Rumor: UA may buy A380 {UA CFO says "just doesnt really work for us"}
Jun 1, 2015, 5:10 pm
#47
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: ORD
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Better chance of that than UA buying the A380 (but still not all that great).
Only way the A380 makes sense for UA would be if they were desperate to get a boat-load of pax into a slot-controlled airport (LHR, NRT). And even then they could probably do it without the A380.
Only way the A380 makes sense for UA would be if they were desperate to get a boat-load of pax into a slot-controlled airport (LHR, NRT). And even then they could probably do it without the A380.
Jun 1, 2015, 5:11 pm
#48
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 2,324
My first thought is if UAL wanted this news out there. Did they purposely leak it?
Second though, UAL could theoretically use A380 on some routes out of SFO, and actually fill them up, albeit that's still season-dependant to an extent. Thus, they'd have to get the deal of the century, which I'm not sure is actually that far out of the question.
This rumor would make a lot more sense to me if UAL was simply negotiating to take on some of the used MH A380s, but Airbus has incentive to dump the birds that were destined for Japan.
Very exciting nonetheless, and yes, I have to wonder if they'd consider keeping the United First cabin, since they would suddenly be operating their flagship routes (SFO-Asia/Heatheow/Frankfurt) with a world-class flagship airplane.
Second though, UAL could theoretically use A380 on some routes out of SFO, and actually fill them up, albeit that's still season-dependant to an extent. Thus, they'd have to get the deal of the century, which I'm not sure is actually that far out of the question.
This rumor would make a lot more sense to me if UAL was simply negotiating to take on some of the used MH A380s, but Airbus has incentive to dump the birds that were destined for Japan.
Very exciting nonetheless, and yes, I have to wonder if they'd consider keeping the United First cabin, since they would suddenly be operating their flagship routes (SFO-Asia/Heatheow/Frankfurt) with a world-class flagship airplane.
Jun 1, 2015, 5:16 pm
#49
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Ewa Beach, Hawaii
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Slots at LHR are like gold, If UA switched to 2 and stopped using a slot that could lose it. And does 2 of anything UA has that is bigger have equal amount of seats as 3 of the 763? If they are filling the 3 why lower capacity and take the chance of losing a slot.
Jun 1, 2015, 5:22 pm
#51
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Revenue - some people need to be in LHR early, some people need to be in ORD late, and some people like the middle schedule. IAH has the same situation, up from 2x/daily in the PMCO era.
Jun 1, 2015, 5:32 pm
#52
Join Date: Apr 2003
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Jun 1, 2015, 5:34 pm
#53
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Jun 1, 2015, 5:37 pm
#54
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Jun 1, 2015, 5:39 pm
#55
Join Date: Nov 1999
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If people going to LHR value the specific departure time of the flight, and are inflexible, they are going to pay up the wazoo for it, regardless of how big the plane is.
So if UA consolidates the departures into 2 bigger planes, it may not fill as much of them with high value fliers, and the total revenue from those departures will not be as good as if they kept 3 flights.
So if UA consolidates the departures into 2 bigger planes, it may not fill as much of them with high value fliers, and the total revenue from those departures will not be as good as if they kept 3 flights.
Jun 1, 2015, 5:45 pm
#56
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: ORD
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I know everytime we go from ORD to Fra on LH on the 748i it is close to sold out, so if luftansa can get it to work why can't UA?
The route I think they could do an A380 on is ORD to Shanghai.
The route I think they could do an A380 on is ORD to Shanghai.
Jun 1, 2015, 6:33 pm
#57
Join Date: Mar 2002
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Really? Aren't they all going to EWR, where there are no 747 routes? Pretty sure we're going to see them on routes like EWR-DEL/BOM/HKG.
Jun 1, 2015, 6:46 pm
#59
Join Date: Jan 2005
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Yup... At first glance it seemed that the 77W would make a good quick-fix 747 replacement, but every indication I've seen or heard is that the 77W will be a 77E upgauge, with a similar seat count to current 744s, albeit in two-cabin configuration. Perhaps more importantly, it seems that UA is no longer rushing to retire the 747 ^.
Jun 1, 2015, 6:58 pm
#60
Join Date: Oct 2013
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But remember the LH flight is sharing revenue with UA. They don't want to take passengers away from this flight, especially by adding equipment and fuel cost by using their own plane. Unless I'm not thinking about the JV correctly, the demand would have to be greater than the capacity of UA + LH on this route to justify an upgauge.