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calpsafltskeds
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Re: United Fleet Upgrade Status - 2017

Wed Sep 27, 2017 6:20 pm

I'm pretty sure the sCO seats will be upgraded to Polaris after the 763 and 772 3-class aircraft are reconfigured. Removal of F and sUA Business seats on International aircraft has priority. This will take a while. Pretty sure the last 4 789s (coming by Feb 2018) will have sCO seats, then the 7810 along with 4 additional 77W will come delivered with Polaris.

73G:
N16713 entered MIA 2787/21Sep, hopefully for slimline reconfiguration.
 
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adamblang
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Re: United Fleet Upgrade Status - 2017

Wed Sep 27, 2017 7:27 pm

zhiao wrote:
When will UA get rid of the CO seats on the 787 and 772ER?

A few years from now, after the sUA seats are replaced.
 
jumbojet
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Re: United Fleet Upgrade Status - 2017

Thu Sep 28, 2017 1:15 pm

adamblang wrote:
zhiao wrote:
When will UA get rid of the CO seats on the 787 and 772ER?

A few years from now, after the sUA seats are replaced.


I'm very much interested in these UA upgrades, in particular to the 763, 777's and the 787's. I read back 4 pages of this thread and found a lot of answers to the questions I had but I have a few more.

First, I have been a steady DL guy for a loooong time but retirement is around the corner and it will no longer will it be convenient to drive to JFK. EWR will be a breeze from where I live so I am now seriously interested in UA.

I read a few pages back that only 14 of the 763's are being converted? If so, what is the deal with the remaining 21 763's or did I just miss something?

764's, what is the time table for those getting the Polaris mods?

Same with the 772's. UA has 74 of those. Are they all getting done and what is the timeline for those?

Now for the 787's. What a shame they are still being delivered with the old BF seat. Has UA published a timeline for the Polaris mods on those birds? All those high profile routes flown with an amazing plane but with a very dated BF seat.

Like most discerning travelers, having direct aisle access flat bed seating is an absolute must so depending on when UA will be totally finished with Polaris mods is when I will most likely switch to UA.

For the 763 Polaris BF seats, they look great for the solo flyer but what about when you are traveling with a companion or a young kid? It doesn't seem to be very passenger friendly when flying with a companion.

While all these changes at UA seem fascinating, I am hoping that UA's customer service and interaction with the passenger has also improved
 
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atcsundevil
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Re: United Fleet Upgrade Status - 2017

Thu Sep 28, 2017 1:41 pm

jumbojet wrote:
I read a few pages back that only 14 of the 763's are being converted? If so, what is the deal with the remaining 21 763's or did I just miss something?

Originally, only the 21 already converted aircraft were going to be kept in the fleet, with the remainder to be retired. They were modded to two class with the sCO interior, winglets, and several technical mods. They were completely gutted and redone nose to tail inside. The remaining 14 have flown with the old sUA three class, but the decision was made to keep them as well. The entire fleet should be operating at least through the middle of the next decade with these upgrades. The 14 three class aircraft will receive all the same mods as the previous 21, but they'll receive the new interiors with Polaris seating. One aircraft has already been completed, and the rest will rotate in (the mods take about two months once they're in full swing). The remaining aircraft should be done by late next year, so all 763s will have winglets and interiors modded within the past 3-4 years.

jumbojet wrote:
764's, what is the time table for those getting the Polaris mods?

They will be done, but they're not currently the priority. The priority is to phase out all three class aircraft first — the remaining 763s and the sUA 772s. I believe the sCO 772s are due after that, because many of them are going on 10+ years with that interior. The 764s will potentially be after that, but they just had the new sCO seats installed up front around 2012ish, so they're still relatively new and in good condition.

jumbojet wrote:
Same with the 772's. UA has 74 of those. Are they all getting done and what is the timeline for those?

As I previously mentioned, the sUA birds will get priority, and are due to be modded very soon (maybe even starting this winter?). sCO will follow. I don't know how comprehensive the mods will be, if it's just installing Polaris or if it includes the full new cabin package, so that will significantly affect the time it takes to retrofit each aircraft. I would reasonably expect the 777-200ER fleet to be completed sometime in late 2019/early 2020, but it could take longer if they get the full treatment. The non-ER models have all been converted to domestic configurations.

jumbojet wrote:
Now for the 787's. What a shame they are still being delivered with the old BF seat. Has UA published a timeline for the Polaris mods on those birds? All those high profile routes flown with an amazing plane but with a very dated BF seat.

