UA System Schedule changes
 

I'm about to book a flight in June that has an Air Wisconsin leg still on the schedule. I’m assuming that’s going to be changing soon but I’m curious as to when. I really can’t wait for the CRJ 200 to finally be gone

I'm wondering this too. I have a lot of travel in March/April, including several segments showing as ZW flights as well. I know that won't be the case, and curious if my airport gets back some -550 or 175 service like we had last year, or if they just become SkyWest CRJs. Surely hoping for the former! Heck, I'd even take these allegedly beat-up and 'uncomfortable' Mesa -900s that are coming to UA this spring!

And since this is the thread...More updates to April occurring tonight. While my Air Wisconsin flights are still Air Wisconsin flights as I mention above, I had a few mainline changes by a few mins here and there and some insignificant 319s change to 320s--or vice versa.

I am looking at UA flights within the US as part of a larger trip. I notice that there were significant changes to the options a few weeks ago, which seem to have been reflected a bit earlier in this thread. If I book now for early March, is that soon enough that the schedules are likely to stay about the same, or is there a risk of further significant change within the last couple of months? I understand there could be irregular ops on the day, but ideally I don't want to pay a bit extra for a hub-to-hub flight on a 787 and then get changed in advance to an A320 or 737 with possibly less convenient timing.

Early March should be relatively settled at this point, but IMO hub-to-hub internationally configured widebodies are relatively vulnerable to closer-in (1-2 months out) changes, as those aircraft could easily be repurposed for their true mission, long-haul international flying.

Thanks, dkc192.

Significant (3-5 hour) schedule changes today for a May trip. All the United options are terrible, but other options are even worse. United seems to be really trimming down service to and through the midwest.

So much for some CEO's much vaunted predicted 2023 growth and recession-proofedness.

David

They didn’t deploy the aircraft elsewhere? Just parking them?

Without any further context that is an extremely premature conclusion to draw based on a single 3-5 hour schedule change. There are plenty of routes that experience large schedule changes like this, especially if they are low frequency as is (which a handful of midwest locations tend to be). That is the difference on a once a day route between a 7am departure getting shifted to 10am or vice versa. Or a RON for an aircraft being shifted to the hub from the outstation. Even if this is a reduction in service to that particular midwest city (which we don't know that it is, given no further context), without seeing what they're actually doing with the equipment, that doesn't give any indication about overall "2023 growth and recession-proofdness". A reduction in frequency could be counteracted by a change in equipment to still maintain capacity, how do we know it's not two devil chariot frequencies (or any regional aircraft) being replaced by a mainline aircraft? Again, very premature to draw your conclusion based on the post you were replying to. It sounds like since "other options are even worse" this is just an already poorly served market and isn't a good indication for whether there is growth system wide as a whole. Schedule changes are often to redeploy aircraft/schedules to where the growth actually is.

I responded not only to the schedule change identified by mahasamatman but the overall reductions in service across the Midwest. This is also apropos to flights for myself in the West as well which has had me shift almost all of my flights away from UA.

UA can "cherry pick" all they want. At a certain point, if they don't have the flights and connections needed, UA is losing those of us still flying for business and personal travel. UA can buy all the planes they want - if they don't have the pilots and don't fly the routes that feed their moneymakers, the moneymakers will also shrink and their fortress hub mentality will crumble.

David

They just seem to have pulled LAX-HND in early March and rerouted via SFO. Only one UA LAX-TYO flight per day now which is surprising considering Japan is open again.

Just because Japan is open doesn't mean LAX-TYO is profitable enough for them to run more often.

Don't forget that JV partner ANA is running 3x daily LAX-TYO

Yes, true.

Not as helpful in some cases, e.g., when trying to upgrade from discounted fare classes or accrue BIS miles toward MM status.

In any case, the schedule now shows UA metal LAX-HND starting on 3/25, at the start of the IATA S23 season. We'll see if that date actually sticks.