United Fleet Upgrade Status - 2017

calpsafltskeds · Sun Sep 03, 2017 9:43 pm

I put the below chart together showing widths of different aircraft using different aisle width to come up with available width of each Polaris unit. We know the 77W has 4 two-seat units per row of Polaris, meaning each unit width should be between 47.5 and 49 inches wide. Seat width and sleeping space are also known for the 767 and 77W. I'm convinced Polaris units will be crafted to fit each type of aircraft.

As such, the adjustable portions to the Polaris units should be:
1.) seat width - if narrower, the Polaris unit should be narrower
2.) sleeping length and 3.) angle of non-straight seat - shorter and/or higher angle should be a shorter Polaris Unit (provide more rows).
3.) Aisle width can probably range from 17 to 20 inches.

The 757 has plenty of room for a unit on each side (10" extra per side vs. 777), but total length of units could limit number of seats below 16. A 20.6" wide seat, 6.25' sleeping length and higher angle would reduce unit length (front to back). There is plenty of room to widen the units vs the 767 and 777.

So, my guess is the following vs. the 77W.
767, narrower seats, shorter sleeping space and higher angle of non-straight seats to get more rows. Space for each unit is about 4" wider than 777.
787, narrower seats, shorter sleeping space, possibly less angle of non-straight seats and narrowest aisles. 787 is 14" narrower than 77W.
757, narrower seats, shorter sleeping space and higher angle of non-straight seats to get more rows. Space for each unit is about 10" wider than 777.

Sorry if alignment looks bad below:
Type Width Aisle Net Units " per unit
752 139 17 122 2 61.2
752 139 18 121 2 60.7
752 139 19 120 2 60.2
752 139 20 119 2 59.7

767 186 17 152 3 50.7 6.25' sleeping 20.6' seat width
767 186 18 150 3 50.0 6.25' sleeping 20.6' seat width
767 186 19 148 3 49.3 6.25' sleeping 20.6' seat width
767 186 20 146 3 48.7 6.25' sleeping 20.6' seat width

777 230 17 196 4 49.0 6.5' sleeping 23" seat width
777 230 18 194 4 48.5 6.5' sleeping 23" seat width
777 230 19 192 4 48.0 6.5' sleeping 23" seat width
777 230 20 190 4 47.5 6.5' sleeping 23" seat width

787 216 17 182 4 45.5
787 216 18 180 4 45.0
787 216 19 178 4 44.5
787 216 20 176 4 44.0

calpsafltskeds · Mon Sep 04, 2017 1:26 am

738:
N77539 exited MIA new delivery Induction 2696/3Sep with scimitars, WiFi, slimlines, space bins, sky interior

mattnrsa · Mon Sep 04, 2017 3:33 am

CALTECH wrote:
Looks like 2 A-320s will join the fleet soon, looks like they were previously operated by

I didn't know two more A320s were joining the fleet. Your message got cut off. They were previously operated by...?

hkcanadaexpat · Mon Sep 04, 2017 5:44 am

763(Polaris):
N644UA exiting HKG this afternoon 2775/4Sep with polaris seats & winglets

iahcsr · Mon Sep 04, 2017 1:44 pm

hkcanadaexpat wrote:
763(Polaris):
N644UA exiting HKG this afternoon 2775/4Sep with polaris seats & winglets

Left HKG just a tad late too... (temped to say typical 763, but won't :angel:

) Seat map does look rather different.

VC10er · Mon Sep 04, 2017 2:43 pm

Does United have contracts with the big Silicon Valley tech companies? I think they could think really outside the box (sorry, I hate that expression) and create the most tech savvy, comfortable aircraft for transcon, and include Boston and DC. If Polaris wont fit, then I am sure there are other all aisle access seats that could be styled in a similar fashion. IMHO, I'd prefer the A321NEO over the old 757s, or the 737MAX-10 (but not sure they will have the legs) anyway, my point being: new aircraft. I love a 757, but I think the UA 752's need A LOT of work inside. The lavs are so old. The mismatched wall panel and worn...everything.

gwrudolph · Mon Sep 04, 2017 3:00 pm

CALTECH wrote:
AA737-823 wrote:
FlyHossD wrote:

Your search results were apparently different than mine.

But in any case, in over 10 years flying 737NGs, I knew of a few tail strikes, most of which resulted in damage forward of the skid. As I understand it, in a bounce from a hard landing, the natural reaction was to try to re-flare the aircraft. However, at that point, the airspeed is too low and he aft fuselage makes contact with the runway (5+ feet ahead of the skid). The skid is most certainly not a cure-all!

I'm not sure whether we're arguing or not (kind of seems like it, but maybe we're just backing each other up?), but if you'll take note, I've said in BOTH of my posts that sometimes the tail skid doesn't prevent damaged airplane. Which is the same thing you're saying. So I think we're just repeating each other.
That said, oddly, Boeing recently decided on their 777-3ER product to remove the tail skid altogether. The weight savings outweigh the unlikely tail strikes, since the FBW system "usually" prevents a strike.
For what that's worth!

AA737-823 wrote:
FlyHossD wrote:

In a hard landing from a bounce, doesn't the aft fuselage actually make contact well ahead of the tail skid? IOW, the tail skid is actually more effective for take offs than landings.

No- that would completely defeat the purpose of the tail skid.
It's positioned in such a way as to be the first point of contact across multiple attitudes.
That said, sometimes it can't contain the damage wholly within itself, and you've still got damaged airplane!

The tailskid will normally provide complete protection on Takeoff.
On Landing is another matter, as the main landing gear compresses and the clearance goes away if the strut fully compresses, allowing the belly to strike the runway rather than the tailskid.
That is the crux of the argument ?

For those who may care,

767-322ERs

United is modifying the 14 767-300ER aircraft to reconfigure them from a 3-class configuration to the new 2-class “Polaris” configuration. This modification will replace the galleys, lavatories, economy seats, and first class seats on the planes, and installs the new United décor. These aircraft will be modified over the next 18 months in HAECO Hong Kong as the 14 candidate aircraft come due for their heavy checks. During this installation, the planes will be equipped with blended winglets, NGS, and the cabin reconfiguration. Upon completion of this modification, the planes will enter revenue service as the 76A fleet code. These airplanes will also undergo the maintenance harmonization program to bring them onto the common optimized maintenance program.
The first aircraft to undergo this modification is 6444 and it is set to release back to revenue service in late August. The airplanes that will undergo this modification are 6444, 6448, 6449, 6455, 6456, 6451, 6459, 6443, 6446, 6442, 6441, 6460, 6447, 6454.
Interior Cabin Differences:

 Cabin:
 New Polaris First Class seats.
 New leather B/E Economy Seats.
 New carpet throughout.
 IFE
 Panasonic eX3 System has been installed.
 New Crew terminal installed at door 1L.
 New Provisional Gate to Gate switch installed on the P5 panel in the flight deck.
 Crew Rest Facilities
 New Flight Crew facilities installed at 1A for Pilot rest.
 Flight Attendant Facilities
 New Millennium seats are installed in the last two rows of Economy on the RHS of the aircraft.
 They are equipped with a crew rest curtain to allow for F/A rest.
 They have new décor leather surfaces and are reclining with footrests. Lavatories
 New JAMCO lavatories that feature the new United Polaris décor. Brand Panels
 New lighted brand panels are installed in the Polaris Business cabin.
 Economy Plus Brand Plaques in Economy Plus cabin. Galleys
 New Zodiac Sell Galleys that feature the new United Polaris décor.
 New NTF material on the floor to match the new Polaris décor.