The 787-10s will be delivered with Polaris. It's unfortunate that even new -9s still come with the old seat, but sadly the order plans predate Polaris. Again, other aircraft have priority, so it'll be some time before the 787 gets its turn. It's possible they'll go before the 764, but I agree that the 787 should absolutely be priority to receive cabins befitting of the 787 and the missions which it is tasked. Flying routes to SIN, Australia, LHR, and others demands their most competitive product, not least of which because high value customers will be sitting in them for 15+ hours in many cases. Hopefully they'll get to this fleet sooner than later.

jumbojet wrote:
One last comment. For the 763 Polaris BF seats, they look great for the solo flyer but what about when you are traveling with a companion or a young kid? It doesn't seem to be very passenger friendly when flying with a companion.

I don't think many people have gotten the chance to fly on the one currently in service (it only went into service a couple of weeks ago), but if anyone here has, I'm sure they could speak to this better than I could. I've flown in very similar cabins/setups with companions, and had no complaints. I actually find it easier to sit in front of/behind my companion (e.g. 1A and 2A), but that's just my preference in cabins with private suites.
 
jumbojet
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Re: United Fleet Upgrade Status - 2017

Thu Sep 28, 2017 1:52 pm

@ atcsundevil,

Thanks for the info. It puts everything I was looking for under one post.

As a mostly single traveler, I would love to try the Polaris seat on the 763 but with only one plane completed, the chances of that happening are pretty slim.
 
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cosyr
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Re: United Fleet Upgrade Status - 2017

Thu Sep 28, 2017 2:46 pm

jumbojet wrote:
For the 763 Polaris BF seats, they look great for the solo flyer but what about when you are traveling with a companion or a young kid? It doesn't seem to be very passenger friendly when flying with a companion.


Nobody really seems to have options for flyers together nowadays, at least with a window. We are planning a trip to New Zealand next summer, and because UA will never let you use your miles for J on their own metal, we are flying, Air Canada, Thai, EVA and Air New Zealand, and experiencing 5 different J seats, which I'm excited about, but in 8 flights, I can only sit next to my wife on 1.
 
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atcsundevil
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Re: United Fleet Upgrade Status - 2017

Thu Sep 28, 2017 3:23 pm

jumbojet wrote:
@ atcsundevil,

Thanks for the info. It puts everything I was looking for under one post.

As a mostly single traveler, I would love to try the Polaris seat on the 763 but with only one plane completed, the chances of that happening are pretty slim.

There should be more coming along relatively quickly. I'm assuming they'll ramp up for the winter, and if it's anything like the last mod, they'll have at least two in at once. If they do, then potentially half of the 14 could be done before the end of the winter, with maybe as many as 9 or 10 in service next summer. Once things ramped up with the last mod, they really cranked them out quickly. I think it's just dependent on Zodiac resolving their production issues so they can keep up with the retrofit programs. Hopefully they've learned from their AA debacle and the delays to the UA 77W deliveries, but I'm not terribly confident.
 
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prchan
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Re: United Fleet Upgrade Status - 2017

Thu Sep 28, 2017 3:24 pm

It is all a matter of preferences and priorities...
I agree that it is more convenient to have all aisle access and privacy when you are travelling alone, but this come with a price: if you have a companion, you will sit together only in the middle (in most airlines), and the seats are usually more staggered.
I have been flying on a weekly basis in LATAM's 767s, which has a similar concept to UA: 2-2-2, and although I lose some privacy traveling alone with a stranger by my side, it feels very comfortable to sleep without being staggered (I don't have to fit my feet under anything).
But again...this is a matter of opinion, and it is hard to fit all tastes. If hard product is not worn out and service is ok, then you will have a comfortable ride in any case (all aisle access or 2-2-2)
 
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cosyr
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Re: United Fleet Upgrade Status - 2017

Fri Sep 29, 2017 2:39 am

I kind of like the new Malaysian A330 J seats in concept. Options are good for couples, yet only 3 seats do not have aisle access. Pretty good compromise for couples and singles. Obviously, no set up will ever be best for every scenario.
 
