United cutting more 787 service due to delivery delays


United Airlines is facing the delays in delivery of their new 787 Dreamliners with more cuts to the previously announced schedule. The company initially expected to have two planes in service by this weekend, allowing them to operate eight daily flights with the new type. Instead they have only one. The good news is that the one received FAA authorization to operate in commercial service this week. But the delays in receiving the other planes are resulting in many schedule changes.

The previously announced changes only affected the domestic routes scheduled to operate through late November. Today’s expected change – again from the generally reliable @AirlineRoute – sees the scheduled service between Houston and Amsterdam on the cutting block. That service will now not be changed to the 787 until February 2013.

The delivery delays may still affect other routes the 787 is scheduled to fly on. Boeing is saying that they don’t expect any more delays in delivery, despite such a suggestion from a United spokesperson. Keep your eyes and ears open as the situation continues to develop.

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Seth Miller

I'm Seth, also known as the Wandering Aramean. I was bit by the travel bug 30 years ago and there's no sign of a cure. I fly ~200,000 miles annually; these are my stories. You can connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

9 Comments

  1. I am pretty sure I’m an outlier on this, but not clear to me why United feels the need to allow people to change flight dates or cancel their flights due to these changes. They don’t have that policy for other equipment swaps (though maybe they should!)

  2. I think that the free changes are a nice touch. Most have no idea that they were booked on a 787 or any desire to change but for the few who specifically booked in order to get on the new plane it is a decent customer service move. They absolutely do not have to do it but, given the beating they’ve taken lately in the media over customer service, it is nice to see them trying.

    It also isn’t clear yet that the AMS substitution will allow for free changes.

  3. He he, this may set the stage for lawsuits when certain frequent flyers get a ghettobird 763 instead of a 772 and the like :p

  4. Does anyone know the terms of the free changes? It seems logical to only allow free changes for reservations booked after the domestic routes were first announced.
    I dodged a bullet on my 787 trip, as the 787 flights the day before and after were both swapped.

  5. Have the changes already been placed into the res system? Just booked an itin for mid-Dec that shows 787 today.

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