Originally Posted by FlyingKat (Post 2895918)

Thats what I had heard too until I heard from from a source in a place to know. The only people who really know are the company negotiators and the union negotiators so you can't say for sure one way or the other. But this is from a good source at United and that is all I will say. I think UAL management is ready for however it breaks. Either scope relief, a flow down, and more 170s OR no scope relief, no flow rights, and 200 550s. What I also heard was the 550 was a game changer in the negotiations. We'll see....

Originally Posted by SureJetz (Post 2895844)

That would also mean flow up rights as well.... Nobody currently can see that on the table...

It can’t go only one direction.

Originally Posted by SureJetz (Post 2895947)

As has been stated time and again. The 550 is just a stop gap. It’s just a big 50 seater with bad CASM and good passenger comfort. Not a threat to scope. It buys United 3-4 yrs if they can’t get traction with the United Union.

Originally Posted by FlyingKat (Post 2895953)

The 550 is about showing the UAL pilots that management has another option besides a 100 seater at mainline. Its a ploy, nothing more. If they get scope relief the 550s will be gone. However if UAL is stuck with present scope you will see a whole lot of them, and some of the present 50 seaters will be replaced by 550s. You could easily get 200 550s as 700s are replaced by 170s similiar to what Northwest/Delta did with the DC-9-30s as other airlines park them for newer aircraft.

Originally Posted by SureJetz (Post 2895996)

There isn't 200 700 aircraft currently flying for United....

-25 GoJet (with orders for 25 more)
-19 SkyWest
-20 Mesa

That's sub 100 jets.... The others come from the boneyard and Air Wisconsin flies them in replacement for their aging 200 fleet? That's 50 more.. Still sub 150 jets. Where do all these planes and pilots to fly them come from?!?


United has other stronger cards to play with the heavy 767/787/777 planes. That's where their leverage comes from.

Originally Posted by FlyingKat (Post 2896021)

You are making the mistake of assuming everyone is keeping the 700s when the market is moving away from it. If Delta decides to start replacing Endeavors 700s with 170s (which has been rumored for a while) for a start. Or replaces them with 220s at mainline. There are already a bunch parked in the desert. Most of the 550s made already came from the boneyard. If United wants to throw enough money around the airframes are there as many airlines are looking to get rid of tired 700s for brand new 170s. Over the next couple of years there will be plenty of used 700s around as airlines park them and replace them with newer aircraft.



Yes they do. What I said about United plans for the 550 comes from a very good source.

Originally Posted by FlyingKat (Post 2896021)

You are making the mistake of assuming everyone is keeping the 700s when the market is moving away from it. If Delta decides to start replacing Endeavors 700s with 170s (which has been rumored for a while) for a start. Or replaces them with 220s at mainline. There are already a bunch parked in the desert. Most of the 550s made already came from the boneyard. If United wants to throw enough money around the airframes are there as many airlines are looking to get rid of tired 700s for brand new 170s. Over the next couple of years there will be plenty of used 700s around as airlines park them and replace them with newer aircraft.



Yes they do. What I said about United plans for the 550 comes from a very good source.

Originally Posted by SureJetz (Post 2896031)

You said it yourself. Tired airframes. These planes are tired. If united wants to make them into 50-seaters with expensive maintenance costs and questionable reliability (on routes with loyal customers) then why should United pilots care?

It's a 3-4 year stop gap, nothing more.

Originally Posted by KelvinHelmholtz (Post 2896023)

700s are coming to Endeavor, not 170s. Delta doesn’t want to add another fleet type to Endeavor at this time. Just like the other unsubstantiated rumors you have spread over the last few years, I am going to assume this one is false too.