777-322ERs

United Airlines has taken delivery of 14 777-300ERs from Dec 2016 through June 2017 (revenue service started in February 2017); aircraft nose number 2131 through 2144. Four additional 777-300ERs will be delivered in 2018.
• The fuselage is 33 ft. 3 in. longer than a 777-200: totaling 242 ft. 4 in.
• The wing span is 12 ft. 8 in. longer than a 777-200: wing span is 212 ft. 7 in.
• 366 passenger seats
• Additional cargo. The 777-300ER can hold an additional six LD3s in the forward cargo compartment and six additional LD3s in the aft cargo compartment.
• 207 Minute ETOPS
Galleys
• Door 1 has a standard galley.
• Door 2 has a cross aisle galley (with branding panels) and also a bar unit.
• Door 4 has a cross aisle galley but is considered dry as there are no sinks / coffee makers.
• Door 5 has the large aft galley.
• Ovens are steam ovens, and Door 1 and Door 5 galley have bun warmers.
Lavs
• All Lav doors with the exception of the DOT Lav at Door 2 LH have the traditional bi-fold door. The Lavs are manufactured by Jamco, and have the new branding scheme.
• Front Row Furniture (FRF) units are relatively similar to other FRF but are different p/n’s.
Off Wing Escape System
• Located at Doors 3L/R – slide inflates in aft direction to clear the wing.
• No slide bustle due to slide housed in fuselage.
Seats
• Seat count is - 60 BFirst / 102 Econ+ / 204 Economy
• Seat monitors are all HD.
• BFirst Polaris All Aisle Access seats are brand new design and manufactured by Zodiac Seats UK (ZSUK).
• Coach seats are manufactured by BE Aerospace and are in 3-4-3 layout. They are GEXX series.
Closets
• There is a large centerline closet by the flight deck and two small closets on the aisle sides of the bar unit at Door 2.
Crew Rest Facilities
• Pilot crew rest (OFCR) is located in the fwd section of the aircraft, with the entrance by Door 1L. It is an upper crew rest consisting of two bunks and two recliners.
• Flight attendant crew rest (OFAR) is located in the aft section of the aircraft, with the entrance by Door 5L. It is an upper crew rest consisting of six bunks
Ground Maneuver Camera System
• Ground maneuver camera light switch is located in the flight deck on the left wiper panel (P5).
• Equipped with 3 ground maneuver cameras, and video feed is displayed in flight deck.
Electrical Power
• No major changes compared to 777-200.
Page 6 of 13
Communications
• Originally delivered with Inmarsat Satellite Communications (SATCOM) and High Frequency (HF) radios as primary means of long range communication in remote / oceanic regions.
• Iridium Satcom is being installed on this fleet due to plan operate in polar region where Inmarsat SATCOM coverage is unavailable (currently, 2134 and 2138 have system installed).
Landing Gear
• Not interchangeable with 777-200, as major components were strengthened, or made larger, to handle additional weight / loads.
• Gear pin kit located in EE bay, in plastic box with translucent cover.
• 777-300ER MLG uses a hydraulic strut assembly, whereas 777-200 uses truck tilt positioner actuator.
• 777-300ER NLG has dual chambered strut instead of single chamber strut.
Fuel and Nitrogen Generation System (NGS)
• Fuel indicating: 300ER has 10 fuel quantity measuring sticks per wing; 200ER has 8 sticks.
• 300ER has 76 tank units; 200ER has 60 tank units.
• 300ER fuel tank capacity is 323,740 lbs., approx. 17,740 lbs. more than 200ER capacity.
• NGS is installed. Dangerous System, obey precautions.
Air Conditioning
• Each crew rest area has its own air conditioning control.
Engine / Cowlings
• GE90-115 – 115,300 lbs. of thrust.
• Composite fan blades.
• 128 inch fan diameter.
• Spinner is one, not two, pieces.
• Exit duct on inlet cowl is different location.
• No blow out door on these fan cowls.
• T-bolt latch (Location Number 12) to hold thrust reverser halves together is new.
Avionics
777-300ER Cabin Systems Highlights
The 777-300ER will be delivered from Boeing configured with the Panasonic eX3 In-Flight Entertainment and eXconnect Broadband Systems, which streams audio and video on demand to each passenger seat and provides internet connection. Games, and other flight and United related information, are also available on demand to each passenger.
The 777-300ER will also be delivered with Gate-to-Gate WiFi, including a WiFi antenna that is powered on and transmitting all the time (including on the ground). There is a “Broadband Comm” switch in the flight deck P5 Overhead Panel that powers off the antenna during events when work may be occurring in the RF safety exclusion zone. Pilots turn this switch ON at Preflight and OFF at Parking / De-Icing.
NOTE: Current Panasonic WiFi aircraft have the antenna transmission off on the ground and automatically turned on at Weight off Wheels.
Video Control Station (VCS)
The VCS is located at Door 1R, on the outboard side of the center galley.

Thanks CALTECH for the very detailed list of coming 763 improvements. Does anyone know:

1) If the sidewalls are being replaced?
2) If lighting will be upgraded to LED/Mood?
3) If the overhead bins in economy will be replaced with the newer 777/787 style as show in the Polaris cabin?
4) If lav improvements are throughout vs. just Polaris cabin?

I sure hope the answer(s) to some of these questions are yes. What a shame it would be to see C class improvements without similar upgrades in the back. I remember last time PMUA worked on the 763s, they upgraded overheads, divider walls, etc up front, and left the back in the old style?!?!?!

atcsundevil · Mon Sep 04, 2017 3:48 pm

gwrudolph wrote:
1) If the sidewalls are being replaced?

Yes

gwrudolph wrote:
2) If lighting will be upgraded to LED/Mood?

I'm almost positive the answer is no

gwrudolph wrote:
3) If the overhead bins in economy will be replaced with the newer 777/787 style as show in the Polaris cabin?

Yes

gwrudolph wrote:
4) If lav improvements are throughout vs. just Polaris cabin?

Throughout

Just like the previous two class mods, it's a nose to tail do-over. Everything old comes out, and everything that goes in is new. While mood lighting would be nice, I'm willing to bet it's pretty expensive, and not entirely necessary. Things like new bins, sidewalls, bulkheads, seats, carpets, lavs, galleys, etc. will make a far greater impact. For all intents and purposes, this aircraft is brand new from a passenger perspective.

gwrudolph · Mon Sep 04, 2017 4:39 pm

atcsundevil wrote:
gwrudolph wrote:
1) If the sidewalls are being replaced?

Yes

gwrudolph wrote:
2) If lighting will be upgraded to LED/Mood?

I'm almost positive the answer is no

gwrudolph wrote:
3) If the overhead bins in economy will be replaced with the newer 777/787 style as show in the Polaris cabin?

