United Airlines

[CL44]

If memory serves me right UA had the DC10 on the service until they were withdrawn from service and then they operated 2 x 757's on the route for about a year or so (as I said my memory is not what it used to be). They the service was down-graded on a drip feed basis ever since. I would certainly hope that a daily service on a 757 would continue (hopefully without the Winter down grade) but to be quite honest I would not mind a 5 x weekly service on a 767 with space coming available for general cargo (instead of the flight being dedicated to mail).

 

[Brum X]

If this year goes well then hopefully we could get a daily flight throughout winter 17/18. If so, with no other airlines flying to NYC, 12 weekly "could" be possible by summer 18. Fingers crossed.

Yeah spoke to a guy who works for United at BHX last night and they are looking into making W17/18 x6 weekly (No Wednesday) but that will be better than this year.

 

[rollo]

Notice that today United have converted 100 hundred 737s on order to 737 MAX 10, delivery commencing 2020 maybe they will replace the 757s on the New York route.

 

[Brum X]

Notice that today United have converted 100 hundred 737s on order to 737 MAX 10, delivery commencing 2020 maybe they will replace the 757s on the New York route.

It does sound like a good replacement and maybe perfect for BHX, however they could also upgrade BHX to a 767. Only time will tell.

 

[Jerry]

It does sound like a good replacement and maybe perfect for BHX, however they could also upgrade BHX to a 767. Only time will tell.

I'm not sure though if they would have the range. According to wiki the range of the MAX 10 is 3700 miles.

 

[Coathanger16]

Or maybe in the long run, replace it with something completely different altogether:

http://money.cnn.com/2017/06/20/news/companies/boeing-797-paris-first-peek/index.html

I'm not sure if the picture in the article is accurate, but it basically looks like a 21st Century 757.

"The jet will be tailored to offer relief to congested airports on routes such as New York to Los Angeles, but should also be efficient enough to serve medium-range flights connecting the U.S. to smaller European cities, for example."

What's also interesting is that this new design could potentially fly non stop from the West coast of the USA to some parts of Europe (including the UK).

 

[BHXsupporter]

It's just a paper idea at present to gauge interest in this 'middle-market' bracket I would say. What it does do is give an opportunity for Airbus to outthink Boeing - but only if it's true that is! New airliner developments seem to me to be a cat-and-mouse game.

 

[Coathanger16]

It's just a paper idea at present to gauge interest in this 'middle-market' bracket I would say. What it does do is give an opportunity for Airbus to outthink Boeing - but only if it's true that is! New airliner developments seem to me to be a cat-and-mouse game.

That's very true.

Initial response from airlines has been positive though. Tim Clark (Emirates CEO) liked the idea although he said Emirates wouldn't get any as it didn't fit their business model. Although Emirates really does need to look at getting some smaller aircraft. Having a B777 as your smallest aircraft can be very limiting.

As I understand it, this new aircraft should basically operate as wide body for passengers, but narrow body for cargo - ideal for low cost carriers or routes where cargo is limited.

Only time will tell.

 

[Ray Finkle]

UA gone from October.

 

[ronnoc1k8]

Yay!

 

[User001]

What the hell has happened to United.

thats GLA/BHX/SNN all cut for the winter, as well as the previous cuts to BFS/MAN-IAD and NCL.

Such a shame to see a once great route network to the UK has been cut right back. Really sad.

Is this the first time BHX has been left with no trans Atlantic service at all?

 

[IanFarquharson]

Nothing to panic about !
2018 look very positive !

 

[User001]

Nothing to panic about, no, but, worrying, yes.

Whether UA has been on the danger list for a while is irrelevant in my eyes, this is not positive news and not one that should be just easily brushed to the side as an 'oh well'. Like I say this leaves no US service this winter for BHX, and this rumoured new airline doesn't sound like it's confirmed yet (it probably will happen but until it's confirmed its still in the 'hopeful' pile, and if you were confident it is confirmed we wouldn't have all this coyness of refusing to say who it is).

I'm not doubting some good route gains in 2018, but across many UK regionals, it isn't going to be half as comfortable in 2018 as some people seem to think it is.

2018 is going to be the make or break year and likely dictate how we head into Brexit.

All I'm saying is, let's not lie back and think 2018 is in the bag, I can assure you, it's not.....

 

[hammerb32]

When you say gone from October is this permanent or winter only? Brexit and Trump are proving pretty toxic for US travel it seems.

 

[Ray Finkle]

There is nothing bookable on the United website after October. I've checked the May 2018 school holidays and into June, all that is showing is 1 stop flights.

 

[User001]

The frustrating thing is that 'Brexit' and 'Trump Slump' only appear to be affecting UK regional airports.

Gatwick is gaining more and more US flights, Virgin reporting that their bookings have remained resilient, BA more than happy with TATL load/yield and so on.

 

[hammerb32]

Maybe I'm doing a dis-service to TCX and VS out of MAN, pretty much everyone I know flying to the US this summer is travelling with one of them, direct flights, low prices, up to date service offering on board. Does make you think how long the likes of UA and AA will remain relevant in the UK/US market.

 

[Jerry]

The frustrating thing is that 'Brexit' and 'Trump Slump' only appear to be affecting UK regional airports.

Gatwick is gaining more and more US flights, Virgin reporting that their bookings have remained resilient, BA more than happy with TATL load/yield and so on.

Could it be because the UK regional market is more Brits heading to the US rather than London and Edinburgh where they have a larger amount of inbound North American tourism.

 

[ethanegcc]

There is no way to disguise this. United are certainly heading down a path out of their UK Regions presence and it is troubling. BHX/GLA/BFS/NCL/SNN/MAN have all been victims of seasonality and route cuts in the past year, and it can't all be blamed on the 'Trump Slump' and 'Brexit'.

The cuts have left MAN with no direct link to the US capital, Newcastle/Belfast (for a time) with no US links at all, and BHX with no winter transatlantic scheduled carrier. I really hope United can hold on and not have to cut more.

 

[Kevin Farnell]

Terrible news!

I find it difficult to believe that an economy the size and strength of Birmingham and the West Midlands isn't supporting several daily US flights.

Kevin