They prolly just want an option to beat Delta at retiring the 747s! They want to beat Delta at something, and the A350s aren't coming till 2018. :)



Delta CEO: Boeing 747s will be retired by 2017

My thoughts were if they had a downgraded to a 772, there has to be more than a handful of passengers continuing on to other cities besides HKG. Put them on United EWR-NRT flight then get them to BKK, SGN, SIN on NH or TG. Basically a downgrade to a 772 from a 77W wouldn't be that huge of a hit.

I'm trying hard to be optimistic, so let's say these are growth aircraft. How many pilot's does it take to staff 10 777's?

We don't do nrt-hkg anymore. That would be ANA.

Dang...I was just kidding (sort of) but look what Flightglobal is saying...






United could convert widebody orders to the 777-300ER
By: EDWARD RUSSELLWASHINGTON DC Source: in an hour
United Airlines could convert some of its existing widebody orderbook to the Boeing 777-300ER, following reports that it is preparing to order 10 of the widebody aircraft.

"We are not currently considering purchasing incremental widebody aircraft," a spokesperson for the Chicago-based carrier tells Flightglobal. "We do, however, have the ability to negotiate the substitution of certain aircraft types for other aircraft types as part of our flexible fleet plan, and we are considering the Boeing 777-300ER in this context."

United has firm widebody orders for 24 Boeing 787-9s and 27 787-10s, as well as options for another 10 787-8s and a letter of intent for 36 787s, the Ascend Fleets database shows. It also has firm orders for 35 Airbus A350-1000s.

The comments follow a Bloomberg report that the airline is preparing to place an order for 10 777-300ERs in the near future.

United has a very "measured [and] metred" approach to replacing aircraft in its widebody fleet, its chief financial officer John Rainey has said. This includes the nearly one-for-one replacement of older widebodies as it has taken delivery of 14 787-8s and 787-9s since 2013.

The 787-9 is replacing Boeing 767-300ERs while the A350-1000s are planned as replacements for the airline's 23 ageing Boeing 747-400s, various United executives have said.

United has 148 older generation widebody aircraft in its fleet, including the 747-400s, 51 767-300ERs and 767-400s, and 74 Boeing 777-200s, its most recent fleet plan shows.

Converting existing Boeing orders to the 777-300ER could provide United with a more direct replacement for its 747s sooner than the Airbus widebody. The 777 variant carries 386 passengers in a typical three-class configuration compared to just 369 passengers on the A350-1000 in a typical two-class configuration, the manufacturers' websites show.

United's 747-400s are configured with 374 seats in three classes.

In addition, Boeing has 777 delivery slots available beginning in 2016, Ascend shows. It has 75 deliveries scheduled next year with an annual production target of about 100 aircraft.

This is about two years earlier than United's first A350 delivery, which is scheduled for 2018.

Low seat mile costs could also be a driver behind the potential order conversion. Joao Miguel Santos, Boeing Commercial Airlines' director of sales for Africa, told Flightglobal in September that the 777-300ER has “lower seat-mile costs” than the larger 747-8, which imply that the aircraft has significantly lower costs than the 747-8s predecessor the 747-400.

Boeing could be offering the 777-300ER to United at a lower capital cost than the 787 variants as well. The airframer is known to be seeking "bridge" orders for the widebody for deliveries from about 2016 or 2017 through the introduction of the 777X in 2020. Large discounts are common for these end-of-the-line deliveries.

United could convert widebody orders to the 777-300ER - 1/20/2015 - Flight Global

half the "experts" agree with you. The rest disagree. With all due respect, it is all speculation - no one knows for sure.

I another day or two, we will find out if UAL's "oil experts" were right or wrong on this subject.

Well this is starting to get interesting.... and not in a good way.

Lest you all think that I'm thinking that Smisek is up on a grassy knoll conspiracy theorist, I do not for one second think that UCH Management is making fleet decisions with the pilot groups in mind. That being said, this could shape up to be a real pain for the LUAL pilot group.

Reports are coming out now that the 10 777-300ER's will NOT be growth airplanes or even new orders. They will be conversions of 787-9's, and will be used to retire the 747-400 early. I'm sure you all can see where I'm going with this. Parking airplanes early that LUAL has fenced off, and at some point stopping the arrival of the airplane that LCAL has fenced off. If they stop arriving before the 25th airplane........ Starting to think the 5 year fence provision will come into play.

Remind me again which Merger Committee wanted fences and which one didn't?

Interesting indeed.