AWA + USAir = Total Mistake

[US1YFARE]

The return home to SFO was like playing house: 12 flight attendants for 30 passengers...

It sounds like you had more fun playing doctor when you were on the flight with NO pax onboard

 

[JAMAKE1]

It sounds like you had more fun playing doctor when you were on the flight with NO pax onboard

😉

 

[WCT]

When I first started with United in 1995, it was commonplace to work a scheduled DC-10 flight between ORD-DTW and ORD-OMA. In fact, DEN-OMA service was also on DC-10's, if my memory serves me correctly. In the days of Shuttle by United, with SFO-LAX departures every 20 minutes, a bad weather day in SFO would cause multiple (full) Shuttle flights to cancel. Out would come the 747-400's from the maintenance base to operate 4-5 scrapped Shuttle flights between SFO and LAX...that was always fun.

There was a brief time period back in the late 1990's when United would position a 747-400, fresh out of SFO maintenance, to JFK so it could operate the JFK-NRT flight. The Premium Trans-con 767 flight would depart from SFO at 10:30 pm, filled to the gills. The 747-400 positioning flight, which operated 30 minutes later, would have no more than 30 passengers booked on it. We would work the 11pm all-nighter to JFK, have about 13 hours in NY, then work a 747-400 that had just come off the NRT-JFK trip, as a positioning flight back to SFO (for its scheduled maintenance check-up). The return to SFO was much of the same: The 6:30 pm dinner flight (a 767) would depart for SFO, filled to the gills, and our 7 pm dinner flight (the 747) would have about 30 passengers booked on it. The best trip I ever worked in my UA career, was one of those JFK-SFO 747 positioning flights. We had a minor mechanical problem, in which all 30 passengers were re-accommodated on the 6:30 pm departure to SFO. Here we were, a crew of 12, with galleys fully catered for 30 First Class and Business Class customers, and no passengers...ferrying the aircraft back to SFO. Debauchery and hedonism ensued that night...the entire way home to SFO. A good time was had by ALL.

Do they ever fly the 747 out of Denver anymore? If so to where? I remember when I was a kid they use fly them out of there during the summer. Probably a ORD thru flight to Europe.

 

[JAMAKE1]

In answer to your question, 747-400's could be seen on SFO-DEN pairings up until a few short years ago. Recently, the N. American operation has seen a pull-down in mainline flying due to the pricing environment. UA has chosen to deploy its fleet of widebodies on international routes. With the recent additions of IAD-PEK, IAD-FCO, SFO-TPE, as well as the upcoming IAD-GIG and LAX-HKG services, the widebody fleet is being utilized to the maximum...all on international route pairings.

On a brighter note related to N. American flying, United has recently re-introduced mainline service at RDU, with FSD (Sioux Falls, SD) coming on line soon (2 x's daily to DEN) with both stations being staffed with United Airlines employees (not Express employees).

 

[WCT]

In answer to your question, 747-400's could be seen on SFO-DEN pairings up until a few short years ago. Recently, the N. American operation has seen a pull-down in mainline flying due to the pricing environment. UA has chosen to deploy its fleet of widebodies on international routes. With the recent additions of IAD-PEK, IAD-FCO, SFO-TPE, as well as the upcoming IAD-GIG and LAX-HKG services, the widebody fleet is being utilized to the maximum...all on international route pairings.

How bout the 777 pairings? Do they still exist out of DEN?

 

[JAMAKE1]

If I am not mistaken, most of the widebody flying within the N. America operation such as SFO/LAX-DEN and DEN-ORD is being flown with 2-class configured 767-300's (the MD), which are primarily used in the Hawaii market. There are a handful of 3-class 767's and 777's operating SFO-ORD and SFO-IAD pairings. These flights continue on to Europe with a change of gauge enroute.
There may be similar pairings out of LAX as well.

My how this thread has diverted from its original topic...

 

[WCT]

If I am not mistaken, most of the widebody flying within the N. America operation such as SFO/LAX-DEN and DEN-ORD is being flown with 2-class configured 767-300's (the MD), which are primarily used in the Hawaii market. There are a handful of 3-class 767's and 777's operating SFO-ORD and SFO-IAD pairings. These flights continue on to Europe with a change of gauge enroute.
There may be similar pairings out of LAX as well.

My how this thread has diverted from its original topic...

Thanks. Just facinating that is all. Wish we had those beautiful 777's here at US. Back to the original topic... I don't think it was a mistake. We are competing well. THere is a lot that is wrong here, but I am happy to have a job at least!

 

[US1YFARE]

We are competing well.

OH MY GOODNISS...No you did'int...for real?

 

[EMBFA]

Thanks. Just facinating that is all. Wish we had those beautiful 777's here at US. Back to the original topic... I don't think it was a mistake. We are competing well. THere is a lot that is wrong here, but I am happy to have a job at least!

 

[ussnark]

Thanks. Just facinating that is all. Wish we had those beautiful 777's here at US. Back to the original topic... I don't think it was a mistake. We are competing well. THere is a lot that is wrong here, but I am happy to have a job at least!

Wrong attitude. We always had a job. It was never in jeopardy. Through both bks, the owners made way too much money to shut it down. They simply implemented BK solely for corporate convenience. Neither had anything to do with "survival". They both had everything to do with enhancing the CEO package. That is all. Fooled you all.

 

[mga707]

When I first started with United in 1995, it was commonplace to work a scheduled DC-10 flight between ORD-DTW and ORD-OMA. In fact, DEN-OMA service was also on DC-10's, if my memory serves me correctly.

UAL even had a shorter DC-10 trip back in that timeframe...DEN-COS!
Of course, that was when they were fighting off Western Pacific's siphoning of DEN metro area pax to COS. Once they succeeded with that (WestPac went belly-up in early '98 following an abortive merger with Frontier and a shift of most service from COS to DEN)), bye-bye -10 (and a lot of other COS mainline service)!

 

[usair_begins_with_u]

the same wallstreet clowns that praised the merger, now beat it to hell on the exchange... short honeymoon eh DoUgIe