United Airlines will not retire 15 of its 757-200s as planned, as it examines viable replacements for the workhorse jet.
The plan was to retire the remaining pre-merger United fleet of 757-200s later this year, all of which are configured with 28 lie-flat beds and used almost exclusively on premium (p.s.) transcon routes. These aircraft are not certified to fly overseas and were due for both pricey heavy maintenance checks and mandatory fire suppression upgrades to the fuel tanks in the months to come. By retiring these aircraft, United could have avoided these pricey measures to extend the life of the aircraft.
But a very reliable FA on Flyertalk reports that these aircraft will not be retired and safety upgrades will proceed. Why? United has no viable replacements. With United set to begin exclusively lie-flat service in business class between San Francisco and Boston, more lie-flat aircraft are needed. These aircraft may be showing their age a bit, but still feature United’s current lie-flat business class and slim-line economy class seats.
United has examined the Airbus A321neo to take over routes formerly served by its 757-200s. It has also expressed interest in launching Boeing’s new “middle-of-the-market” (MoM) “797” aircraft. The problem is that these aircraft are many years away and United needs aircraft now.
Consumers should be happy over this news. The 757-200s that will remain in service have a higher business class – economy ratio than other aircraft. Furthermore, it hints of more domestic routes with lie-flat beds.
With no viable alternative at this time, United is wise (and forced) to extend the life of its 757-200 fleet.
top image courtesy of ERIC SALARD / Flickr
Meh. I stopped flying Untied in 2012 after a series of customer service disasters. Never went back. I’ll never be in one of these old birds.
just flew the oldest one in the fleet last week to EWR. Came into service in 1989….yikes! Have had 3 mechanicals in the last 12 months on one of them. Time to retire these things!
Damn right Al…..flying antiques. Horrible .
I flew a UA 757-300 back in 2011 SFO-OGG and what a tired, beat up, piece of junk. The plane got us there, but the cabin was in desperate need of upgrade/renovation. I had used miles for FC for my wife and I and I was disappointed with the creaky seats, the awful tube TVs in the ceiling, and the overall lousy interior. If I had paid cash, I would have been pissed. All the airlines love to fly old, beat up planes to the islands from the West Coast. I guess they figure so many award tickets are used on thsoe flights and they fly full so often that you can stick people in their lousy planes and stick it to them.
Would be nice if they’d put some on transcons out of IAD (maybe to compete with Delta’s DCA-LAX fully-flat 757 service).
There is one round trip a day on the IAD-LAX route using a 757-200 with flat beds. I just got off of this flight. The interiors are awfully beat-up though.
Flew the 757-200 built in 19954 from OGG to DEN in 1st class. The ticket was a bit pricey at first, but the lie flat seats paid for themselves. How, when the plane landed in Denver, they flight attendants didn’t have to call for stretcher. As for the interior – I didn’t notice. I slept for 5:45 minutes of the 6 and 1/2 flight.