Nov 20, 2016, 11:21 am
Last edit by: Juventini
United to retire 747 by end of 2017
Current scheduled 747 routes
Currently 14 left, retirement plan as follows(updated Aug 2017):
N127UA Owned - Exit 15-Aug-17 Age 18.0
N181UA Lease -01-Nov-17 -Exit 15-Oct-17 Lease return Age 26.0
N117UA Owned - Exit 30-Oct-17 Age 18.8
N174UA Lease- 09-Dec-17 Exit 30-Oct-17 Lease return Age 27.8
N105UA Lease- 09-Dec-17 Exit 01-Nov-17 Lease return Age 23.4
N107UA Lease- 01-Jun-18 Exit 01-Nov-17 Lease return Age 19.2
N175UA Owned - Exit 01-Nov-17 Age 27.2
N116UA Owned - Exit 10-Nov-17 Age 18.9
N118UA Owned - Exit 10-Nov-17 Age 18.7
N128UA Owned - Exit 10-Nov-17 Age 17.5
N119UA Owned - Exit 20-Nov-17 Age 18.7
N121UA Owned - Exit 20-Nov-17 Age 18.6
N178UA Lease - 01-May-18 Exit 20-Nov-17 Lease return Age 27.1
N180UA Owned - 20-Nov-17 Age 26.3
See details at United Fleet Site.
Current scheduled 747 routes
Currently 14 left, retirement plan as follows(updated Aug 2017):
N127UA Owned - Exit 15-Aug-17 Age 18.0
N181UA Lease -01-Nov-17 -Exit 15-Oct-17 Lease return Age 26.0
N117UA Owned - Exit 30-Oct-17 Age 18.8
N174UA Lease- 09-Dec-17 Exit 30-Oct-17 Lease return Age 27.8
N105UA Lease- 09-Dec-17 Exit 01-Nov-17 Lease return Age 23.4
N107UA Lease- 01-Jun-18 Exit 01-Nov-17 Lease return Age 19.2
N175UA Owned - Exit 01-Nov-17 Age 27.2
N116UA Owned - Exit 10-Nov-17 Age 18.9
N118UA Owned - Exit 10-Nov-17 Age 18.7
N128UA Owned - Exit 10-Nov-17 Age 17.5
N119UA Owned - Exit 20-Nov-17 Age 18.7
N121UA Owned - Exit 20-Nov-17 Age 18.6
N178UA Lease - 01-May-18 Exit 20-Nov-17 Lease return Age 27.1
N180UA Owned - 20-Nov-17 Age 26.3
See details at United Fleet Site.
UA to pilots: We're considering retiring all 747s by end of 2018 (Phaseout EOY 2017).
Jul 23, 2017, 2:19 pm
#706
Moderator: Budget Travel forum & Credit Card Programs, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: YYJ/YVR and back on Van Isle ....... for now
Programs: UA lifetime MM / *A Gold
Posts: 14,429
It will be interesting to see if Super-Jumbos (747 and A380) or similar size planes, ever have a renaissance in the future with increasing number of people flying for the first time every day, in 30 years Air China may need to fly 6x a day from PEK-PVG on a 744 due to slot constraints and the number of pax wanting to fly.
Seriously, the ten years too soon was obviously wrong; maybe ten years too late.
You can't build an airplane for just one airline .....
Jul 23, 2017, 3:12 pm
#707
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: New York, NY
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Other factors besides those noted above are when the aircraft comes off lease, or approaches a heavy maintenance visit. At this point, it does not make sense for UA to invest in heavy checks for the 747 fleet, since they'll be disposed of in a few months and the resale market is only a notch or two up from nonexistent.
Jul 23, 2017, 3:53 pm
#708
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2014
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Posts: 14,425
And also once you've gone through a few D checks, the actual age of the frame might not be the real factor as to how "old" from a mechanical perspective it is.
Jul 23, 2017, 8:39 pm
#709
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Portland OR & Bangkok
Programs: United GS, Marriott Ambassador
Posts: 662
But wouldn't a plane delivered 10 years earlier have more "cycles" than one delivered 10 years after? Same goes for engine age.
As for an aircraft coming off lease (a very good reason)....doesn't UA own all their 747s?
