PilotBases

With the SAS JV, I would expect ARN and CPH move to the 330 in time. A while back I hear rumors of a 260 seat 339 comfiguration, similar to Virgin. That would be a decent bridge from the 763.
GH said in a SkyHub TH that that Max10 would be a mid con jet. ATL/DTW/MSP to west coast etc.

A330-900 future is a little more comfortable now Cathay had a large order for it, 30+30. Likely to see some mainland China orders soon. I think we will top up on 339s here and there, but the 350 is the focus now.

A321neo is going to be the backbone of the fleet, 155 currently on order/in service and 70 options. Other options are 30 Max10 and 20 Widebody currently showing 10/10 339/359 but I believe can still change.

Hotel Kilo

not true. really Maybe, maybe when NEO gets lie flats. Both jets are equal to each other efficiency wise and the MAX performs better in climb performance over NEO. NEOs take longer to get to altitude and have to stay lower longer where as the MAX does not. The mid con jet is planned to be -900 once the MAX fully comes aboard (the NEO/MAX combo is a good one, both jets about as equally efficient), that has been the plan for sometime now. The folks on the 73 fleet have most likely been seeing the mid con stuff in their rotations already (using the -900). It's been incremental but the "testing" phase is yielding about what we expected. I have yet to see any official documentation to support mid con thing for MAX so I doubt this is the case. I think GH might have gotten confused here. Easy to do, he has a lot on his mind right now.

Hotel Kilo

Wrong. The NEO/MAX are planned to be the backbone. Let's be accurate here. NEOs, let's not forget that we have 58 or so old 320/319s that will be replaced by NEOs (maybe thats the extra options). We have a firm order for 100 MAX with an option for 30ish more if memeory serves me, which from what I'm hearing we will exercise. There are 77 -800s, some of the older ones will be retired but we'll keep most flying as long as we can. So I think when you look at replacements plus the order book with options, that most of the NB fleet in about 10 years is going to be NEO/MAX. Who knows, we might get more MAX as they are readily available where as the book order line for NEO is prety full from other carriers.

PilotBases

A319 and 738 are comparable ages. Both mid 20s on average. Cockpit mods on the 319 and winglets on the 738 will keep both flying probably until 2030 era, see them both winding down in tandem with A321neo and Max10 deliveries. My point is take all options, A321neo fleet will be 215 jets, 50 with ETOPS and 21 with layflat. Its the fleet that will see utility across the board. Theres a reason it's outselling the Max10 7:1, and with things like out Airbus AQP training and eQRH via Navblue, the Airbus is the fleet that will make up the majority of Delta's fleet. I've no doubt we will see the Max10, but I wouldn't be shocked to see the fleet end at the 130 mark. It'll be a while to hit critical mass. Our filings all indicate the plan is 20/year for deliveries, so we are talking close to 2030 before the Max hits the number of the current A321neo fleet.

I fully expect to see all 70 Neo and 30 Max options excercised. I think we have used all A220 options.

What ever happened to the drag mods trialled on the 737 fleet? I also remember some "digital winglet" app discussed once upon a time, that still under investigation?

Not sure about Max10 climb rates. From friends who fly the 900/Max9, the Max is slower on the way up due to heavier engines. When I flew the -900 we'd be stuck at 320/340 out of the islands. The A321neo isn't markedly worse, while hauling a dozen more peeps out. The Max10 will be interesting, similar seating capacity to the 900 despite being longer, I hope they will do a mid cabin lav with the extra space.

Fastpilot

They must be outliers or it sounds like they should bid off. There’s a reason WBB stays senior. I’d rather have dinner in Rome for the 100th time than not have time for dinner on a min rest overnight in Birmingham.

Hotel Kilo

Not sure where you get your info from. The plan was always to retire many of the -800s once MAX started to robustly come online. The drag mods are wokring well, I would expect to see them deployed soon on more 73s (that's my opinion). We've got the MAX climb data from the orange wired jets at boeing. The MAX out performs the NEO in climb. Simple as that. Do you, or have you flown the NEO? It struggles. A MAX can easily climb robustly at 315-320 and not worry about being trapped between green dot and Vmo like the NEO (I know boeing doesn't have that just using it for illustration purposes). I guess it remains to be seen with MAX with us here but we've got the test data on it and it does perform much better. The NEO is lucky to get to very low 30s coming out of say AUA to JFK with ALB (or some other distant airport) as an ALT. I would hazard a guess MAX is slightly better but not by much.

Our planned MAX-10 seating configuration on delivery will be 20 FC, 33 C+ and 129 main cabin. The plane is longer yes, with that get more room with the new style FC seats as well as C+. Current 739 config (not the lion air jets) I believe is the W39 config which is 20 FC, 21 C+ and 139 main cabin. NEO gives us 20 FC, 42 C+ and 132 main cabin. So yes slightly more seats in NEO compared to MAX (+9 Comf+, +3 Main, same amount on FC)

What you need to know is that both NEO/MAX compliment one another. It was a very smart move for us to get both. It's going to be great for this air line and pilot group. We want to grow, still, and both these aircraft allow us to increase our capacity (upgauge) and enjoy relevant fuel savings (reduced costs) given they're efficiencies. It's a win/win (I know, not for the bus bois fan club on here, but whatever).

Khantahr

I don't do AUA, but the Neo is usualy 310-330 leaving Hawaii. It's slow to climb, but I've never felt like it struggles. I'm used to slow climbers though (220, 175), so it matters not to me.

Hotel Kilo

It's about the same. Where I fly out of mostly we sometimes are following you guys in the NEO and you're not doing that. We are overrunning you in the WB. I've heard So Cal/BOS/NY put the spurs to you. I've also flown the NEO and what I typically saw with near or at max gross weights was an appallingly slow climb speed so as not to hit Vmo and conversely not fight the green dot thru the mid to high 20s. Yeah, ok the NEO is the bestest jet ever made, it mops the floor performance wise over every other NB jet out there. I heard it even outperforms the 75. Maybe you're flying a different jet than I did (yes, I'm being slightly sarcastic here, sorry).

Khantahr

We're not doing what? 310-330? I just looked at my last 8 flights leaving Hawaii in flight pulse, 6 of them started at 310, 2 of them at 330, all but one were 195k pounds or more at takeoff, half were over 200k.

It's a slow climber, that's for sure, I don't think anyone ever claimed otherwise. I do not feel like it struggles, I hit open climb and managed speed and let it do its thing, it'll get there.

PilotBases

739Max at United is doing 300-340 out of Hawaii, so basically the same...