP has alternated between 319s and 737-700s. In-flight service from both sides of the house and in both cabins has been generally great (I can recall one curt FA ever on this route). I like SkyWest folks, too. But on a human level, it's a gut-punch to see this flying taken away from mainline.

Schedule-wise, yeah, it's nice of UA to join the party with more than one frequency. An intermediate third flight would be helpful, too. More than anything, the aforementioned reliability issues with UX make this service unproven. I wouldn't want to book it until some operational precedent is established.

Service-wise, especially on the longer westbound flight in the evening, the loss of dinner in F will be a real loss. After a full day in MSP, on a four-hour flight the snack box doesn't cut it. Pickings in Y will be especially slim. What else will be enhanced? No more IFE of any kind. No wi-fi (vs. the 319). Power ports in F only (vs. the 737). Yes, upgrades might become easier (though not a given), and the lack of middle seats is nice. Leave it to UA to take an aircraft as nice as the E-series and make it as much of a forgettable commodity as possible.

On the whole, this just smacks of the smallball-friendly approach we've come to expect from current management. Maybe LAX-MSP will at least be upgauged from the CR7s one day.

As I mentioned recently, Sun Country is looking better and better every day. (Full disclosure, a DL-alum family member just started working there and couldn't be happier.)

DBCme

This could get messy. Regionals flying winter months SFO-MSP? Have your Plan B ready when your flight cancels or re-directed due to weather.

EWR764

UA has been in the SFO-MSP market since at least 2010... perhaps you have it confused with the more recent add of LAX-MSP (CR7)?

EAA795

Non-scientific study comparing Delta and United’s competitive hub capacity. Certainly been my experience on SFO-MSP and SFO-ATL.



http://blog.wandr.me/2014/05/compare...y-connections/

channa

Which DL and AA figured out years ago.


That's why you have to innovate, and innovate again. The cycle never stops.

They probably won customers over big time with E+ and RJ with F when everyone else had single cabin and no E+. Now others have surpassed them, and they're no longer competitive.

Same goes with the Business class product -- the airlines that went "flat" first ended up with slanters. UA rode the next wave and got the full horizontals. DL/US/AA rode the next wave with the full horizontal, everyone gets an aisle flats. UA is now uncompetitive as a result.


I fly a lot of DL RJ, and there is a lot of cart space, to the right once you go in the door (where Seat 1A is on UA).


Not just real meals, but this route, SFO-MSP, is one of DL's selected routes for upgraded meals catered by Luvo.


Can't fault them for trying.

If you call dark planes, crappy meals, and spotty WiFi actually "trying."


Luvo entrees: http://luvoinc.com/partnerships/delta-air-lines/