Jul 23, 2017, 8:45 pm
#710
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Between AUS, EWR, and YTO In a little twisty maze of airline seats, all alike.. but I wanna go home with the armadillo
Programs: CO, NW, & UA forum moderator emeritus
Posts: 35,437
ne cycle. Re: engine time, most airlines have arrangements with engine companies to buy "Power by the hour" so the age of the engines really isn't a concern.
Jul 23, 2017, 8:48 pm
#711
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: DFW
Programs: UA peon (+decades 1K), AA Exec Plt
Posts: 1,117
It will be interesting to see if Super-Jumbos (747 and A380) or similar size planes, ever have a renaissance in the future with increasing number of people flying for the first time every day, in 30 years Air China may need to fly 6x a day from PEK-PVG on a 744 due to slot constraints and the number of pax wanting to fly.
Even today the (present) high speed train is a viable option.
Jul 23, 2017, 9:25 pm
#712
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2003
Programs: UA*Lifetime GS, Hyatt* Lifetime Globalist
Posts: 12,339
It will be interesting to see if Super-Jumbos (747 and A380) or similar size planes, ever have a renaissance in the future with increasing number of people flying for the first time every day, in 30 years Air China may need to fly 6x a day from PEK-PVG on a 744 due to slot constraints and the number of pax wanting to fly.
Jul 24, 2017, 7:26 pm
#713
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: SLC
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 493
On UA58 later this week and return about 10 days later. Probably my last 747 UD trips. Will miss the mini cabin. I haven't been doing this that long but have fond memories of one of my first J-class legs, an op-up SFO-NRT with the old barca-lounger seats. Bliss for a weary grad student traveler. You still can't beat the UD window seats for J-class storage, space and comfort, IMHO. Looking forward to trying the Polaris hard product in Sept, I'm sure it won't be the same but hopefully will bring its own pluses.
Jul 24, 2017, 7:38 pm
#714
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: No. California
Programs: UA MP HH LTD
Posts: 2,041
Jul 24, 2017, 7:39 pm
#715
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: San Francisco/Sydney
Programs: UA 1K/MM, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Something, IHG Gold, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 8,162
Jul 24, 2017, 10:10 pm
#716
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 485
Just booked a trip that includes the final Boeing 747 flight ICN-SFO on Oct 29. It's part of a round the world, all 747 trip I've always wanted to do. The full routing is DEN-SFO-FRA-ICN-SFO with the SFO-FRA flight upgraded using a MUA. The fare wouldn't allow a return to DEN, so I had to book a SFO-DEN ticket separately. All in under $2000 too!
Jul 24, 2017, 11:07 pm
#717
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Hawai'i Nei
Programs: Au: UA, Marriott, Hilton; GE
Posts: 7,147
Jul 25, 2017, 3:26 pm
#718
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: San Jose, CA
Programs: UAL1K 2MM UGS, Hilton Gold
Posts: 1,004
Well, I've just flown (likely) my last. LHR-SFO this past Saturday. I had my treasured main deck aisle, in C. Others love the UD, but I long ago moved back down stairs to 6/7/8. I for one will miss the old girl.
Jul 25, 2017, 5:47 pm
#719
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 844
So it is more of the "cycles" (landings and take offs) of the plane that counts, no?
But wouldn't a plane delivered 10 years earlier have more "cycles" than one delivered 10 years after? Same goes for engine age.
As for an aircraft coming off lease (a very good reason)....doesn't UA own all their 747s?
But wouldn't a plane delivered 10 years earlier have more "cycles" than one delivered 10 years after? Same goes for engine age.
As for an aircraft coming off lease (a very good reason)....doesn't UA own all their 747s?
The bigger issue is maintenance cycles. A plane needs to go through a heavy check every few years. If an older plane went through such a check right before UA decided to park the whole fleet, then it may not need another check for a few years yet. Meanwhile, a plane that is 10 years younger might be coming up on its next due date in a month. Therefore, the choice would be to park that plane first rather than spending the high six or seven figures that such a shop visit would cost.
Jul 25, 2017, 8:55 pm
#720
Join Date: Mar 2014
Programs: Mileage Plus Global Services 2MM
Posts: 1,201
Just booked my final UA 747 experience
Flying SFO-PVG 9/12 U/D in 15B and PVG-SFO 9/15 in 1A. Best of both worlds before they retire the old girl.