Melbourne to LA is a market that we have wanted to serve non-stop for many years Miller says, descri

The trans-Pacific run between Melbourne and Los Angeles was probably not anybody s guess for the inaugural route of United Airlines first Boeing 787-9 , but the airline says it s all part of a plan to bolster its share of the Australian market.
This is part of a larger business plan that we have for Australia, weekend car rental special and one we have been working on for quite a long time now Matt Miller, United s Managing Director, Japan and Pacific Sales, tells Australian Business Traveller .
Melbourne to LA is a market that we have wanted to serve non-stop for many years Miller says, describing the route as a perfect fit for the Boeing 787-9. It s the right size, the right range and the right economics.
We also heard that the three-cabin Boeing 747 aircraft with first class which we re flying today day was still important for Sydney, so we maintain that same three-class configuration in the Boeing 777.
The 777-200 is the backbone of our long-haul international services all around weekend car rental special the world and we have leading on-time statistics in the countries we re using this aircraft, weekend car rental special so we re really confident that it s going to exceed expectations, especially in terms of reliability.
We ll retime these flights for an earlier departure out of Sydney, weekend car rental special which means an earlier arrival on the west coast and easier connections to New York and the rest of the east coast, to get you there before dinner time Miller says.
We do have a very large customer base in New Zealand and now we ll be able to serve them via Sydney or Melbourne direct to the west coast, so the situation is a little weekend car rental special bit different weekend car rental special then it originally was when we looked at Houston to Auckland.
Well this sounds like an engine issue, not an actual Boeing issue. The customer buying the plane chose what engines are installed. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner has a lot of new tecnology and like the Airbus A380 there have been teething issues, which will only get better for both airlline manufacturers as the years go by, as it has been since aircraft were first built.
Recently had a short 4 hr flight on the 787 and was not impressed by the narrow and uncomfortable seats, they are truely average at best and certainly detracts from the overall experience. My experience is that a380's seem to have a more comfortable interior closely followed by the 777 and the venerable weekend car rental special 330. Just sayin !!
However, the above comment re IAH-AKL is the ultimate non-answer. How are they planning to serve the US west coast from AKL via SYD or MEL? By pax taking NZ to SYD or MEL and doubling back? Why just not take NZ direct to LAX or SFO then? Yes, the NZ long-haul economy product is increasingly cramped weekend car rental special etc. etc., but does adding five + hours to the trip make sense?
AKL-IAH would be a new route that would surely open many new opportunities for UA. (I for one would be a customer from day one). CO thought it was such a great opportunity they made it one of the two priority routes for the 788. Then post-merger, all of a sudden it doesn't matter any more. Bizarre heaped upon bizarre.
They may well have "a very large customer base in Queensland and far-northern NSW" (which contains a population larger than the entire foreign country mentioned) as well" which they signally fail to mention or service.
Ick! The real downside is getting from MEL to SFO means either that horrible weekend car rental special terminal change in Sydney or the interminable immigration wait and treatment at Immigration and TSA in LAX. Pack a cut lunch and pray your baggage makes it in either weekend car rental special case.
I really liked the current weekend car rental special tail / leg into Melbourne. Check in at International, a straight gate change with time for leg stretch in Sydney and do Immigation at SFO, which far more civilised and faster.
It doesn't have to be that way.I did the USA trip back in the days of Continental in 1989 which meant immigration was done at Honolulu prior to continuing onto the US west coast but that was quite a long time ago now.These days if you wish to avoid LAX out of Melbourne with the changes coming weekend car rental special later this year the choice is simple really NZ to Auckland and then continue onwards to SFO.