For those of you holding long haul bookings with United in to the Spring/Summer 2014 timetable, I’d be checking your bookings for re-seating if needed as United have fiddled a lot with the equipment for the next timetable round.
Full details at Airline Routes, with the timetables as well but here is a quick summary of what is changing as United plays aircraft switch-a-roo:
- Chicago to Frankfurt – UA944/945 to go to a United 3 class 777-200ER from 29th March 2014, UA907/906 remains a United Boeing 747-400 from 8th April 2014
- Chicago – Munich switches to a United 777-200 3 Class aircraft one month earlier, from 6th May 2014
- Houston – Frankfurt switches from a Continental 777-200ER to a United 3 Class 767-300ER for the entire summer season from 30th March 2014
- Houston – London Heathrow varies left, right and centre, with services switching from 1 to 2 to 1 787s a day (between 1st April 2014 and 5th May 2014), to operating 1 787 a day, and the rest as 767-300ERs from 6h May 2014.
- Newark – Amsterdam s up gauged from 6th May 2014 to a UA 3-class 767-300ER for the summer season, with a flight number change
- Newark – Berlin Tegel is switching to a Untied 3 Class 767-300ER from 2nd July to 31st July. At other times, this will be served with a Continental 757-200
- Newark – Frankfurt is switching to a United 777 instead of a Continental 767-400ER for the entire timetable
- Newark – Geneva switches back and forth from a United 767-300ER to a Continental 767-400ER, and back to a UA 767-300ER, with the Continental 767-400ER operating between 5th June 2014 and 31st July 2014
- Newark – London Heathrow will become a wide-body only service, with Continental 757-200s switching to United 767-300ERs on 6th March, 8th April, 6th May and 4th June as United fights back against Delta and Virgins new combined timetable.
- Newark – Paris CDG will also get a capacity increase as the Continental 757-200s are swapped out to United 767-300ERs. Dates switch over from Newark are 6th May 2014 and 2nd July to 18th August
- San Francisco – London Heathrow will operate United 3 Class 777-200s from 8th April twice a day, with UA901/900 operating as to be operated by Boeing 747-400 instead of 777-200ER between 2 July 2014 to 31st July 2014
- Washington Dulles – London Heathrow will go down to three services over the summer season with UA130/131 taking the fall
- Washington Dulles – Munich will remain a Continental 767-400ER operation for the summer timetable
- Washington Dulles – Zurich will operate a United 767-300ER between 30th March 2014 and 5th May, with a Continental 767-400ER operating for the remainder of the timetable
Data: http://airlineroute.net/2013/11/23/ua-s14update3/
Lets be honest, there’s an AWFUL lot of changes there. I would be looking through your reservations carefully to see how you are impacted – as some flights have more desirable equipment than others (the one that springs to mind is United 747 on Chicago – Frankfurt which in Economy (or Economy Plus) is just undesirable for any length of time.
There could be more timetable changes, so keep an eye on those tickets and booking engines as the months roll on…
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Ual is keeping a tight leash on the 787 fleet. They never seem to venture to far from established 787 markets (like where mx knows how to handle the bird!)