VC10er
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Re: United Fleet Upgrade Status - 2017

Sun Oct 01, 2017 6:23 pm

zhiao wrote:
When will UA get rid of the CO seats on the 787 and 772ER?


I think it will be a very long time before you can count on new seats on either. I even wonder how many E seats and Polaris seats will need to be manufactured to even fulfill the order!
 
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calpsafltskeds
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Re: United Fleet Upgrade Status - 2017

Sun Oct 01, 2017 8:50 pm

73G:
N16709 exited IAH 1638/1Oct with slimlines/new F seats

738:
N76529 entered MCO 1417/29Sep, possible slimlines

UAX update from another poster on another thread.
E175W:
N751YX entered revenue service for UAX with Republic 28Sept
N85355 has been delivered to Mesa

E135:
N11526 is in for fleet exit prep
N15527 is in for fleet exit prep

E145:
N29917 is in for fleet exit prep
E145X:
N11181 has entered revenue service with CommutAir (22nd jet in their fleet)

And the unfortunate CR2 additions continue...
CR2:
N880AS (2002 build) now in UAX service with Skywest (full Globe livery)
N903EV (2002 build) now in UAX service with Skywest (full Globe livery)
N904EV (2002 build) now in UAX service with Skywest (full Globe livery)
N906EV (2002 build) now in UAX service with Skywest (full Globe livery)
 
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calpsafltskeds
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Re: United Fleet Upgrade Status - 2017

Tue Oct 03, 2017 3:15 am

738:
N76529 was a false alarm at MCO - exited quickly, no slimlines
N77542 new delivery, entered MIA Induction 2685/2Oct from BFI
 
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intotheair
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Re: United Fleet Upgrade Status - 2017

Tue Oct 03, 2017 10:14 am

Dumb question perhaps, but since we're seeing CRJ-200 additions to the fleet, will there be any efforts to harmonize the cabins across the different operators?

I've never flown Air Wisconsin, but I unfortunately end up on a fair number of SkyWest CRJ-200s on UA and DL across the west, and the cabins all look the same. Boxy, worn, navy leatherette seats that don't feel right, a gray-ish dot-pattern carpet, yellowed side panels, and a bright red stripe across the overhead bin space. The fragrant smell of the toxic blue juice from the lav is a nice touch in the last few rows too.

I know the ultimate goal is to significantly reduce the number of 50-seaters, but if these awful CR2s are going to stick around for a while, it would at least be nice to see them get updated with maybe some new seats like those on the CR7s, bigger overhead bins (if that's even possible), and some updated cabin lighting.

I also forgot how much slower those CR2s are. My DEN-SBP flight on Sunday night took more than three hours, which seems very long compared to the mainline that I fly on DEN-LAX and DEN-SFO. Hating on CR2s is a sanctioned pastime on here and on FT, but after successfully avoiding the CR2 for about a year and then ending up on two this weekend, I'm once again reminded of how awful that plane is. And for the record, I love DL's CR9s, and the CR7s on UA and DL are fine too.
 
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cosyr
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Re: United Fleet Upgrade Status - 2017

Tue Oct 03, 2017 12:48 pm

calpsafltskeds wrote:
And the unfortunate CR2 additions continue...
CR2:
N880AS (2002 build) now in UAX service with Skywest (full Globe livery)
N903EV (2002 build) now in UAX service with Skywest (full Globe livery)
N904EV (2002 build) now in UAX service with Skywest (full Globe livery)
N906EV (2002 build) now in UAX service with Skywest (full Globe livery)

I thought it was only Air Wisconsin that was adding CR2's? How many of the little buggers is UA going to end up with, ultimately?
 
gon2fly
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Re: United Fleet Upgrade Status - 2017

Tue Oct 03, 2017 1:00 pm

cosyr wrote:
I thought it was only Air Wisconsin that was adding CR2's? How many of the little buggers is UA going to end up with, ultimately?


Fleet Plan shows them ending the year with 84.

http://ir.united.com/company-informatio ... y-overview
 
FSDan
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Re: United Fleet Upgrade Status - 2017

Tue Oct 03, 2017 1:54 pm

I agree it's sad to see UA adding CR2s... Such a miserable aircraft! The ER4s are way better.

Does anyone know how long the ER3s and DH2s will be sticking around? I thought the ER3s were going to be dumped long ago.
 
