United Airlines increases use of Boeing 777-300ER on top US domestic routes

"United's 777-300ER aircraft offers a modern, spacious interior envisioned in partnership with design firm PriestmanGoode, including the airline's all-new United Polaris business class seat. (...) This new seat represents the latest in the continued rollout of United Polaris, the airline's most significant product transformation in more than a decade."

Meanwhile, use of smaller variants—the Boeing 777-200 and 777-200ER—has declined over the past year. Combined, these models account for 1,077 domestic flights this September, down from last year's figure of 1,319—a decrease of approximately 18.3%. The lower-density version of the Boeing 777-200ER is relatively rare on domestic routes but will be used daily between Newark and Los Angeles (LAX) as well as on one rotation between Washington Dulles (IAD) and San Francisco.

Most domestic operations involving these smaller jets utilize the higher-density Boeing 777-200 model with a seating arrangement that includes 28 business class seats and 336 economy seats for a total of 364 passengers. The top route for these aircraft remains Newark to San Francisco—with a combined total of over 160 rotations throughout September—and other regular services include LAX to Newark and Honolulu as well as Chicago to Denver.

Fleet composition data from ch-aviation highlights some key differences within United’s sub-fleet: while its average Boeing 777-300ER is only about eight years old, both its Boeing 777-200ERs and -200s average over two decades in age—25.6 years and nearly three decades at an average age of around twenty-eight years respectively. The airline currently operates more than twice as many older variants: there are reportedly fifty-five examples of the -200ER model along with nineteen -200s versus just twenty-two larger -300ERs.

Despite its ongoing reliance on different versions of the Boeing “Triple-Seven,” United does not appear interested in updating this segment with newer models such as those found in the upcoming Boeing 777X series. None of the major U.S.-based legacy airlines have placed orders for or indicated plans to acquire these next-generation widebodies.

"United's 777-300ER aircraft offers a modern, spacious interior envisioned in partnership with design firm PriestmanGoode, including the airline's all-new United Polaris business class seat. (...) This new seat represents the latest in the continued rollout of United Polaris, the airline's most significant product transformation in more than a decade." — United Airlines