Yes

gwrudolph wrote:
4) If lav improvements are throughout vs. just Polaris cabin?

Throughout

Just like the previous two class mods, it's a nose to tail do-over. Everything old comes out, and everything that goes in is new. While mood lighting would be nice, I'm willing to bet it's pretty expensive, and not entirely necessary. Things like new bins, sidewalls, bulkheads, seats, carpets, lavs, galleys, etc. will make a far greater impact. For all intents and purposes, this aircraft is brand new from a passenger perspective.

Agree LED mood lighting is likely expensive and somewhat unnecessary. Hopefully at least a full bulb upgrade/replacement. I've been on a few where the sidewall lighting is uneven, different temperature bulbs, etc. Doesn't look real good :>)

jetblastdubai · Mon Sep 04, 2017 7:51 pm

As the 78J arrives on property in the coming years, what are the chances that UA might convert some 777ERs (PW) to high density versions and add some more domestic capacity to the fleet? Now that even EWR-FLL is going to 10X, it seems like capacity-restricted EWR could use bigger planes instead of more planes.

CriticalPoint · Mon Sep 04, 2017 9:10 pm

jetblastdubai wrote:
As the 78J arrives on property in the coming years, what are the chances that UA might convert some 777ERs (PW) to high density versions and add some more domestic capacity to the fleet? Now that even EWR-FLL is going to 10X, it seems like capacity-restricted EWR could use bigger planes instead of more planes.

I would bring the 764 into the domestic operation and let the 777ER upgauge the 764s. In my opinion it would be a waste to put a good long haul aircraft on domestic. The 777A however is perfect for domestic and Hawaii.

jetblastdubai · Mon Sep 04, 2017 10:43 pm

CriticalPoint wrote:

I would bring the 764 into the domestic operation and let the 777ER upgauge the 764s. In my opinion it would be a waste to put a good long haul aircraft on domestic. The 777A however is perfect for domestic and Hawaii.

Good point. The 763/764s would make a great P.S. replacement or "hub-to-big spoke people mover" planes if nothing else as they could use gates that aren't capable for 777s. (B gates and C-odd at ORD and 72A, B and 73 at LAX)

calpsafltskeds · Tue Sep 05, 2017 4:53 am

If the 764 wasn't converted to Polaris it would be fine to save the money and place on domestic - that is if UA has a surplus of intl aircraft and needs the domestic lift. Maybe some of the 2 class 763s could do the same job and leave the 764 on International by adding Polaris. Note that the 764, with a higher dispatch reliability and just slightly less range than the 763ER, has a passenger door behind BF, so that might restrict a good Polaris configuration while the 763 has no passenger door to deal with. Age and size may also make a difference as the 764 has 38 more seats, which could be too much lift for adding 16 domestic aircraft and add cycles to a newer aircraft vs. the 763ER.

The 772ER on domestic seems like a waste. However, the 772A can't make EWR/IAD-HNL, so maybe a small fleet of ERs that could also do charter operations. ORD -HNL does take an occasional weight restriction. While the PW fleet might be best, it would depend on how far along in the Polaris conversion process. sUA 772ER should go first, so maybe the sCO 772ER would save a configuration change. The 774 has only 10 more total seats than the Domestic 772. If a 772ER were in Domestic configuration it could do military charters at a bigger profit than the 744.
I've thought the 772A could do charters to Europe, but they might need an extra fuel stop on some routes or due to baggage/cargo needs of the charters.

319:
N896UA exited VCV 2776/4Sep, revenue flights will come soon. Ex China Southern #8.

73G:
N14735 entered MIA 428/4Sep, should be for slimlines/new F seats

77W:
N2644U shows first revenue flight as 794/5Sep SFO-ORD, that will put the first 14 77Ws in revenue service.

UAX Update
2 more ZW CR2s are ready and waiting in Globe livery for UAX service to begin on 6 September: (total is now 6)

N419AW (2002 build)
N423AW (2002 build)

hkcanadaexpat · Tue Sep 05, 2017 5:47 am

N644UA (1st Polaris 763) arrived in SFO this evening. I presume there will be some induction there of the new type before entry into service. I had a quick look at the UA timetable. Seems still no sign of route on which it will be put on based on seat maps.

iahcsr · Tue Sep 05, 2017 5:58 am

calpsafltskeds wrote:
If the 764 wasn't converted to Polaris it would be fine to save the money and place on domestic - that is if UA has a surplus of intl aircraft and needs the domestic lift. Maybe some of the 2 class 763s could do the same job and leave the 764 on International by adding Polaris. Note that the 764, with a higher dispatch reliability and just slightly less range than the 763ER, has a passenger door behind BF, so that might restrict a good Polaris configuration while the 763 has no passenger door to deal with. Age and size may also make a difference as the 764 has 38 more seats, which could be too much lift for adding 16 domestic aircraft and add cycles to a newer aircraft vs. the 763ER.

