GoCats67

No, sorry didn't mean to imply that. They are only taking out the bunks on the B models that they are converting to the high density configuration.
The bunk is removed during the interior reconfiguration process. So when an aircraft gets configured into the high density version it also loses its' bunk.

Looks like it may only be 4 of the B models that are going to be reconfigured. N222UA is already re-configured. N219UA, N220UA, and N221UA are slated to be configured at some point. All 4 of those aircraft are 2001 builds, so pretty new among the legacy UA 777s.

JoePatroni

The 767-400 has been doing single augmented flights from EWR-ATH for years.

Hedley

The problem with getting rid of the bunks is that a nice 3 day can turn into a 4 day for the same pay. IAH-MUC was a 4 day on the 767-300. IAH-FRA was a 3 day on the 777 because they had actual bunks instead of a seat in the cabin with a curtain.

GoCats67

True, but the 767-400 crew rest seat is not restricted. The 777-200 high density crew rest is restricted by 5-J-1-d-(1) which is a carry over from the original restriction in place on the legacy UA side of things when we first started using this configuration on the ORD-HNL leg. The company did not have the ability to use the airplane on that leg because the crew rest was not approved by ALPA. The original high density configuration had a domestic first class seat up front, so the negotiations over what flights it could be operated on using those seats for rest were quite contentious. Those negotiations resulted in a bunch of restrictions which included that the only augmented segment it could be used on was to/from Hawaii. When the first class seat was changed to the old business class seats, the restriction on the segments it could be used on remained in the contract and are now what you see in 5-J-1-d-(1) Since the old business seats don't meet the requirements of an approvable 2nd class rest seat, I don't see ALPA changing that anytime soon.

The 767s seats (300s and 400s) aren't much better, but never had the restriction and they can be used as 2nd class rest seats, so off to Europe they go.

Dave Fitzgerald

Actually, seat 1A on the high density config has a heavy curtain. I believe it is classified as a class III rest facility. I don't think the company has plans to use it regularly, except ORD-HNL. Single augment on the A's.

But, those plane would be good to use across the Atlantic, more seats.

rickair7777

May not fly until next year...

https://www.reuters.com/business/aer...ar-2021-08-30/

Dave Fitzgerald

Saw that, not very encouraging.

The rumors about the cowl mods might be true--being difficult to pass a test they've never envisioned before.

JurgenKlopp

Company has done everything they can to bring them back. We are at mercy of FAA which thanks to MAX debacle makes things horrendously unpredictable.

ChalupaBatman

Looks like it’s time to break the emergency glass and pull the A350 deliveries up.


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butchf16

WSJ NEWS EXCLUSIVE BUSINESS - Monday, August 30

United Jets With Engines in Denver Incident May Not Fly Until Next Year

Federal regulators are weighing additional safeguards for some of the airline’s Boeing 777s after a February engine incident over Colorado

The FAA effectively grounded United’s Pratt & Whitney-powered 777 jets until their engine fan blades could undergo inspections for potential cracks.

By Andrew Tangel
Aug. 30, 2021 5:30 am ET

Dozens of United Airlines Holdings Inc. UAL 1.49% jets like the one that lost an engine cover over Colorado in February aren’t expected to fly until early next year, as federal regulators weigh additional safeguards, people briefed on the matter said.

United had hoped to resume flying the wide-body jets this summer. Returning the planes to service has taken longer than expected as federal regulators consider potential new requirements for certain Boeing Co. BA 2.42% 777 jets powered by Pratt & Whitney engines, before they again carry passengers, these people said. United has 52 such jets in its fleet.

U.S. air-safety regulators are considering an additional type of engine-blade inspection and a proposed Boeing modification aimed at preventing engine covers from ripping off should an engine fan blade break during flight, these people said.

The Federal Aviation Administration hasn’t yet determined what additional safeguards it might require before the aircraft return to service. An agency spokeswoman declined to comment on any proposals, saying the agency’s work was continuing. The FAA could make a decision in coming weeks, according to people familiar with the agency’s deliberations.

The United 777 incident in February occurred shortly after takeoff from Denver. Investigators determined a fan blade in one of the plane’s two engines fractured, leading the engine’s cover to rip off midair and rain down parts on the ground below.

No one was injured, and the Hawaii-bound flight returned safely to the Denver airport. It was the third such incident in recent years and prompted the FAA to effectively ground United’s Pratt & Whitney-powered 777 jets until the planes’ engine fan blades could undergo immediate inspections for potential cracks. United had two dozen of the planes in service at the time; the rest were in storage because of the pandemic’s travel slump.

As air traffic picked up along with Covid-19 vaccinations, United had hoped to resume flying the jets this summer. In July, the airline estimated the planes’ grounding would in part contribute to a 6-percentage-point increase in nonfuel costs in the third quarter.

The unavailable planes have limited potential service to Hawaii and between major hubs, Andrew Nocella, United’s chief commercial officer, said in July. The situation has also hindered United’s ability to fly cargo-only flights as it has needed its in-service fleet to meet increasing passenger demand. “We just have less flexibility on this front,” he said.

In addition to mandating immediate inspections, FAA Administrator Steve Dickson has told U.S. lawmakers the agency would require the plane and engine makers to strengthen the engine covers.

A Boeing spokeswoman said the plane maker was working closely with the FAA, the engine maker and its customers to safely return the 777s to service. She said the company is completing design changes, which require FAA approval.

As Boeing has been developing a fix for engine covers, United has been working with Pratt & Whitney on an additional way to inspect engines’ blades using ultrasonic technology, said people familiar with the proposed method. Pratt & Whitney is a unit of Raytheon Technologies Corp. RTX 0.76%

United has found the method to be highly accurate and able to be used frequently, some of these people said. The airline has been setting up stations for the additional inspections at certain locations, including at San Francisco’s airport.