My guess is that we will see no change in the companies position. They will do as they please and let us know about it afterward, just as they always have.

My prediction: Within the next three months, UPS will announce furlough recall along with 747-8 aircraft orders. Yes, you heard it here first!

Or...they'll ask for concessions, threaten more furloughs and talk about parking 757's or closing MIA.

They sense that perhaps (note I say perhaps) the weaker elements (who were falling all over themselves to give concessions) of the EB have the upper hand. And as any Seinfeld fan knows, it's all about "hand". ;)

And they're going to need it!

You're basing this prediction on...what?

Perhaps the economies of scale of running 15 747-8s vs. 30 777Fs - not to mention common type and crew quals (reducing pilot #s and therefore cost).

I've always thought that UPS would have to counter FedEx's 777Fs on their "non-stop" pickup times out of Asia.

However, until the 747-8Fs get certified and their fuel burns become tested (and not just advertised by the sales team), I could understand no one wanting to pony up to the bar to buy any.

If the airplane really can take a full load (or at least a traditionally bulked out load but not a MGTOW load) out of Asia non-stop to SDF, it would make sense to add them to the fleet.

It would also be a big win for Boeing as their have been few orders of the 747-8 and they need orders to make the project profitable.

JMHO

Yes, well that should do it. Because everyone knows and understands the benevolence of UPS, and we should expect them to go out and spend millions on those jets, because Boeing could use the money.:rolleyes:

I agree to a point, however there is one fly in the soup. UPS simply does not want to serve that market in the way it's competitor chooses to. It can make all the business sense in the world but if UPS isn't interested, fuggedaboutid!

Non pilot UPS manager told me at a bar in ANC one night that UPS has every intention to match FedEx in that market. He said that they have no choice but to offer the same service as FedEx. They won't be the first to offer the service, but if FedEx proves it's viable UPS will start doing it.

I'm not sure ER mentioned anything about UPS making this move because of it's benevolence, merely that it would be a win for Boeing should they so choose.:rolleyes: