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UA/CO B744 --- Domestic Repo Flights
For those of you who follow the schedules close, could you please suggest which city pairs and (repo) flights are most common for someone to book a flight on the 744 domestically? I have no need for Asian flights, so how would one book, here in the states, for some 744 "just the hell of it" flying? Cheers
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- phishphan70
- Posts: 222
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RE: UA/CO B744 --- Domestic Repo Flights
SFO-ORD and SFO-DEN tend to get a lot of repositioning flights. I may be mistaken, but i believe SFO-IAD is also a good choice.
Just thinking about domestic 744's, I once saw a KE 744F taking off from runway 1R at SFO (usually only used for domestic flights) on it's way down to LAX, and it really looked like an airshow stunt. It was off the ground in between the 28's and climbed like a rocket! looked like an empty 757, if you know what i mean!
Cameron
Just thinking about domestic 744's, I once saw a KE 744F taking off from runway 1R at SFO (usually only used for domestic flights) on it's way down to LAX, and it really looked like an airshow stunt. It was off the ground in between the 28's and climbed like a rocket! looked like an empty 757, if you know what i mean!
Cameron
RE: UA/CO B744 --- Domestic Repo Flights
I believe ORD - SFO is one such flight - the bird continues to SYD.
Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own
RE: UA/CO B744 --- Domestic Repo Flights
Ive been looking tonight and I cant find one flight between these pairs (plus LAX) for a bookable 744 flight 
Any other suggestions?
Any other suggestions?
RE: UA/CO B744 --- Domestic Repo Flights
| Quoting United727 (Reply 3): Any other suggestions? |
SFO-ORD has been the most recent regularly scheduled 744 flight for UA, but it isn't on the current schedule. Those flights only appear sporadically in the schedules given that a lot of aircraft rotation can be accomplished more efficiently through spokes rather than domestic hub-to-hub flights. UA does sub their widebodies onto domestic sections to help sort out IRROPS, whether that be due to a spur of the moment need to reposition an aircraft (often due to a mechanical) or to clear a backlog of pax due to weather.
You might try checking around dates of schedule changes, you can often find "irregular" scheduled flights then. For example, there was a one-off DL 744 flight on MSP-ATL to get the 744 out of MSP when they switched to 772 service on MSP-NRT.
RE: UA/CO B744 --- Domestic Repo Flights
The current schedule does not require any repositioning flights as there are adequate stations that can transfer 747s.
Historically the most common repositioning flight is SFO-ORD. This is because SFO is the main hub of 747 flying and ORD is where A checks are done. HKG, NRT and FRA all can rotate 747s, so flying between the cities is not needed, but I wouldn't be surprised to see SFO-ORD pop up in the summer schedule again. It's used as a virtual spare route however so it can easily get downgauged to a 777 3-class + A319. The 747 is needed to cover Hawaii routes if a 777-200 2-class is down for maintenance as it is the only plane with enough capacity to cover the route. Also, UA wants to have a spare 747 in SFO in the morning and ORD in the afternoon. The morning is used in case any of the international departures has a mechanical problem with an inbound airplane. ORD is because the Asia departures are in the afternoon.
Other routes domestic routes can see 747s, but if you are searching for a 3 class plane, 767s and 777s appear on domestic routes more often (especially ORD-DEN).
Historically the most common repositioning flight is SFO-ORD. This is because SFO is the main hub of 747 flying and ORD is where A checks are done. HKG, NRT and FRA all can rotate 747s, so flying between the cities is not needed, but I wouldn't be surprised to see SFO-ORD pop up in the summer schedule again. It's used as a virtual spare route however so it can easily get downgauged to a 777 3-class + A319. The 747 is needed to cover Hawaii routes if a 777-200 2-class is down for maintenance as it is the only plane with enough capacity to cover the route. Also, UA wants to have a spare 747 in SFO in the morning and ORD in the afternoon. The morning is used in case any of the international departures has a mechanical problem with an inbound airplane. ORD is because the Asia departures are in the afternoon.
Other routes domestic routes can see 747s, but if you are searching for a 3 class plane, 767s and 777s appear on domestic routes more often (especially ORD-DEN).
If you have never designed an airplane part before, let the real designers do the work!
RE: UA/CO B744 --- Domestic Repo Flights
I miss the days of seeing this type in the regular domestic schedule! Curse 9/11 and high fuel costs...
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- genybustrvlr
- Posts: 105
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RE: UA/CO B744 --- Domestic Repo Flights
My 2 cents...
I suspect UA may want to test these birds on some legacy CO routes and having 744s departing from more domestic airports may require daytime repositioning over the states for reasonable MX spare coverage.
I suspect this would be temporary until the 744 finds its sweet spot in the combined network.
I suspect UA may want to test these birds on some legacy CO routes and having 744s departing from more domestic airports may require daytime repositioning over the states for reasonable MX spare coverage.
I suspect this would be temporary until the 744 finds its sweet spot in the combined network.
RE: UA/CO B744 --- Domestic Repo Flights
| Quoting genybustrvlr (Reply 7): I suspect UA may want to test these birds on some legacy CO routes and having 744s departing from more domestic airports may require daytime repositioning over the states for reasonable MX spare coverage. I suspect this would be temporary until the 744 finds its sweet spot in the combined network. |
I'd expect that if we see the 747 at EWR, it would be rotated from NRT, FRA or (less likely) LHR. EWR-TLV needs capacity so it might make sense to put a 747 on the route if the premium cabins can be filled.
If you have never designed an airplane part before, let the real designers do the work!
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