United is concentrating its 787 fleet at San Francisco International. (Image: United)
With recent announcements of even more Dreamliner routes out of San Francisco International, United’s current and future routes at that airport will make it the biggest 787 hub in the U.S., according to a report in TheStreet.com.
United currently has 22 787 Dreamliners in its fleet and expects to take delivery of three more by the end of 2015.
Over the last several days, the carrier announced new 787 service from San Francisco to Xi’an, China as well as new upcoming routes to Auckland, New Zealand and Tel Aviv, Israel.
As we reported a couple of months ago, United is also planning to redeploy some 787s onto other transpacific routes from SFO, including Sydney, Taipei and Tokyo Haneda.
Related: Flying on a brand new United 787 Dreamliner
TheStreet.com noted that when all the route plans are in operation, United will be flying 787s from San Francisco to nine global destinations — more than any other U.S. airport.
A United executive told the publication that the economics of the 787 work best for routes out of the airline’s San Francisco hub. He said they are “the longest stage length flights in our system and the airplane will benefit you the most where you fly the longest flights, which offer the greatest fuel burn savings, and also {because} the West Coast is really competitive, so we are offering our best airplane product on the most competitive routes.”
Virgin Atlantic is one of several carriers putting 787 Dreamliners onto Bay Area routes- starting this month. (Image: Virgin)
At SFO, United is currently using Dreamliners across the Pacific to Osaka, Japan and Chengdu, China; China Southern has 787 flights to Guangzhou; and Virgin Atlantic is poised to begin SFO-London Heathrow flights with a new 787-9 beginning October 24.
European budget carrier Norwegian has started flying Dreamliners from Oakland to both Oslo and Stockholm. And at San Jose, Dreamliners are available on flights to Tokyo Narita with ANA; to Beijing with Hainan Airlines; and next spring to London Heathrow with a new British Airways 787-9.
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“Best product” and United Airlines are almost oxymorons.
Your wrong, all United is doing is not putting their best product, it’s making the most money they possibly can with the 787. Would love to fly one, but they aren’t on domestic flights, they fly mostly the Pacific. Guess the 747 is a plane of the past, now that was a comfortable ride in business class upstairs in the bubble.
What a laugh… United says they are putting their best product , the Dreamliner.
OK, the plane is fine, but what about the 6 across seating, and trying to climb over people in business first. Most airlines do 1-2-1 seating with all aisle access AND only 4 across. (We are not even talking about the food and service).
Other airlines do staggered seating and much better service products.