Is it too much to try to put two and two together?
Last month, reports suggested United Airlines would swap out current aircraft orders with Boeing for the 777-300ERs. Now comes word that United will fit those 777s with 10 seats abreast in regular economy class, instead of nine, Aviation Week reported.
The magazine said United is considering creating a high-density Boeing 777 subfleet with 10 seats across in a 3-4-3 configuration that would mean 364 seats on each plane, nearly 100 more than the airline has on many of its three-class 777s, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Aviation Week said the new 10-seat configuration is 'quickly becoming the standard for new deliveries' of 777s. What does that mean to you? Well, less space and a more cramped plane, of course. What does it mean for an airline? Do the math.
Even on a conservative basis, 100 extra seats multiplied by the average airfare cost of $400 round trip is an extra $40,000 income per flight. Again being conservative, let's say a long haul 777 is making eight flights a week. That' $320,000 a week, or an extra $15.3 million per year - assuming 48 weeks of flying with a month off for maintenance - just for that one plane.
"We evaluate lots of options across our fleet and haven't made any further announcements specific to the 777 fleet," a United spokesman said in an email to Aviation Week.
Two weeks ago, Bloombert News reported United was considering swapping out existing orders with Being for more 777-300ERs.
"We are not currently considering purchasing incremental wide-body aircraft," United spokeswoman Megan McCarthy said in an email to Bloomberg. "We do, however, hold the ability to negotiate the substitution of certain aircraft types for other aircraft types as part of our flexible fleet plan, and we are considering the Boeing 777-300ER in this context."
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