DBKissORD
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Re: United Fleet Upgrade Status - 2017

Tue Oct 03, 2017 1:57 pm

Are any of the CR2's being added to the fleet getting any sort of cabin refresh? Even a new version of the same would be better than nothing. Also does anyone know what the cycle count / hours limit is for a CR2?
 
AviationAddict
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Re: United Fleet Upgrade Status - 2017

Tue Oct 03, 2017 2:08 pm

FSDan wrote:
I agree it's sad to see UA adding CR2s... Such a miserable aircraft! The ER4s are way better.

Does anyone know how long the ER3s and DH2s will be sticking around? I thought the ER3s were going to be dumped long ago.


To the best of my knowledge there are only three ER3s left and according to the update a few posts above two of them are in fleet exit prep now.
 
iahcsr
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Re: United Fleet Upgrade Status - 2017

Tue Oct 03, 2017 3:53 pm

AviationAddict wrote:
FSDan wrote:
I agree it's sad to see UA adding CR2s... Such a miserable aircraft! The ER4s are way better.

Does anyone know how long the ER3s and DH2s will be sticking around? I thought the ER3s were going to be dumped long ago.


To the best of my knowledge there are only three ER3s left and according to the update a few posts above two of them are in fleet exit prep now.

Close, Five total, with two in exit mode, three still hanging in there.
 
VC10er
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Re: United Fleet Upgrade Status - 2017

Tue Oct 03, 2017 5:56 pm

Does USA haave a chart somewhere of aircraft % complete with new seats/Polaris? (as they did with WiFi etc)
 
audidudi
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Re: United Fleet Upgrade Status - 2017

Tue Oct 03, 2017 6:16 pm

VC10er wrote:
Does USA haave a chart somewhere of aircraft % complete with new seats/Polaris? (as they did with WiFi etc)

I assume you mean "UAL"! AFAIK, only one B763ER and all the B773ERs have Polaris installed so far. Correct?
 
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adamblang
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Re: United Fleet Upgrade Status - 2017

Tue Oct 03, 2017 6:24 pm

There's this but it doesn't seem like it's being updated: http://view.ceros.com/united/polaris-tr ... ktop-4/p/1
 
United1
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Re: United Fleet Upgrade Status - 2017

Tue Oct 03, 2017 6:48 pm

audidudi wrote:
VC10er wrote:
Does USA haave a chart somewhere of aircraft % complete with new seats/Polaris? (as they did with WiFi etc)

I assume you mean "UAL"! AFAIK, only one B763ER and all the B773ERs have Polaris installed so far. Correct?


That's correct....I believe there are two more 763s in HKG getting Polaris installed right now.
 
MSPNWA
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Re: United Fleet Upgrade Status - 2017

Tue Oct 03, 2017 6:57 pm

intotheair wrote:
I also forgot how much slower those CR2s are. My DEN-SBP flight on Sunday night took more than three hours, which seems very long compared to the mainline that I fly on DEN-LAX and DEN-SFO. Hating on CR2s is a sanctioned pastime on here and on FT, but after successfully avoiding the CR2 for about a year and then ending up on two this weekend, I'm once again reminded of how awful that plane is. And for the record, I love DL's CR9s, and the CR7s on UA and DL are fine too.


There were strong head winds in that area that night. Even the late DEN-SFO flight went over 3 hours. The CR2 is slower at cruise, yes, but it's not a huge difference, and certainly not enough for many people to notice.
 
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calpsafltskeds
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Re: United Fleet Upgrade Status - 2017

Tue Oct 03, 2017 7:06 pm

Polaris update below:

POLARIS BF SEATS: (15/153= 9.8%) (all UA widebodies except exiting 744s & 19 Domestic 772As)

763 - (1/35) 644 (648 & 649 in HKG mod)
764 - (0/16)
772 - (0/55)
77W - (14/14) All Delivered with Polaris (4 more deliveries in 3Q18)
788 - (0/12)
789 - (0/21) (4 new deliveries to come, 2 in 2017)
 
UAinAUS
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Re: United Fleet Upgrade Status - 2017

Tue Oct 03, 2017 8:30 pm

FSDan wrote:
I agree it's sad to see UA adding CR2s... Such a miserable aircraft! The ER4s are way better.

Does anyone know how long the ER3s and DH2s will be sticking around? I thought the ER3s were going to be dumped long ago.