The 772ER on domestic seems like a waste. However, the 772A can't make EWR/IAD-HNL, so maybe a small fleet of ERs that could also do charter operations. ORD -HNL does take an occasional weight restriction. While the PW fleet might be best, it would depend on how far along in the Polaris conversion process. sUA 772ER should go first, so maybe the sCO 772ER would save a configuration change. The 774 has only 10 more total seats than the Domestic 772. If a 772ER were in Domestic configuration it could do military charters at a bigger profit than the 744.
I've thought the 772A could do charters to Europe, but they might need an extra fuel stop on some routes or due to baggage/cargo needs of the charters.

319:
N896UA exited VCV 2776/4Sep, revenue flights will come soon. Ex China Southern #8.

73G:
N14735 entered MIA 428/4Sep, should be for slimlines/new F seats

77W:
N2644U shows first revenue flight as 794/5Sep SFO-ORD, that will put the first 14 77Ws in revenue service.

UAX Update
2 more ZW CR2s are ready and waiting in Globe livery for UAX service to begin on 6 September: (total is now 6)

N419AW (2002 build)
N423AW (2002 build)

319
Ex China Southern #9-12 Still aren't 'Ex' yet... hopefully at least one will be making its way to LCQ before end of the month.. :crossfingers:

hkcanadaexpat · Wed Sep 06, 2017 6:09 am

763 (3-class):
N649UA entering HKG 2776+2777/6Sep, for Polaris seats + winglets

CALTECH · Wed Sep 06, 2017 12:42 pm

The actual look, the center rows have different alpha identifiers which helps determine the seat orientation, might have been a good thing to do the same for the window seats to differentiate between the 2 orientations......

https://www.flickr.com/photos/154507814 ... ed-public/

calpsafltskeds · Wed Sep 06, 2017 2:48 pm

CALTECH, do you have a version of the photo that shows more of the configuration that might include measurements across the aircraft. Do you have same diagrams for 77W? From what I see, 308 inches is for 4 units, meaning each unit takes 77 inches front to back. It would be interesting to get a measurement of total length and total width of a seat pair for the each type of equipment UA has revealed so far.
It would have made more sense to number the outside seats 1AB through 5AB and 1KL through 5KL, that would make it pretty consistent with the 2 class units - I'm sure there will be swaps between 2 class and Polaris units for over a ear.
As for center section which is all D now, I think 1DE through 5DE would be more accommodating to current 2 class. Who care if that shows that the configuration is "8 across"?
Do you know what's going on with 752 N19117? It's been in MCN since 5/31/17.

319:
N896UA showing first revenue flight sked 2389/6Sep, DEN-SBA

CR2:
Air Wisconsin begins UAX revenue service today (FlightAware shows RIC-IAD/ORD and ORF-IAD)
N424AW in Globe livery (2002 build) joined the fleet and is in service
N419AW in service
N420AW in service

iahcsr · Thu Sep 07, 2017 8:31 am

763 Polaris
N644UA ferried SFOEWR UA2784 6Sep. Will first rev flight be domestic or other.. ?

fun2fly · Thu Sep 07, 2017 3:17 pm

With the announcement of IAH>SYD, we know where 2 of the 4 new 789's due in Dec/Jan/Feb are headed for UA. Two more to figure out. Next bunch of routes will have to coincide with 4x77W and 3x78J in 2H2018.

flight152 · Thu Sep 07, 2017 3:20 pm

fun2fly wrote:
With the announcement of IAH>SYD, we know where 2 of the 4 new 789's due in Dec/Jan/Feb are headed for UA. Two more to figure out. Next bunch of routes will have to coincide with 4x77W and 3x78J in 2H2018.

What's really interesting is that the IAH 787 crew base is closing.

FSDan · Thu Sep 07, 2017 4:39 pm

flight152 wrote:
fun2fly wrote:
With the announcement of IAH>SYD, we know where 2 of the 4 new 789's due in Dec/Jan/Feb are headed for UA. Two more to figure out. Next bunch of routes will have to coincide with 4x77W and 3x78J in 2H2018.

What's really interesting is that the IAH 787 crew base is closing.

I'm sure the 789 will rotate to IAH from LAX-SYD or SFO-SYD. Otherwise, there are enough 789s sitting on the ground at LAX and SFO during the day to do a SFO-IAH or LAX-IAH rotation.

CriticalPoint · Thu Sep 07, 2017 4:49 pm

flight152 wrote:
fun2fly wrote:
With the announcement of IAH>SYD, we know where 2 of the 4 new 789's due in Dec/Jan/Feb are headed for UA. Two more to figure out. Next bunch of routes will have to coincide with 4x77W and 3x78J in 2H2018.

What's really interesting is that the IAH 787 crew base is closing.

