Out of this world upgrades and downgrades!

jetsetterusa · Mon Jun 25, 2018 3:22 pm

So I am seeing that AA had to upgrade FLT 175 DFW-NRT today to a 77W from a 772! Now we all know this is a so called normal that can happen often. But lets talk for a sec on the out of this world off the wall upgrades and downgrades!!! I would love to get some of the times you saw and herd of about them! One that comes to mind for me is last year when SJU got hit with that storm we saw AA upgrade some of the 738s to a 77W for the relief efforts. What others can we list?

stl07 · Mon Jun 25, 2018 3:42 pm

762 from STL/CVG to PUJ right now on swift instead of a 738 because of mechanical issues

Redwood839 · Mon Jun 25, 2018 3:44 pm

Got a A332 instead of an A319 once flying from SAL-LIM. Also been on a A380 instead of a 77W out of DXB

EWR762 · Mon Jun 25, 2018 3:55 pm

LOT B788 instead of B734 on WAW-LHR
UA B772 instead of B738 on EWR-ORD

TWFlyGuy · Mon Jun 25, 2018 3:57 pm

This goes back a bit but I remember TWA would sometimes throw in a 767/L1011 on STL-MCI if weather got bad or there were significant oversales just to tclear things up. Typically was a 727 or M80 being replaced.

KCaviator · Mon Jun 25, 2018 3:57 pm

A 175 downgraded to a 170.

vhtje · Mon Jun 25, 2018 3:58 pm

peanuts wrote:
I know of two, both on BA.
AMS-LHR
B737 to L-1011
B737/757 to Concorde
These are both mid 80's

On what conceivable route could a Concorde possibly substitute for a B737?

B757 - fair enough, probably TATL. But a B737?

mcoatc · Mon Jun 25, 2018 3:59 pm

Just to add to the OP, not sure what is going on with the AA 772 fleet, but the 77W has been doing some subs for the last couple of weeks out of DFW. I've seen it assigned to SCL and AMS, and there may have been others. Seemed to start after a couple of South America flights were delayed 12+ hours. Not sure if they're having mx issues or the 772s are over-scheduled during the busy summer season.

peanuts · Mon Jun 25, 2018 3:59 pm

I know of two, both on BA.
AMS-LHR
B737 to L-1011
B737/757 to Concorde
These are both mid 80's

BWIAirport · Mon Jun 25, 2018 4:03 pm

KCaviator wrote:
A 175 downgraded to a 170.

Sorry to hear this, when does your documentary come out? :rotfl:

910A · Mon Jun 25, 2018 4:16 pm

After the earthquake in San Francisco our UA flight from MFR to SFO went from a 732 to a 727 and then the flight to ORD was switched from a 727 to a 74L.

KCaviator · Mon Jun 25, 2018 4:16 pm

BWIAirport wrote:
KCaviator wrote:
A 175 downgraded to a 170.

Sorry to hear this, when does your documentary come out?

Hey, people get upset about losing a first class seat... on a 30-minute flight!

Etheereal · Mon Jun 25, 2018 4:17 pm

Redwood839 wrote:
Got a A332 instead of an A319 once flying from SAL-LIM. Also been on a A380 instead of a 77W out of DXB

Sounds like AV overbooked and decided to use the widebody instead of messing up too many people at once.
Also, i was booking to fly (and finally experience the 318), but it seems its a 321 now. Also i wont fly the 321 in the 2 hour flight but will have a 320, and i dont know whether the 320 will or not be a NEO.

KCaviator wrote:
BWIAirport wrote:
KCaviator wrote:
A 175 downgraded to a 170.

Sorry to hear this, when does your documentary come out?

Hey, people get upset about losing a first class seat... on a 30-minute flight!

if i pay for it, they better give it to me or compensate me enough so that i can forget about the pain /s.

anshabhi · Mon Jun 25, 2018 4:24 pm

A320 to B747 on DEL-BOM by AI

deltalaw · Mon Jun 25, 2018 4:41 pm

I was on the Salt Lake City Olympic painted 772 with the speed skater on the tail from ATL to PBI when it should have been a 752. Also been on an M11 and 764 on the same route subbing for much smaller equipment.

conaly · Mon Jun 25, 2018 4:44 pm

Was once booked on A300B4-200 LEJ-AYT and AYT-LEJ. The first flight got downgraded to MD82 (which actually was interesting for me, it was my first and so far only MD-flight), the second one to B734.

paullam · Mon Jun 25, 2018 4:45 pm

MU on PEK - PVG on an A330-300 instead of an A320. Flight was completely full tough.

Virtual737 · Mon Jun 25, 2018 4:54 pm

Back in the day of my initial PPL, I had a Cessna 152 subbed in for a 172. I was not a happy bunny.

