United removes its posh Boeing 767 from JFK, upends New York strategy
Less than five months since its splashy return to JFK, United's New York strategy is getting upended.
In a move that might surprise some industry observers, the Chicago-based carrier is swapping the aircraft that's flying to New York's largest airport.
Effective Oct. 5, United will no longer deploy the premium-heavy "high-J" Boeing 767-300 on its JFK routes. Instead, it'll fly the far-less premium Boeing 757-200, as originally seen in Cirium schedules and later confirmed by the airline.
Though most aircraft swaps don't grab headlines, this one is different.
For one, United made a big deal about returning to JFK after its more than five-year hiatus from serving the airport. Scott Kirby, the carrier's CEO, conceded that pulling out of JFK was a "strategic mistake," which ultimately caused United to lose lucrative corporate contracts and high-value flyers to its competitors.
United strategically used the pandemic to muscle back into JFK, a busy slot-restricted airport. With an overall reduction in air service and additional runway capacity, the carrier was able to secure slots to make the flights work.
But returning to JFK wasn't just about getting its foot into the door. To win back those valuable accounts, United decided to deploy the swankiest jet in its fleet, the "high-J" Boeing 767-300, on its two transcon JFK routes, one to Los Angeles (LAX) and the other to San Francisco (SFO).
This plane variant sports a whopping 46 Polaris seats instead of the standard 30 on the other 767s, as well as 22 Premium Plus premium economy recliners, 43 extra-legroom Economy Plus seats and 56 coach seats.
These transcon routes are some of the most hotly contested in the entire country — the Big 3, as well as JetBlue, all offer lie-flat pods upfront and other first-class touches to win customers.
By returning to JFK with its poshest plane, United was serious about going up against the other top-notch premium products offered by American, JetBlue and Delta. In fact, the carrier even paid an employee at LAX to hold up a "thank you" sign that was displayed before its JFK flight.
Now, however, that strategy appears to be changing. United's Boeing 757's sport just 16 lie-flat biz pods in a 2-2 configuration, as well as 45 extra-legroom Economy Plus seats and 108 coach seats.
Though this technically represents an upgauge in the number of total seats available (169 on the 757 compared to 167 on the 767), it's a massive reduction in the percentage of premium seats — and a night-and-day difference in the business-class product offered on the route.
United's 757s don't have a premium economy cabin, so that cabin will no longer be available to JFK. Additionally, the 757s have 30 fewer Polaris biz pods compared to the 767s. This will likely make it harder to find both award and upgrade space, which was previously readily available on the JFK routes.
Additionally, the actual business-class product itself is getting a massive downgrade. The 767s are outfitted with lie-flat Polaris pods in a 1-1-1 arrangement, with direct aisle access for each passenger. They also have an enclosed storage compartment, large tray table and high-definition seat-back monitor.
Polaris on the 757 spans just four rows in a 2-2 arrangement without direct aisle access. The seats are tighter and significantly less private than the pods on the 767.
Related: Every United business-class seat ranked from best to worst
With United's latest move, it appears that the carrier isn't going to be competing as fiercely for the business-class traffic on these premium transcon routes.
Of course, it's possible that United will redeploy the "high-J" 767 or another wide-body jet to JFK, if and when its largest corporate accounts start traveling again in large numbers. Until then, you'll want to stick with American's premium-heavy Airbus A321T or JetBlue's new Mint product if you're after the best possible inflight experience.
Or, you could fly United's premium transcon routes to Newark. For now, at least two daily frequencies on each route are scheduled to be operated by a wide-body jet.
But, as United learned the hard way five years ago, Newark isn't a replacement for flying to JFK. It'll be interesting to follow how the carrier's aircraft strategy evolves over time.
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- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
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Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.