They are haulting the closing and retraining of crews. They are going to reopen it and rebid it.

flight152 · Thu Sep 07, 2017 5:07 pm

FSDan wrote:
flight152 wrote:
fun2fly wrote:
With the announcement of IAH>SYD, we know where 2 of the 4 new 789's due in Dec/Jan/Feb are headed for UA. Two more to figure out. Next bunch of routes will have to coincide with 4x77W and 3x78J in 2H2018.

What's really interesting is that the IAH 787 crew base is closing.

I'm sure the 789 will rotate to IAH from LAX-SYD or SFO-SYD. Otherwise, there are enough 789s sitting on the ground at LAX and SFO during the day to do a SFO-IAH or LAX-IAH rotation.

Right. Aircraft rotation is easy. Crew rest isn't when dealing with such a long flight under 117 when you don't have a crew base where the flight is originating. Seems it's now a non issue.

calpsafltskeds · Thu Sep 07, 2017 8:39 pm

Great News!
What ETOPS does the 789 have? There is a triangle that goes over the Great Circle route if ETOPS 180 or 207 and a small triangle slightly south of the route for ETOPS 240. Only ETOPS 330 is totally clear sailing.
Interesting that UA would announce this right after Harvey as there will be impacts to IAH for quite a while. Maybe UA wanted to bolster IAH at this time.

OK, flights are loaded for Northern Winter (triple swapout capability at SYD
IAH 2000 SYD 0630 (assume LAX and SFO arrive about the same time in Northern Winter)
SYD 0945 IAH 1045 (assume LAX and SFO depart about the same time in Northern Winter)

calpsafltskeds · Fri Sep 08, 2017 3:43 am

763:
N644UA showing first Polaris flight 110/8Sep EWR-LHR

UAX Update from another forum
E145:
N16918 has left the fleet, aircraft sold

CRJ200:
Air Wisconsin has 6 frames, all now in active service in Globe livery
N408AW (2000)
N409AW (2000)
N419AW (2002)
N420AW (2002)
N423AW (2002)
N424AW (2002)

Q300:
N837CA has left the fleet
N839CA has left the fleet
The entire Q300 Fleet has now been returned to lessors. CommutAir is now flying an entirely E45 and Q200 fleet.

FSDan · Fri Sep 08, 2017 2:23 pm

calpsafltskeds wrote:
The entire Q300 Fleet has now been returned to lessors. CommutAir is now flying an entirely E45 and Q200 fleet.

Are there any plans for the Q200 fleet to go in the near future?

atcsundevil · Fri Sep 08, 2017 3:06 pm

FSDan wrote:
calpsafltskeds wrote:
The entire Q300 Fleet has now been returned to lessors. CommutAir is now flying an entirely E45 and Q200 fleet.

Are there any plans for the Q200 fleet to go in the near future?

They'll be gone around January.

CALTECH · Sat Sep 09, 2017 1:09 am

calpsafltskeds wrote:
CALTECH, do you have a version of the photo that shows more of the configuration that might include measurements across the aircraft. Do you have same diagrams for 77W? From what I see, 308 inches is for 4 units, meaning each unit takes 77 inches front to back. It would be interesting to get a measurement of total length and total width of a seat pair for the each type of equipment UA has revealed so far.
It would have made more sense to number the outside seats 1AB through 5AB and 1KL through 5KL, that would make it pretty consistent with the 2 class units - I'm sure there will be swaps between 2 class and Polaris units for over a ear.
As for center section which is all D now, I think 1DE through 5DE would be more accommodating to current 2 class. Who care if that shows that the configuration is "8 across"?
Do you know what's going on with 752 N19117? It's been in MCN since 5/31/17.

VC10er · Sat Sep 09, 2017 4:44 pm

CALTACH, that's the 767 in those links, right? That looks like the most comfortable layout in both classes! thanks!

calpsafltskeds · Sat Sep 09, 2017 5:40 pm

Thanks CALTECH.
Photos 1-4 are 77W. The 5th and 6th are definitely 767 as you can see the seating arrangement - 7th through 9th should be the 767, but possible 77W. Last photo has "777" above the color screen.

CALTECH · Sat Sep 09, 2017 6:27 pm

calpsafltskeds wrote:
Do you know what's going on with 752 N19117? It's been in MCN since 5/31/17.