StTim · Mon Jun 25, 2018 4:59 pm

Got a brand new BA777 from Heathrow to Paris many years ago. It was fleet training. Not sure what it should have been back then. Probably a 737.

jalarner · Mon Jun 25, 2018 5:05 pm

FSD (Sioux Falls SD) to MSP...sometimes CRJ200/700/900...to an A320. Really surprised me since I'd done the flight maybe 20 times before. Haven't been there in a couple years though.

Dutchy · Mon Jun 25, 2018 5:10 pm

Don't know if it is upgrade or a downgrade:

Sheremetyevo International Airport (Russia) - Simferopol International Airport (Ukraine) with Aeroflot

Went from a scheduled Tu154 to a boring A320. For me it was a definite downgrade.

slvrblt · Mon Jun 25, 2018 5:16 pm

Years ago, in the bad old days during the Cuban Mariel boatlift.........a lot of cubans ended up in Key West. Air Florida had 737s into EYW but couldn't handle the flow with CBP bringing refugees up to MIA. Air Florida had a DC10 that sat all day, they'd send it to Key West (NQX) to handle some of the lift. It was quite a sight, seeing a DC10 descending over the keys.

jporterfi · Mon Jun 25, 2018 5:18 pm

I had a CR7 subbed for a CR9 on EWR to MSP. I was looking forward to trying the -900, but, alas, was unable.

33lspotter · Mon Jun 25, 2018 5:21 pm

HU subbed in a 789 for the scheduled 788 when I flew BOS-PEK. 288 total pax (258 economy) vs. 213 total pax (177 economy). I had 43K (right window) and nobody was in 43H or 43J so I had quite a bit of extra room for sleep.

Also, it was B-1540, one of the Kung Fu Panda planes.

fbgdavidson · Mon Jun 25, 2018 5:28 pm

vhtje wrote:
peanuts wrote:
I know of two, both on BA.
AMS-LHR
B737 to L-1011
B737/757 to Concorde
These are both mid 80's

On what conceivable route could a Concorde possibly substitute for a B737?

B757 - fair enough, probably TATL. But a B737?

Back in the 1980s and early 1990s BA would sometimes throw Concorde on the domestic shuttle services, up to EDI in particular. My understanding it wasn't something you could pre-book, more of a last minute substitution type thing. I'm not entirely sure why but my guess would be crew training or similar.

aarbee · Mon Jun 25, 2018 5:30 pm

Was expecting A320 in the very late night flight from BOM-AMD. Turned out to be B787.

greg85 · Mon Jun 25, 2018 6:35 pm

BA have done plenty on its domestic routes over the years. The Concorde flying from LHR to GLA or EDI has been mentioned above. And even now in periods of disruption, they’ll swap an A320/321 for a 777. Usually to combine passengers from 2 cancelled flights. A nice novelty for those who get a lie flat bed for a 1 hour flight.

BritTraveller · Mon Jun 25, 2018 7:55 pm

Thomas Cook A321 switched to a Titan 767-300

alfa164 · Mon Jun 25, 2018 11:50 pm

jporterfi wrote:
I had a CR7 subbed for a CR9 on EWR to MSP. I was looking forward to trying the -900, but, alas, was unable.

You didn't miss out on anything...

prebennorholm · Tue Jun 26, 2018 2:15 am

In 1990, CPH - PRG, a broken Tu154 was subbed by an IL62.

I wouldn't call it an upgrade, mainly because, after having boarded, it took two hours to find a starter cart at CPH which could start the first engine. (IL62 was a very rare guest at CPH).

Obviously that IL62 had no APU, or compatibility with ground power. It was February and evening, therefore no daylight. So it was as dark in the cabin as outdoor. And cold! Our winter jackets were soon retrieved from the overhead bins for survival.

With one engine spinning there was applaus by all passengers, all 20-25 of them - and cabin light came on. Maybe the applaus was slightly premature because for unknown reason it still lasted half an hour to make all the remaining three engines spinning.

steveinbc · Tue Jun 26, 2018 4:16 am

It was quite frequent for Air Canada to upgrade their Embraers and A319/320s from LGA to YYZ to B767 to catch up on cancelled flights after a good old NYC thunderstorm or winterstorm

debonair · Tue Jun 26, 2018 8:00 am

The German charter (IT) market is quite bizarre, especially in the moment... Condor uses AirBelgium A340, Privilege B767 etc. to replace their B757-300; SmallPlanet is currently chartering SprintAir SAAB340, Global Reach Aviation CRJ200 and VIP B735 of Klasjet for replacing their grounded A320's...

FromCDGtoSYD · Tue Jun 26, 2018 9:44 am

OZ has subbed an A380 with a 744 in the past (LAX)

rock45 · Tue Jun 26, 2018 10:54 am

BA have achieved lots on its own national paths through recent several years. The Concorde traveling from LHR into GLA or even EDI was cited previously. And now in times of disturbance, they will change an A320/321 to get a 777. Ordinarily to unite travellers from two cancelled flights. A wonderful novelty for people that buy yourself a lie apartment bed to get a 1 hour excursion.

