FSDan From United States of America, joined Jan 2011, 641 posts, RR: 2 Posted (1 year 9 months 1 week 5 days 13 hours ago) and read 14964 times:
Was just looking at the UA desktop timetable, and I noticed that UA will be putting a 777 on one of their SFO-LAX flights starting in late October/early November. It appears to be daily for the vast majority of November, and not just a one-time repositioning flight. When was the last time this route had a widebody on it?
SFO LAX ONT DEN IAH DFW OMA FSD MSP MSN MKE ORD DTW MEM JAN BHM RSW ATL CLT BWI PHL LGA JFK KEF LHR LGW MAD
747400sp From United States of America, joined Aug 2003, 3301 posts, RR: 2 Reply 1, posted (1 year 9 months 1 week 5 days 11 hours ago) and read 14500 times:
That is great! Big plane cabin, on a small plane routes, that's good stuff!
CALPSAFltSkeds From United States of America, joined Dec 2006, 2234 posts, RR: 7 Reply 2, posted (1 year 9 months 1 week 5 days 11 hours ago) and read 14327 times:
It looks one way, flight 450 SFO 0826 LAX 0953.
UA is out of balance flying two LAX-IAD 777 flights and one IAD-LAX flight,so this flight balances 777 operations and must turn to the 1203 LAX-IAD flight.
FYI, In the LAX-IAD market there are 7 west and 8 east, so the extra 777 provides seats of two narrowbodies, I guess. The out of balance markets from LAX seem to be:
LAX-ORD one extra eastbound
LAX-IAD one extra westbound
robo65 From United States of America, joined Mar 2010, 167 posts, RR: 0 Reply 3, posted (1 year 9 months 1 week 5 days 11 hours ago) and read 14224 times:
It also could be a rotation through SFO for maintenance and to support the LAX-PVG flight. Just a guess on that though.
CALPSAFltSkeds From United States of America, joined Dec 2006, 2234 posts, RR: 7 Reply 4, posted (1 year 9 months 1 week 5 days 10 hours ago) and read 14166 times:
Quoting robo65 (Reply 3): It also could be a rotation through SFO for maintenance and to support the LAX-PVG flight. Just a guess on that though.
It's probably not a 3 class aircraft, but could be.
LAXintl From United States of America, joined May 2000, 22241 posts, RR: 51 Reply 5, posted (1 year 9 months 1 week 5 days 10 hours ago) and read 14072 times:
UA is also operating a DEN-LAX-DEN 777 for September and much of October.
From the desert to the sea, to all of Southern California
kgaiflyer From United States of America, joined Jul 2008, 3702 posts, RR: 1 Reply 6, posted (1 year 9 months 1 week 5 days 10 hours ago) and read 14021 times:
Quoting CALPSAFltSkeds (Reply 4): It's probably not a 3 class aircraft, but could be.
Well . . . I flew UA 914 last Tuesday morning SFO-IAD and it was an old-style 777 with chairs up front and no AVOD.
kgaiflyer From United States of America, joined Jul 2008, 3702 posts, RR: 1 Reply 7, posted (1 year 9 months 1 week 4 days 23 hours ago) and read 10430 times:
Quoting kgaiflyer (Reply 6): Well . . . I flew UA 914 last Tuesday morning SFO-IAD and it was an old-style 777 with chairs up front and no AVOD.
Perhaps I should add that this aircraft arrived at gate D26 -- turned -- and returned to SFO from gate D26 as UA 975 .
The continuation of flight 914 from IAD to CDG, however, was on a completely different 777 from a different gate in the C concourse.
united319 From United States of America, joined Jul 2006, 513 posts, RR: 0 Reply 8, posted (1 year 9 months 1 week 4 days 23 hours ago) and read 9843 times:
UA975 is usually flown on a domestically configured 777 hence the lack of PTV's or international seating layout. I think it getsrepositioned to SFO to do its usual Hawaii flying.
splitterz From United States of America, joined Apr 2011, 204 posts, RR: 0 Reply 9, posted (1 year 9 months 1 week 4 days 23 hours ago) and read 9816 times:
Quoting kgaiflyer (Reply 6): It's probably not a 3 class aircraft, but could be.
Well . . . I flew UA 914 last Tuesday morning SFO-IAD and it was an old-style 777 with chairs up front and no AVOD.
Most amazingly, it was an oversold flight.
Most days I swear all hub-hub flights are over sold.
boilerla From United States of America, joined Jul 2010, 264 posts, RR: 0 Reply 10, posted (1 year 9 months 1 week 4 days 18 hours ago) and read 7143 times:
Quoting splitterz (Reply 9): Most days I swear all hub-hub flights are over sold.
Especially the SFO/LAX-IAD flights. I do that flight monthly on the 777 and almost every time it's oversold, especially the SFO-IAD leg.
It's also ridiculously elite heavy. It seems like half the plane is on the upgrade list. I've wondered why UA doesn't fly a PS type of service from SFO/LAX to IAD; the J cabin is pretty well sold on the 777 flights when I've taken them.
SEA From United States of America, joined Jul 2011, 217 posts, RR: 0 Reply 11, posted (1 year 9 months 1 week 4 days 15 hours ago) and read 5488 times:
I wonder what the loads for premium seats on these flights will look like? May be a good one to non-rev for fun
gigneil From United States of America, joined Nov 2002, 16215 posts, RR: 88 Reply 12, posted (1 year 9 months 1 week 4 days 14 hours ago) and read 5384 times:
Quoting splitterz (Reply 9): Most days I swear all hub-hub flights are over sold.
