DL grows LAX presence with new, expanded service

[WorldTraveler]

DL also has a joint venture with Virgin Australia who also flies US-Australia.

LAX-SYD is probably doable on a DL 772ER but DL uses the 777LR on LAX-SYD in part because of the heavy cargo loads. DOT data shows that UA carries relatively little cargo on LAX-SYD while DL carries much more. It has been said that native UA's PW 777s could not make the route but native CO's GE 777s probably could.

 

[metopower]

It is doable to use the ER but you can't carry enough fuel to hold for any length of time. Plus you would carry just passengers,gas and light cargo.

 

[topDawg]

DL also has a joint venture with Virgin Australia who also flies US-Australia.

LAX-SYD is probably doable on a DL 772ER but DL uses the 777LR on LAX-SYD in part because of the heavy cargo loads. DOT data shows that UA carries relatively little cargo on LAX-SYD while DL carries much more. It has been said that native UA's PW 777s could not make the route but native CO's GE 777s probably could.

Other than the PW1000-94 the other PW4000s are basically useless (330 and 777 engine) when compared to the GE and Rolls versions (IIRC the T700 is the highest selling 330 engine and the T800 is the highest selling 777 engine when you take away the GE90 only 77L, 77F and 77W)

having said that. With UA not carrying nearly the cargo DL does, plus the lower seat counts due to true F class I believe the UA 777 can do LAX-SYD. It will be interesting to see how the UA 777s do to China from ORD.

Speaking of cargo, it is not rare at all for DL to send a spare 77L to SYD are a cargo only flight. Also just a little note but the first few days DL has LAX-SYD flights they were flown with the 232ERs not the 232LRs. (4-5 trips I believe)

Oh and just wanted to add. Delta is pushing BOS back. Last few loads they push it back a few days. Rumor has it now the end date is sometime in sept.

 

[WorldTraveler]

If you look at seat maps between UA's 777s and DL's 772ER/LR (which have identical cabins), DL's BusinessElite class takes up about as much more as UA's Global First and Business First cabins. UA has several versions but even the lowest density 772ER has only 10 fewer seats than DL's 772ER/LR. UA does have fewer total economy seats because their Economy Plus cabin is much larger than Economy Comfort is for DL.

UA's 777s all have more closets than DL's and some versions have more lavs.

 

[robbedagain]

so the power plants make the difference as to the twin engine version doin the australia us runs id imagine the 747 that qantas does from syd to dfw has to be at the max limit for the flight? what is that about 20 hr ride or more or less?

 

[metopower]

And more fuel capacity.Can only go non stop syd-dfw. On the way back it stops in brisbane.

 

[robbedagain]

how far is the dfw brisbane run vs the syd dfw run? also can a 744 do an atl-australia nonstop or no

 

[metopower]

About an hour and a half shorter. SYD -DFW is the longest 747 route. Could not make it to atl. But 777LR can. both ways.

 

[robbedagain]

what is the range btwn syd-dfw; brisbane-dfw vs atl-sydd whats the max range for the 777-LR and the 744
also can a 747-8 do atl syd nonstop or no

 

[metopower]

Max range is just how far it can fly. Not what it can usefully do. B777 lr is the longest range aircraft. About 11000 mi. 744(last model) about 9400 mi b748 is basically a modern larger more efficient 744 to my knowledge. Air miles by flt route difference between Bnn-DFW and syd-saw would be about 600 mi . That is a rough guess.

 

[robbedagain]

thats a hell of a range for a twin engine jet pretty dam good if i say so... thanks for the info

 

[WorldTraveler]

The economics of ultra long haul flying go down since you have to carry a lot of extra fuel in order to carry extra fuel... which means that weight increases just to carry the extra fuel that is necessary to stay aloft longer.
I would be surprised if any airline ever adds flights from any point further east in the US than DFW. Clearly the reason that route works is because of the AA hub and the AA/QF joint venture.

It is doubtful that the value is there to operate a flight much longer than DFW-SYD.

Meto can respond but there are also limits in terms of crew duty and rest time. I'm not sure how much more window DL has in its pilot contract to add flights that are any longer than ATL-JNB but that flight is one of the longest in the world and the longest by a US carrier, IIRC. JFK and MIA to JNB might be shorter nonstop but DL has the ATL hub as an advantage and JNB's altitude at about 6000 feet means there are very few aircraft that can operate from the US to JNB nonstop year round.

 

[robbedagain]

what if they did say syd-hnl or lax-atl basically similar to how kal used to do bos-anc-sel

 

[metopower]

Flt DL17 is routed Atl-LAX-SYD .WT is right on on the economics of the ultra long haul flights.

 

[robbedagain]

OK THANKS