In what is pretty major news for Australian travellers, US carrier United Airlines have announced that their fleet of 777-200s – currently utilised for the long haul flight over the Pacific, connecting the East Coast of Australia to the West Coast of the USA – will next year be replaced exclusively with their 787-9 aircraft.
The airline already operates its Melbourne to Los Angeles route using the 787-9, which broke the record as the longest route offered by the aircraft type, anywhere in the world. This service will extend to in on March 27th and 28th, respectively (eastbound) on its daily services from Sydney to San Francisco and Los Angeles.
The move comes as United looks ahead to celebrating their 30th anniversary of servicing Australia in February 2016. The new aircraft will slightly reduce capacity on the routes, with a total of 252 seats in two cabins (versus the 269 available in their current fleet) – 48 in United BusinessFirst, with seats in a 2-2-2 configuration, and 204 in United Economy in a 3-3-3 configuration, including 63 Economy Plus seats with up to 12.7cm of extra legroom and increased personal space.
The much talked about Dreamliner, “is revolutionising the flying experience for United customers and crews while delivering unprecedented operating efficiency, comfort and lower emissions. Customers experience greater comfort with improved lighting, bigger windows, larger overhead bins, lower cabin altitude and enhanced ventilation systems, among other passenger-friendly features. The aircraft’s use of lightweight composites, together with its modern engines and improved aerodynamic design, allow it to fly farther, faster and more efficiently than similar-sized conventional aircraft.”
United expects to have 25 Boeing 787 Dreamliners in its fleet by the end of 2015, with a 19 currently in service. To get a taste of the services the plane itself offer, we reviewed the Dreamliner 787-8 service on Norwegian Air HERE, on Air India HERE and on Jetstar HERE. The United service is the first dedicated Dreamliner 787-9 service across the Pacific.
For more details, visit: http://united.com/