Its amazing how, even with 16 flights SFO-ORD now, they're all still oversold.
jpetekyxmd80 From United States of America, joined Jul 2003, 4260 posts, RR: 29 Reply 13, posted (1 year 9 months 1 week 4 days 14 hours ago) and read 5326 times:
united319 From United States of America, joined Jul 2006, 513 posts, RR: 0 Reply 14, posted (1 year 9 months 1 week 4 days 13 hours ago) and read 4493 times:
They are always really hard to non-rev on since UA has allotted unlimited upgrades for all élite members. I used too almost always get first or business. a few months ago I flew the 777 IAD-LAX and it showed 3/12 in first, 14/49 in business and 89/197 in coach the morning of and both premium cabins filled up by departure time.
kgaiflyer From United States of America, joined Jul 2008, 3702 posts, RR: 1 Reply 15, posted (1 year 9 months 1 week 4 days 11 hours ago) and read 4069 times:
Quoting boilerla (Reply 10): It's also ridiculously elite heavy. It seems like half the plane is on the upgrade list. I've wondered why UA doesn't fly a PS type of service from SFO/LAX to IAD;
Not to beat a dead horse with this topic, but the clientele is obviously there.
malaysia From United States of America, joined Nov 1999, 3191 posts, RR: 0 Reply 16, posted (1 year 9 months 1 week 4 days 9 hours ago) and read 3871 times:
Quoting united319 (Reply 14): They are always really hard to non-rev on since UA has allotted unlimited upgrades for all élite members. I used too almost always get first or business. a few months ago I flew the 777 IAD-LAX and it showed 3/12 in first, 14/49 in business and 89/197 in coach the morning of and both premium cabins filled up by departure time.
When I use to non-rev on UA in the past to and from SFO to DC, I had to either go through DEN or take the non-stop from BWI to make my travel a lot less hectic, than trying to get a joy ride on the domestic 747 / 777. almost always oversold and many upgrades.
There Are Those Who Believe That There May Yet Be Other Airlines Who Even Now Fight To Survive Beyond The Heavens
washingtonian From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 17, posted (1 year 9 months 1 week 4 days 5 hours ago) and read 3590 times:
Quoting boilerla (Reply 10): It's also ridiculously elite heavy. It seems like half the plane is on the upgrade list. I've wondered why UA doesn't fly a PS type of service from SFO/LAX to IAD; the J cabin is pretty well sold on the 777 flights when I've taken them.
Probably because of what you just said. If United is capturing that much of the SFO-IAD traffic, why put a small 752 on it when you could have multiple widebodies and narrowbodies a day? There is a ton of traffic on this route and not a lot of competition (where as JFK-LAX/SFO has a ton of competition).
AADC10 From United States of America, joined Nov 2004, 1863 posts, RR: 0 Reply 19, posted (1 year 9 months 1 week 3 days 23 hours ago) and read 3137 times:
Quoting boilerla (Reply 10): It's also ridiculously elite heavy. It seems like half the plane is on the upgrade list. I've wondered why UA doesn't fly a PS type of service from SFO/LAX to IAD; the J cabin is pretty well sold on the 777 flights when I've taken them.
Obviously it is because UA does not care about upgrades, they care about paid front cabin and there is not enough, particularly on a short flight like that. If that was really a priority, the Australia 744s spend much of the day on the ground at LAX and SFO. They could have them exchange positions on the prime late afternoon flight but yields would crash and few would purchase front cabin (or upper deck) seats. UA has done it in the past on an unscheduled basis to move stranded passengers when SFO has been fogged in.
Quoting united319 (Reply 14): They are always really hard to non-rev on since UA has allotted unlimited upgrades for all élite members.
It is hard to non-rev in F since UDU but it has been hard to get on the plane at all because load factors have been climbing to well over 85%. The cuts in domestic capacity has matched yield management so the flights are kept very full.
boilerla From United States of America, joined Jul 2010, 264 posts, RR: 0 Reply 20, posted (1 year 9 months 1 week 3 days 22 hours ago) and read 2994 times:
Quoting washingtonian (Reply 17): Probably because of what you just said. If United is capturing that much of the SFO-IAD traffic, why put a small 752 on it when you could have multiple widebodies and narrowbodies a day? There is a ton of traffic on this route and not a lot of competition (where as JFK-LAX/SFO has a ton of competition).
The front of the cabin sells reasonably well on the 772 (I'd guess 12-15 J seats are paid) and the back of the plane is always packed in. But A 739/752 ps style service would have 26 BF seats, and I imagine those J would command a higher price than the $2100 R/T for the domestic product UA currently charges for (considering SFO/JFK is usually $3500 a pop for J).
If I paid for J, I would always make sure I paid for the 772 flight at least, but it's a harder flight to come by due to schedule. If the time doesn't work for me, I have to take a lowly, domestic 752 or even a lowly 319. I'd rather take VX first to IAD then a UA A319.
The flight has a variety of planes on it today; I've done the LAX/SFO on a 772, 763, 757, A320 and 319. So UA has no problem putting an AC on the route that serves the desired purpose. I could be very wrong and the demand isn't there, but it always seems like there is when you get to your gate and see the "Number of seats remaining" on the upgrade list.
gigneil From United States of America, joined Nov 2002, 16215 posts, RR: 88 Reply 21, posted (1 year 9 months 1 week 3 days 22 hours ago) and read 2991 times:
Charge money for that seat, and the demand will become zero.
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From United States of America, joined Jan 2011, 641 posts, 
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