She is scheduled for a test hop today. Very heavy maintenance, a 8C check, with some issues, all fixed up, should come into service soon.

calpsafltskeds · Sat Sep 09, 2017 7:54 pm

Best of luck to Florida with Irma.
These UA aircraft are in MIA maintenance:
738: N76528 entered 8/14/17, slimlines
738: N78540, new delivery entered Induction 8/28/17
752: N12116 entered 8/31/17, scimitars
763: N670UA entered 8/9/17, maint

CALTECH · Sat Sep 09, 2017 10:04 pm

Irma had a Cuban sandwich today and had some indigestion. Hoping the people in Cuba are okay and Irma rains out in the gulf....

aaflyer222 · Sat Sep 09, 2017 10:27 pm

c5 q200 n368ph is out of service and stored

UAinAUS · Sun Sep 10, 2017 2:07 am

aaflyer222 wrote:
c5 q200 n368ph is out of service and stored

Are you sure about this? I only ask because Halifax is where the Dash-8 fleet goes for maintenance. Over the past few months there has always been at least one Q200 there, usually for about 3 weeks at a time.

iahcsr · Sun Sep 10, 2017 5:53 am

789
N26970 has been in SEA for two weeks now. Induction was done in DEN before going north. Any info on what's going on with it?

hkcanadaexpat · Sun Sep 10, 2017 8:08 am

calpsafltskeds wrote:
763:
N644UA showing first Polaris flight 110/8Sep EWR-LHR

It operated another EWR-LHR turn on 9/Sep. On both flights it replaced 2-class aircraft rather than 3-class aircraft (both operate EWR-LHR flights) so most likely the initial flights will be subs of 763 2-class flights.

KVH68 · Sun Sep 10, 2017 12:09 pm

iahcsr wrote:
789
N26970 has been in SEA for two weeks now. Induction was done in DEN before going north. Any info on what's going on with it?

Airplane was supposed to leave SEA on the 7th, but they found something in the cabin that was installed in the wrong location. There is no routing for the plane at this time.

aaflyer222 · Sun Sep 10, 2017 5:11 pm

when will c5 start removing q200 aircraft?

VC10er · Sun Sep 10, 2017 8:19 pm

Does anybody know how many different "sizes/configurations or versions" of the Polaris seat will need to come in to be fit into the 77W, 767, 787? (I assume the 772 would be the same as the 77W)

I assume there is no Polaris seat for the 757 ever in the future?

calpsafltskeds · Sun Sep 10, 2017 8:45 pm

I would think there would be a different Polaris seat for 1.) 767-300/400, 2.) 772/77W, 3.) 788/789/7810 - all these aircraft have different fuselage widths.
A Polaris product should fit in the 752, but it may be either too expensive to install, or lose too many seats to install. The biggest reason it may not happen is that if you do the 41 sCO units, which are used on International and on lots of Transcons, then wouldn't you have to do it on sUA ps units for consistency?
My guess is UA will keep them with sCO style flat beds and try their best to keep them on international markets that are not as competitive or have a lower premiums seat demand.

atcsundevil · Sun Sep 10, 2017 9:34 pm

calpsafltskeds wrote:
I would think there would be a different Polaris seat for 1.) 767-300/400, 2.) 772/77W, 3.) 788/789/7810 - all these aircraft have different fuselage widths.
A Polaris product should fit in the 752, but it may be either too expensive to install, or lose too many seats to install. The biggest reason it may not happen is that if you do the 41 sCO units, which are used on International and on lots of Transcons, then wouldn't you have to do it on sUA ps units for consistency?
My guess is UA will keep them with sCO style flat beds and try their best to keep them on international markets that are not as competitive or have a lower premiums seat demand.

I'm not really sure the full Polaris product is really necessary for the 752, to be honest. The flights just aren't long enough to justify the space and relative luxury (also see: expense). They're also operating domestically a lot more frequently, so their international ops importance has somewhat diminished. I think it's all dependent on how much longer the 752 fleet will stick around, and how they plan to continue operating them. Many of the sCO aircraft still have quite a bit of life left in them, so maybe a Polaris Lite product should be considered. Maybe a design that's a little more "off the shelf" to keep costs down, but can be a nice upgrade from the existing product. There's nothing inherently wrong with the old sCO BF seats, but not only are they looking rather dated, but they're not nearly as comfortable compared to newer products.

I would very much like to see some investment in the 752 fleet so that they hang around for another 8-10 years until a proper successor can be inducted into the fleet. However, I'm not completely convinced the costs are justified unless they're primarily intl or premium transcon. If they do keep them, I just hope they will have learned their lesson from the mistakes of the 744 and 763 fleets — they kept terrible, outdated products on those aircraft assuming they'd be retired, but when it was decided to hang onto them, no one could make a decision when it came to maintaining a competitive on board product. The result was a 744 with no IFE apart from overhead for years (until they finally caved and installed PDE), the dreaded ghetto birds, and ratty-looking 20 year old Y cabins on the three class 763. If they're going to keep the 752 for a while longer, they'll need to make at least a modest update so it doesn't turn into a pariah like the 744/763.

UAinAUS · Mon Sep 11, 2017 12:58 am

aaflyer222 wrote:
when will c5 start removing q200 aircraft?

