Originally Posted by nopac6 (Post 1560165)

Evidently you don't fly west coast to HI then my friend. As far as an urban legend, I heard it from your own guys in LAX ops and in HNL ops. United DOES block seats on many 737 Hawaii flights, you can believe it or not, it's up to you. Replacing an older 757 with a newer 739 is NOT a sound strategy if the airplane isn't up to the task and according to your own pilots, quite often it isn't.

As far as the passengers, of course they'd prefer a newer interior over an older one, ALL OTHER THINGS BEING EQUAL. But if you think anybody gets online at Kayak.com or Orbitz or any of the other fare comparison websites and has their travel decisions affected by the type of aircraft on the route you're nuts. Fare and expediency (best connections) are 99% of the decision-making process. Hell, most passengers wouldn't know a 757 from a Ford Tri-Motor, let alone an older 757 vs a newer 737.

Look, I'm glad we're getting a *** load of new airplanes and I think the 738 and 739 are good machines when used on the right routes. But seeing what the Smallsack-led management has done to our mainland-Hawaii flying is heartbreaking. Don't take my word for it, talk to the people who really know: the agents on the west coast and in the islands. You want to see EMBARRASSMENT, go talk to those poor people.

Originally Posted by Probe (Post 1560073)

As far as passenger experience there is very little difference. Yeah the old TV's hanging in the isle aren't that great. But neither are the little 12 inch LCD's, 3-4 rows up from you.

Both suck compared to an Airbus or 190 with 1 inch wider seats, and LiveTV for free like Jetblows.

Originally Posted by Probe (Post 1560073)

Knotcher;
I disagree with the guppies being "new". The airplane might be straight off the assembly line, but it is at the end of its' product cycle. We are buying "old" generation airplanes, that will have to compete with 320NEO's and GuppyMAX's for the next 25 years.

I think the timing on buying more NG's is way, way off. Should have bought NEO's. 321's with big motors are a gigantic step up from 900ER's, and the 321 NEO is going to do an almost good enough imitation of a 757 for most airlines needs. 900ER's are an abortion by comparison.

As far as passenger experience there is very little difference. Yeah the old TV's hanging in the isle aren't that great. But neither are the little 12 inch LCD's, 3-4 rows up from you.

Both suck compared to an Airbus or 190 with 1 inch wider seats, and LiveTV for free like Jetblows.

Originally Posted by CALFO (Post 1560235)

Probe,

Have you been on a ucal 737?

Originally Posted by teedog (Post 1560310)

Ya they suck! the guppy is so uncomfortable the seats are like sitting on a pan no leg room no head room, Do you think it is normal to shoot an approach at 160 kts boeing needs to rethink. Oh ya they call them NG and other things say it state of the art but all the 73 is, is an old 707 having to bring the gen online after eng start ***!

Originally Posted by teedog (Post 1560310)

Ya they suck! the guppy is so uncomfortable the seats are like sitting on a pan no leg room no head room, Do you think it is normal to shoot an approach at 160 kts boeing needs to rethink. Oh ya they call them NG and other things say it state of the art but all the 73 is, is an old 707 having to bring the gen online after eng start ***!

Originally Posted by nopac6 (Post 1560165)

Evidently you don't fly west coast to HI then my friend. As far as an urban legend, I heard it from your own guys in LAX ops and in HNL ops. United DOES block seats on many 737 Hawaii flights, you can believe it or not, it's up to you. Replacing an older 757 with a newer 739 is NOT a sound strategy if the airplane isn't up to the task and according to your own pilots, quite often it isn't.

As far as the passengers, of course they'd prefer a newer interior over an older one, ALL OTHER THINGS BEING EQUAL. But if you think anybody gets online at Kayak.com or Orbitz or any of the other fare comparison websites and has their travel decisions affected by the type of aircraft on the route you're nuts. Fare and expediency (best connections) are 99% of the decision-making process. Hell, most passengers wouldn't know a 757 from a Ford Tri-Motor, let alone an older 757 vs a newer 737.

Look, I'm glad we're getting a *** load of new airplanes and I think the 738 and 739 are good machines when used on the right routes. But seeing what the Smallsack-led management has done to our mainland-Hawaii flying is heartbreaking. Don't take my word for it, talk to the people who really know: the agents on the west coast and in the islands. You want to see EMBARRASSMENT, go talk to those poor people.

Originally Posted by CALFO (Post 1560356)

It is extremely laborious to reach up and flip that switch. By the way, the 737 does have automatic gen switching under some circumstances.

My question (to Probe) was related to the entertainment. He seems to be under the impression that the Guppy does not have in seat tv. It does.

Personally, I wish we would take the ual 757's and bring them up to cal standards, with personal ife and updated cabin. It's a better plane than the 737, no doubt.

Originally Posted by Airhoss (Post 1560410)

I rode in a 900 the other night EWR to DEN that had no entertainment system at all. Nothing. I guess it hadn't been retrofitted yet? This was not the first one I've been on that was sans TV in the back.

There are several 757-200's that have been upgraded to PS. However the majority of the 757's are slated for retirement. The fact that the 757 is a more capable airplane than any 737 is irrefutable. The fact that they are getting old and that Boeing builds nothing that replaces them is also irrefutable. Sad to say but the new generation Airbus narrow bodies are a decent replacement.