American Majors and the 747
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American Majors and the 747
Why do the American major carriers not use the 747. United and Northwest(200series and DC-10's still!!!) I think have a few, but the likes of Delta, Continental, American, USAirways seem to rely on the 767,777 for long-haul ops. The European Majors, BA, AirFrance and Lufthansa all use 747-400's for a majority of the Transatlantic flights. Is there any reason the American Majors don't use 747-400?
Many of the US carriers used to have 747s (remember that Pan Am and TWA were the 747 pioneers) but let them go for a variety of reasons.
US carriers tend not to be the dominant carrier on transatlantic routes, so they generally have lesser loads.
They also don't have other elements of their route networks that favour significant 747 fleets, unless (like Northwest and United) they also operate across the Pacific. Wouldn't want just a few 747s for the busiest services.
US carriers have developed route structures based on hubs that are not at the trunk centres that favour 747s. No one hubs at JFK (except a half-hearted Delta operation) or LAX and therefore they don't play a large part in the airports that most favour 747 operations.
US carriers favour frequency (multiple flights daily) over concentration into fewer large aircraft flights.
US carriers tend not to be the dominant carrier on transatlantic routes, so they generally have lesser loads.
They also don't have other elements of their route networks that favour significant 747 fleets, unless (like Northwest and United) they also operate across the Pacific. Wouldn't want just a few 747s for the busiest services.
US carriers have developed route structures based on hubs that are not at the trunk centres that favour 747s. No one hubs at JFK (except a half-hearted Delta operation) or LAX and therefore they don't play a large part in the airports that most favour 747 operations.
US carriers favour frequency (multiple flights daily) over concentration into fewer large aircraft flights.
Indeed ! And although I feel the A380 will really surprise Boeing with it's success I don't think it will be by sales to US carriers. But just wait until Virgin (and BA !) start Heathrow to JFK and LAX on the A380 !
One of Boeing's main problems is that they think that US airline policies (eg for the mid-sized 7E7) suits everyone, whereas in world terms it's a minority perspective.
I guess what also did the 747 in for US carriers was international deregulation. Overseas carriers tend to have other routes still regulated that favour the largest aircraft. And once you have these in the fleet, you can use them on selected routes to the USA as well.
One of Boeing's main problems is that they think that US airline policies (eg for the mid-sized 7E7) suits everyone, whereas in world terms it's a minority perspective.
I guess what also did the 747 in for US carriers was international deregulation. Overseas carriers tend to have other routes still regulated that favour the largest aircraft. And once you have these in the fleet, you can use them on selected routes to the USA as well.
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When the 747 first came out, in the early 70s, most of the US carriers ordered them - NWA and UAL (which still operate them), TWA and PAA (for long haul) and CO, DL and AA.
The biggest problems these airlines faced was that many of them had trouble filling the considerably smaller DC8s and 707s they were already operating, so when the 747s came along, the load factors were appalling. I remember coming across statistics for 1972/73, which showed loads hovering around the 30-35% mark. This was when the fuel crisis began to bite and gradually, some of these airlines started to reduce their 747 operations on domestic flights to trunk routes. AA still operated 747s until the early '80s and DL stopped in '77.
The biggest problems these airlines faced was that many of them had trouble filling the considerably smaller DC8s and 707s they were already operating, so when the 747s came along, the load factors were appalling. I remember coming across statistics for 1972/73, which showed loads hovering around the 30-35% mark. This was when the fuel crisis began to bite and gradually, some of these airlines started to reduce their 747 operations on domestic flights to trunk routes. AA still operated 747s until the early '80s and DL stopped in '77.