C5 should be ending the prop service out of EWR Nov 1. I'd guess a few will begin to leave just prior to then. The props will continue to operate routes out of IAD until Feb 2018.

cosyr · Mon Sep 11, 2017 1:06 am

I think Polaris would be a perfect fit for the MOM concept with 6 seats across and a larger center aisle, that left room for 2 aisles in J. 2 Polaris seats is too narrow to be equal to 3 Y seats, but 6 of them (1-1-1 staggared rows, might just fit in with that wider aisle. It would have to be just a little bit different configuration than the 767, perhaps fewer rows of only forward facing center seats, eliminating the angled rows?

I absolutely love the idea of this concept, if it makes small European markets profitable, but the larger aisle allows for true international J and the ability for Y pax to pass a cart, similar to a twin aisle. It is brilliant, and it doesn't need to be a full double aisle to achieve that goal, and avoid too much of a waste of floor space on the plane to hurt efficiency.

VC10er · Mon Sep 11, 2017 9:24 am

I have been thinking all along that all the 757's need is an off the self, but decorated in a similar fashion to Polaris, product and with all aisle access. It need not be exactly the same. New lavatories for sure. The interiors are not in good shape, so new sidewalls and bulkheads would do wonders. Currently it's very dated and behind competition even for ps. If you are going to fly to Asia Pacific from SFO/LAX but start/finish the journey from EWR, IAD or BOS, me thinks it needs to be "nice" all the way. Especially for weary business sky warriors!
I find that sleeping in the current BF seat is fine, but that's about it. The crawl over from the window just needs to be resigned to history once and for all.
I've flown Polaris on the 77W, the forward facing seat, and I really loved it. I'm looking forward to doing the same on the 767 as it's my favorite tube size. The 787 will be spectacular with that aircraft's windows and higher cabin pressure etc. I don't know how UA could do it, but the sooner the 787s that fly the ULH flights (with IAH/SYD coming) get the real hard product- United won't be the dread of the premium business flier any longer. But the 772's need them bad as well. If I had to go to HK from EWR, I'd go through SFO for the 77W at the expense of a nonstop!
Privacy is as critical as sleeping. Once I had a seat mate who was a missionary who read the Bible to me the moment my eyeshades were off. I have no issue with faith but there are times when a stranger can seriously impact your 12 hour experience!
Polaris is private enough without being claustrophobic - and the bed comfort is amazing for a lie flat seat.

UnitedTristar · Tue Sep 12, 2017 12:49 am

UAinAUS wrote:
aaflyer222 wrote:
c5 q200 n368ph is out of service and stored

Are you sure about this? I only ask because Halifax is where the Dash-8 fleet goes for maintenance. Over the past few months there has always been at least one Q200 there, usually for about 3 weeks at a time.

We taxied past her yesterday. Painted out and taped over in YHZ.

-m

CriticalPoint · Wed Sep 13, 2017 12:46 am

Anyone know when Direct TV is going to be pulled off the 737s?

calpsafltskeds · Wed Sep 13, 2017 1:00 am

UA announced some routes today. From USA Today

Newark-Porto (OPO)
Begins May 4 and runs through Oct. 4. United will fly one daily round-trip flight on Boeing 757 aircraft.

Newark-Reykjavik (KEF)
Begins May 23 and runs through Oct. 4. United will fly one daily round-trip flight on Boeing 757 aircraft. Flight time is scheduled for 5 hours, 40 minutes eastbound and 6 hours, 10 minutes westbound.

Washington Dulles-Edinburgh, Scotland
Begins May 23 and runs through Oct. 4. United will fly one daily round-trip flight on Boeing 757 aircraft.

San Francisco-Zurich
Begins June 7 and runs through Oct. 27. United will fly one daily round-trip flight on Boeing 787-8 “Dreamliner” aircraft.

Also extends Seasonal routes as below:
ORD-EDI (May 4 through Oct. 26); SFO-MUC (May 4 through Oct. 26); ORD-DUB (April 9 through Oct. 26); and IAD-LIS (April 9 through Oct. 26).

Add this to recently announced additions of LAX-SIN, IAH-SYD, EWR-EZE

BG777300ER · Wed Sep 13, 2017 2:06 am

VC10er wrote:
The 787 will be spectacular with that aircraft's windows and higher cabin pressure etc. I don't know how UA could do it, but the sooner the 787s that fly the ULH flights (with IAH/SYD coming) get the real hard product- United won't be the dread of the premium business flier any longer. But the 772's need them bad as well. If I had to go to HK from EWR, I'd go through SFO for the 77W at the expense of a nonstop!
Privacy is as critical as sleeping. Once I had a seat mate who was a missionary who read the Bible to me the moment my eyeshades were off. I have no issue with faith but there are times when a stranger can seriously impact your 12 hour experience!
Polaris is private enough without being claustrophobic - and the bed comfort is amazing for a lie flat seat.

Totally agree you with you on the long route 787s needing Polaris ASAP.

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