KeepItReal

is it bookable yet? I'm a Delta fanboy to the end but really want to try what is supposed to be the new and improved UA, topping that off with a new gorgy plane like the 77W, and I am willing to give UA a shot.

Also, why not earlier than the end of January? If the first plane is getting delivered in December, why so long to fly its first route end of January?

Since I have no status with UA, I will have to buy a Polaris seat outright to try it out. Any guesses from the knowledgeable UA folks on how much I can expect to pay to fly EWR-IAH-EWR?

S.R

Yes I'm waiting for this to be announced too. I probably won't be able to be on the international inaugural so this domestic one is my best shot of experiencing the new Polaris seat for a while.

KeepItReal

Right now, a RT in F on EWR-IAH for January is pricing out at a tad under $600.00. That's not to shabby and I would pay that in a NY second if I was virtually guaranteed the flights would both be on the 77W. However, just knowing UA's track record for cancelling flights and shuffling flights around, I am somewhat leery to drop $600 for the 77W and then wind up on a 738.

thejaredhuang

It has not be delivered yet, the plane finished assembly in December and like all planes (Boeing and Airbus) it undergoes another month of test flights and quality checks before the customer actually gets it.

JOSECONLSCREW28

Its scheduled for delivery December 17th and will undergo several crew training flights before going into revenue service end of January.

ORDnHKG

You do know about there are still sUA and sCO right ?

-22 are the planes sUA FA can only work, -24 are the planes sCO FA can only work. (with the exception of a few 737 that transfer to sUA)

Perhaps you forgot about there was a fight a few months ago that even got on the news, sUA FA were complaining some of the 787 should be -22 not all -24, as quite many TPAC routes out of SFO got switched to 787, which means sUA FA lost out to fly TPAC to sCO FA, which indeed PMUA ordered 787-8 as well. Therefore, some of the 787 now transferred to sUA.

JOSECONLSCREW28

This is not correct the 787 fleet has no customer codes what FA staffs what 787 is dependent on what sub order it. As for the 77W fleet some will be staffed with sub CO FAs others wil be staffed with sub UA FAs because some of the sub CO 787 orders were switched to 77Ws as were some of the sub UA orders.

transportprof

I thought the new contract was supposed to do away with these staffing divisions between sCO and sUA. Is this division of crewing still ongoing?

JOSECONLSCREW28

Yes because we are still on different scheduling systems.

greg99

I think you may be drawing the wrong conclusion from the data.

You forget that the aircraft is not yet registered to UA, so it's currently holding a Boeing registration during flight test. I believe that, pending delivery to the first operator of the aircraft, Boeing doesn't assign the customer code, but once it is delivered, then it gets the customer code.

If you search USCAR, for instance, for model 777-300ER, there are only 4 aircraft registered as such: http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinqu...Val=0&PageNo=1, all registered to Boeing Company.

By contrast, if you search for 777-323ER (AA's customer code), you'll see 20 aircraft, including one delivered as recently as March 2016: http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinqu...umbertxt=736AT

It may be that they're doing away with them on other aircraft, but it doesn't seem to be the case with the 773.

Greg

drewguy

That is why I posed the question . . . although surely flight crews can be assigned even to sUA and sCO planes without having different model numbers.

JOSECONLSCREW28

Pilots yes FAs no. Some of the 77W orders come from the sub CO 787 order so sub CO FAs will staff those.

drewguy

So if a plane is not specifically designated as an sUA or sCO model then it's not possible to assign an sUA or sCO flight crew? No wonder negotiating these union contracts takes so long!

JOSECONLSCREW28

It more has to do with who ordered it then the customer code. Remember the issue with 787-9 a/c #956? it was flown with sub CO FAs up until earlier this year even tho it was from the sub UA order.

char777

Model/customer codes are irrelevant. All planes are deemed either "sUA" or "sCO" planes depending on who flew or ordered which plane prior to the merger. Both UA and CO placed 787 orders prior to the merger. Some of those individual orders were later converted back and forth among the 787-8, 787-9, 787-10, and the 77W. The powers that be had to go back and read the tea leaves as to which airline ordered which frame and assigned crews accordingly. Definitely a mess.