The E35s will be leaving. 2 in exit prep now. I'd expect all 5 to be gone this Winter. The Q200s have started exits as well. Last flight on a Q200 will be in Jan 2018.
As for the CR2s, by March ZW will have 50 flying for UAX, in addition to 62-65 (depending on the pro-rate flying) with Skywest.
 
aaflyer222
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Re: United Fleet Upgrade Status - 2017

Tue Oct 03, 2017 10:22 pm

oo is also operating cr2 n901ev, n902ev, n905ev and n907ev for uax.
 
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KVH68
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Re: United Fleet Upgrade Status - 2017

Thu Oct 05, 2017 10:45 pm

77W

N59034 has had it's registration changed to N2534U
 
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atcsundevil
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Re: United Fleet Upgrade Status - 2017

Thu Oct 05, 2017 11:15 pm

KVH68 wrote:
77W

N59034 has had it's registration changed to N2534U

That was the one that was due to be changed all along, right?
 
audidudi
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Re: United Fleet Upgrade Status - 2017

Thu Oct 05, 2017 11:39 pm

atcsundevil wrote:
KVH68 wrote:
77W

N59034 has had it's registration changed to N2534U

That was the one that was due to be changed all along, right?

Correct! It had been previously assigned to a PA-28 Cherokee, and was cancelled on 08/21/12, so not sure why it took 5 years before UA could have it! You would have thought that UA would have been able to register this B773ER as N2534U right away, instead of N59034 first!!

http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry ... rtxt=2534U
 
aaflyer222
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Re: United Fleet Upgrade Status - 2017

Fri Oct 06, 2017 3:51 pm

has c5 released a specific plan for q200 retirements? I believe they will all be retired by January 2018, but i believe that some aircraft will exit before then.
 
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cosyr
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Re: United Fleet Upgrade Status - 2017

Fri Oct 06, 2017 5:20 pm

aaflyer222 wrote:
has c5 released a specific plan for q200 retirements? I believe they will all be retired by January 2018, but i believe that some aircraft will exit before then.

I believe some already have. My guess is that they are going to be retiring them at a rate somewhat relative to new E145 introductions to cover the routes. I am scheduled on one in December, and I expect there will probably be an equipment change in November.
 
hkcanadaexpat
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Re: United Fleet Upgrade Status - 2017

Fri Oct 06, 2017 9:10 pm

763 (2-class):
N662UA entered HKG for maintenance 2827+2820/5-6Oct
 
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KVH68
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Re: United Fleet Upgrade Status - 2017

Fri Oct 06, 2017 10:29 pm

747-400
N121UA had its "United" title covered over. In its place, a large decal with the words "United 747 Friend Ship" and four blue stars (70's livery). N119UA will receive the same decal. The plane looks really weird because it still has the globe on the tail, white and grey paint, and gold stripe. I think they are doing this in preparation for United SFO Family Day, Sunday October 8.
 
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calpsafltskeds
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Re: United Fleet Upgrade Status - 2017

Sat Oct 07, 2017 4:26 am

744 Retirements:
N178UA fleet exit 2772/6Oct SFO-VCV
N181UA fleet exit 2774/6Oct SFO-VCV
10 744s remain - all to exit by Thanksgiving 2017

772:
N78002 entered HKG 2817/5Oct, maint

UAX
E175:
N752YX entered revenue service with Republic 5Oct (last E175 for Republic)

CR7:
N796SK is back in service after engine fire 3rd July

CR2: Air Wisconsin Additions, all with Globe livery
N435AW (2002 build), N431AW (1998 build), N466AW (2004 build), N438AW (2003 build)

E135:
N11526 and N15527 have left the fleet, stored at IGM
N12528 and N298259 are is in for fleet exit prep

E145:
N14916 and N36915 are in for fleet exit prep
 
UA444
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Re: United Fleet Upgrade Status - 2017

Sat Oct 07, 2017 8:06 am

[threeid][/threeid]
KVH68 wrote:
747-400
N121UA had its "United" title covered over. In its place, a large decal with the words "United 747 Friend Ship" and four blue stars (70's livery). N119UA will receive the same decal. The plane looks really weird because it still has the globe on the tail, white and grey paint, and gold stripe. I think they are doing this in preparation for United SFO Family Day, Sunday October 8.