Lightning12 · Tue Jun 26, 2018 11:45 am

Got a B788 downgraded to an A332, which was a definite downgrade. I would take an A330 over a 787 any day in Y for the 2-4-2 seating but I’ve never been on a 787 before. Then I turned up to the airport, and was upgraded to a factory new A333 that had just been delivered from TLS the previous day. So, not sure if that’s a downgrade or upgrade.

Also, I have had an A321 flight cancelled one night, and the airline put me in a hotel, then the next day a 77W flight (9 abreast!)

ryan78 · Tue Jun 26, 2018 4:09 pm

Was flying YQM-YUL-YYZ for work, happened to be booked in J, only my second time ever (First time was on AC A320 so not really that great). First leg was a Q400 so no business class but boy was I over the moon when I found out they had swapped my YUL-YYZ flight from an A320 to a 789. It was the 2nd last flight out of YUL that night and they cancelled the last flight and put everyone on the 1. Was a pretty awesome upgrade in my opinion! Too bad the flight was only an hour

dredgy · Mon Jul 02, 2018 5:52 am

When Qantas grounded their fleet I was booked on a VA 737/E190 or something like that and the flight was subbed for an A340 (I think). I unfortunately can’t really remember the flight so don’t count it, and am hoping to get on another A340 soon.

LostLuggage · Mon Jul 02, 2018 8:32 am

Tarom had a dreadful record of subbing the last of their A310s on the MAD-OTP route for a 737. At some point it was being swapped 2-3 times a week despite always being scheduled as an A310.

I booked months in advance to fly that plane for the first/last time - never been so relieved when checking FR24 that morning and seeing the old bird inbound!

jumpjets · Mon Jul 02, 2018 2:45 pm

I recall reading about BA operating a 744 to CDG to mop up passengers stranded by flights cancelled due to one of those rare French air traffic control disputes. :-)

teachpdx · Tue Jul 03, 2018 6:44 am

Downgauge to 321 from 777, AA HNL-LAX earlier this year.

BAINY3 · Wed Jul 04, 2018 3:32 am

In December 2005, I flew IAH-MSP on Northwest. I booked the flight in October or so and it was supposed to be an A319. Sometime in November it was downgauged to a CRJ-200! Maybe demand had plummeted due to the hurricane season.

Super80Fan · Wed Jul 04, 2018 3:39 am

Nothing earth-shattering but here are all my upgrades/downgrades:
B6 E190 to A320
WN 733 to 737
WN 737 to 733
DL MD90 to MD88
DL 753 to 752
NK A319 to A320
AA CR7 to E145
DL CR2 to CR9
AA MD80 to 738
DL CR9 to CR7
UA A320 to A319 to E170

BWIAirport · Tue Jul 10, 2018 12:26 pm

Just had an AF 772 upgraded to a 77W

SkyflyerYYZ · Tue Jul 10, 2018 12:42 pm

BR A320 or A321 (can't remember) to A330.

LHRBFSTrident · Thu Jul 12, 2018 3:08 am

1988 MUC-BHX on the first ski charter of the season I fully expected a BY 737 or similar - and got bussed out to a SCIBE Airlift B707-320C :bigthumbsup:

TUGMASTER · Thu Jul 12, 2018 7:47 pm

LHRBFSTrident wrote:
1988 MUC-BHX on the first ski charter of the season I fully expected a BY 737 or similar - and got bussed out to a SCIBE Airlift B707-320C

WINNER

TheFlyingDisk · Fri Jul 13, 2018 9:28 am

Not me, but I've been told that MH subbed their A380s for 738s on BKK-KUL recently because they're having chronic 738 crew shortages.

Imagine that, expecting a 737 and getting an A380.

jetblueguy22 · Sun Jul 15, 2018 1:49 am

Flew AC back in November, was booked on an A320 LGA-YYZ, get to the airport to find it was swapped to a Jetz A319. Talk about a pleasant surprise.

PigScroll · Sun Jul 15, 2018 9:04 am

Wasn't actually on it, but saw on Flightradar24 that DL JFK-EDI was subbed from a 752 to an A320. I was quite confused when I saw it, and I wonder why this was the case... :scratchchin:

45272455674 · Sun Jul 15, 2018 12:57 pm

TheFlyingDisk wrote:
Not me, but I've been told that MH subbed their A380s for 738s on BKK-KUL recently because they're having chronic 738 crew shortages.

Imagine that, expecting a 737 and getting an A380.

Hmmm, no, a Concorde is still better. Cripes, a Concorde on a short domestic flight, that would be a wild takeoff for the passengers even without reheats.

Qantas has used B747 aircraft to clear up delayed passengers quickly.

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