There are pics on Facebook and it looks awful. Like a complete afterthought. But then so does the rest of their fleet except N475UA.
 
VC10er
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Re: United Fleet Upgrade Status - 2017

Sat Oct 07, 2017 12:17 pm

With just one non 77W now fitted with Polaris (one 767) I would assume we will all start to see the pace accelerate - the question is when will we be seeing more and more 767s and 772s start their refits? And at what pace will they done? I get how enormous the undertaking is, and certainly how much it will cost. Has United issued any kind of schedule for completion of these refits?

EWR's Polaris Lounge is now under construction, but it was a very long wait before we saw any sign of the renovation begin. It ALL simply "feels" like a more leisurely pace than "lets get this done fast"
 
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atcsundevil
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Re: United Fleet Upgrade Status - 2017

Sat Oct 07, 2017 12:28 pm

VC10er wrote:
With just one non 77W now fitted with Polaris (one 767) I would assume we will all start to see the pace accelerate - the question is when will we be seeing more and more 767s and 772s start their refits? And at what pace will they done? I get how enormous the undertaking is, and certainly how much it will cost. Has United issued any kind of schedule for completion of these refits?

EWR's Polaris Lounge is now under construction, but it was a very long wait before we saw any sign of the renovation begin. It ALL simply "feels" like a more leisurely pace than "lets get this done fast"

The are two 763s in HKG for mod now. They'll rotate two in throughout the winter at the very least. IIRC, the last mod cycle of 763s to two class took about two months once they had dry ramped things up, so theoretically they could be finished with at least half the fleet going in for mod by spring. They'll probably finish with the 763s sometime late next summer or around this time next year, by my count.

I don't know when sUA 772s will start to rotate in, but I think I saw something that anticipated them starting to go in either this winter or next spring? I'm sure a UA insider knows far better than me.
 
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cosyr
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Re: United Fleet Upgrade Status - 2017

Sat Oct 07, 2017 1:06 pm

atcsundevil wrote:
VC10er wrote:
With just one non 77W now fitted with Polaris (one 767) I would assume we will all start to see the pace accelerate - the question is when will we be seeing more and more 767s and 772s start their refits? And at what pace will they done? I get how enormous the undertaking is, and certainly how much it will cost. Has United issued any kind of schedule for completion of these refits?

EWR's Polaris Lounge is now under construction, but it was a very long wait before we saw any sign of the renovation begin. It ALL simply "feels" like a more leisurely pace than "lets get this done fast"

The are two 763s in HKG for mod now. They'll rotate two in throughout the winter at the very least. IIRC, the last mod cycle of 763s to two class took about two months once they had dry ramped things up, so theoretically they could be finished with at least half the fleet going in for mod by spring. They'll probably finish with the 763s sometime late next summer or around this time next year, by my count.

I don't know when sUA 772s will start to rotate in, but I think I saw something that anticipated them starting to go in either this winter or next spring? I'm sure a UA insider knows far better than me.

And I presume that they will be starting with the 33 sUA 77E's first? Or are they going to be doing all 77E's as checks come up? I assume that the goal is to have all 55 in the same configuration eventually?
 
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atcsundevil
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Re: United Fleet Upgrade Status - 2017

Sat Oct 07, 2017 1:12 pm

cosyr wrote:
atcsundevil wrote:
VC10er wrote:
With just one non 77W now fitted with Polaris (one 767) I would assume we will all start to see the pace accelerate - the question is when will we be seeing more and more 767s and 772s start their refits? And at what pace will they done? I get how enormous the undertaking is, and certainly how much it will cost. Has United issued any kind of schedule for completion of these refits?

EWR's Polaris Lounge is now under construction, but it was a very long wait before we saw any sign of the renovation begin. It ALL simply "feels" like a more leisurely pace than "lets get this done fast"

The are two 763s in HKG for mod now. They'll rotate two in throughout the winter at the very least. IIRC, the last mod cycle of 763s to two class took about two months once they had dry ramped things up, so theoretically they could be finished with at least half the fleet going in for mod by spring. They'll probably finish with the 763s sometime late next summer or around this time next year, by my count.

I don't know when sUA 772s will start to rotate in, but I think I saw something that anticipated them starting to go in either this winter or next spring? I'm sure a UA insider knows far better than me.

And I presume that they will be starting with the 33 sUA 77E's first? Or are they going to be doing all 77E's as checks come up? I assume that the goal is to have all 55 in the same configuration eventually?

Everything I've seen is that the sUA will indeed receive priority, so as to remove F from the remaining fleet as soon as possible. The sCO will follow. It'll also get the last of the four abreast J out of the fleet faster too, which seems to be a big complaint among many flyers. If all the times I've flown J, I've only ever been on the two side, so I can't pretend to commiserate, but I'm sure it's less than ideal given the cost to sit in J.
 
iahcsr
Posts: 4777
Joined: Fri Jun 04, 1999 2:59 pm

Re: United Fleet Upgrade Status - 2017

Sat Oct 07, 2017 3:40 pm

KVH68 wrote:
747-400
N121UA had its "United" title covered over. In its place, a large decal with the words "United 747 Friend Ship" and four blue stars (70's livery). N119UA will receive the same decal. The plane looks really weird because it still has the globe on the tail, white and grey paint, and gold stripe. I think they are doing this in preparation for United SFO Family Day, Sunday October 8.

747(s?) will be going to UA hubs and doing two hour employee only fairwell flights. The decals have to surely be part of that.

BTW
N79541, newly delivered 738, was is MIA for induction when Hurricane Irma came though. The plane is still there weeks later. Wonder if it was damaged in some way?
 
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calpsafltskeds
Posts: 4064
Joined: Tue Dec 19, 2006 1:29 am

Re: United Fleet Upgrade Status - 2017

Sat Oct 07, 2017 4:58 pm

Re N78541, I show it arrived on 9/14, hurricane was 9/10.
Hoping MIA delays are just due to manpower delays with evacuation.
752 N12116 entered 8/31 for maint and scimitars - still there
763 N670UA entered 8/9/17 for maint - still there
 
VC10er
Posts: 4761
Joined: Tue Feb 20, 2007 6:25 am

Re: United Fleet Upgrade Status - 2017

Sat Oct 07, 2017 5:24 pm

atcsundevil wrote:
VC10er wrote:
With just one non 77W now fitted with Polaris (one 767) I would assume we will all start to see the pace accelerate - the question is when will we be seeing more and more 767s and 772s start their refits? And at what pace will they done? I get how enormous the undertaking is, and certainly how much it will cost. Has United issued any kind of schedule for completion of these refits?

EWR's Polaris Lounge is now under construction, but it was a very long wait before we saw any sign of the renovation begin. It ALL simply "feels" like a more leisurely pace than "lets get this done fast"

The are two 763s in HKG for mod now. They'll rotate two in throughout the winter at the very least. IIRC, the last mod cycle of 763s to two class took about two months once they had dry ramped things up, so theoretically they could be finished with at least half the fleet going in for mod by spring. They'll probably finish with the 763s sometime late next summer or around this time next year, by my count.

I don't know when sUA 772s will start to rotate in, but I think I saw something that anticipated them starting to go in either this winter or next spring? I'm sure a UA insider knows far better than me.


Well if that indeed happens, half the 767 fleet by Spring, that would be very encouraging. I think the 767s from EWR to LHR could use Polaris ASAP given how competitive that route is. Me thinks if Kirby wants that dream of being the "largest" were to come true, a major shift in United's perception as great premium US carrier will help bring the money that fleet size can't by itself.
 
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atcsundevil
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Re: United Fleet Upgrade Status - 2017

Sat Oct 07, 2017 6:11 pm

VC10er wrote:
Well if that indeed happens, half the 767 fleet by Spring, that would be very encouraging. I think the 767s from EWR to LHR could use Polaris ASAP given how competitive that route is. Me thinks if Kirby wants that dream of being the "largest" were to come true, a major shift in United's perception as great premium US carrier will help bring the money that fleet size can't by itself.

I agree. UA would be best served ensuring their most competitive products are on their most lucrative/prestigious routes. That in itself is a major marketing tool. They should be concerned with attracting those high value flyers, which is something UA has utterly failed to prioritize since the merger. Years of devaluations and poor handling of GS/1K led to a wave of defections to AA. It seems they've been trying to up their game in the past year, but being able to market Polaris on specific routes would increase their ability to attain/retain VIPs. I believe at least some of the 787s should be coming in before the sUA 772s, particularly those going to Australia and Singapore, but clearly that isn't going to happen.
 
iahcsr
Posts: 4777
Joined: Fri Jun 04, 1999 2:59 pm

Re: United Fleet Upgrade Status - 2017

Sat Oct 07, 2017 6:48 pm

calpsafltskeds wrote:
Re N78541, I show it arrived on 9/14, hurricane was 9/10.
Hoping MIA delays are just due to manpower delays with evacuation.
752 N12116 entered 8/31 for maint and scimitars - still there
763 N670UA entered 8/9/17 for maint - still there

No sooner we speak about it... :chat: UA2692 MIAEWR 7Oct
 
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KVH68
Posts: 265
Joined: Sat Aug 20, 2016 4:09 am

Re: United Fleet Upgrade Status - 2017

Sat Oct 07, 2017 11:59 pm

747-400
Correction: N118UA is the second airplane to have the retro decal applied--not N119UA.
 
VC10er
Posts: 4761
Joined: Tue Feb 20, 2007 6:25 am

Re: United Fleet Upgrade Status - 2017

Sun Oct 08, 2017 5:08 pm

atcsundevil wrote:
VC10er wrote:
Well if that indeed happens, half the 767 fleet by Spring, that would be very encouraging. I think the 767s from EWR to LHR could use Polaris ASAP given how competitive that route is. Me thinks if Kirby wants that dream of being the "largest" were to come true, a major shift in United's perception as great premium US carrier will help bring the money that fleet size can't by itself.

I agree. UA would be best served ensuring their most competitive products are on their most lucrative/prestigious routes. That in itself is a major marketing tool. They should be concerned with attracting those high value flyers, which is something UA has utterly failed to prioritize since the merger. Years of devaluations and poor handling of GS/1K led to a wave of defections to AA. It seems they've been trying to up their game in the past year, but being able to market Polaris on specific routes would increase their ability to attain/retain VIPs. I believe at least some of the 787s should be coming in before the sUA 772s, particularly those going to Australia and Singapore, but clearly that isn't going to happen.


You and I are on the same waive length. People, mostly business fliers, often have a choice where to spend $6000 plus for a business class seat. Rather than a surprise raffle when you get true Polaris KNOWING is better on premium heavy routes. I’m fine in the current seat to Brazil, but to Oz or anything in Asia or LHR should be first to get the hard product- that will translate to higher margins. But I don’t see it going that way, so I just hope they get it done as fast as they can.
The 787-10s should be really nice to LHR, and they aren’t far off.
 
maxholstemh1521
Posts: 50
Joined: Fri Sep 06, 2013 8:26 am

Re: United Fleet Upgrade Status - 2017

Sun Oct 08, 2017 9:18 pm

Aircraft 2368 is ferrying out of VCV to ORD as flt 2792 with a fresh paint job
 
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STT757
Posts: 15716
Joined: Tue Mar 28, 2000 1:14 am

Re: United Fleet Upgrade Status - 2017

Sun Oct 08, 2017 11:49 pm

CALTECH wrote:
iahcsr wrote:
Any clue as to where said 320s might hail from?
I can certainly see all 77Ws delivered on paper by the end of the month, but unless more induction slots open up somewhere I also see at least two or three spending the 4th of July at PAE.


Not much info on the A-320s, but does look like 2 mightl join the Fleet this fall.

Yup, it is a 'Projectied Date' on the 777-322ERs. But they are scheduled one after another for Fleet entry.


Any update on acquiring the A320s?
 
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CALTECH
Posts: 4004
Joined: Thu May 17, 2007 4:21 am

Re: United Fleet Upgrade Status - 2017

Mon Oct 09, 2017 4:46 am

calpsafltskeds wrote:
Polaris update below:

POLARIS BF SEATS: (15/153= 9.8%) (all UA widebodies except exiting 744s & 19 Domestic 772As)

763 - (1/35) 644 (648 & 649 in HKG mod)
764 - (0/16)
772 - (0/55)
77W - (14/14) All Delivered with Polaris (4 more deliveries in 3Q18)
788 - (0/12)
789 - (0/21) (4 new deliveries to come, 2 in 2017)


#2882 is in XMN for a complete strip and paint, Heavy Ck MX, and was scheduled to get Polarisized. 41 day hold so something may come of it.


STT757 wrote:
Any update on acquiring the A320s?


Scheduled for delivery Oct and Nov '17.....

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