Wouldn't daytime flights to Europe make more sense?

[Anonymous]

The 8am IAD-LHR nonstop on UAL was absolutely awesome.

If you weren’t trying to connect anywhere.

[Anonymous]

Connections from rest of US to the east coast, and also from main European cities to smaller European cities make day flights impossible.

[Anonymous]

I took the 8am direct United flight to London for about 10 years. It ended with covid. United announced it was restarting but then cancelled. I can’t believe it’s due to lack of demand. A lot of people (me included) would pay extra for a daytime flight. Must be due to availability of landing slots, logistics for routes, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I took the 8am direct United flight to London for about 10 years. It ended with covid. United announced it was restarting but then cancelled. I can’t believe it’s due to lack of demand. A lot of people (me included) would pay extra for a daytime flight. Must be due to availability of landing slots, logistics for routes, etc.

I know people keep saying they personally would pay extra for a daytime flight, but a quick scan of prices doesn't support that more generally- the morning departures are not more expensive than evening departures from New York.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I took the 8am direct United flight to London for about 10 years. It ended with covid. United announced it was restarting but then cancelled. I can’t believe it’s due to lack of demand. A lot of people (me included) would pay extra for a daytime flight. Must be due to availability of landing slots, logistics for routes, etc.

I know people keep saying they personally would pay extra for a daytime flight, but a quick scan of prices doesn't support that more generally- the morning departures are not more expensive than evening departures from New York.

I don’t think it’s a valid comparison. There are multiple daytime flights from New York to London, presumably enough to cater to people who want to travel during the day. If there was one flight travelling from DC to London during the day, that would be the only option for anyone wanting to travel during the daytime. When United previously operated a daytime flight, I did in fact pay more on various occasions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I took the 8am direct United flight to London for about 10 years. It ended with covid. United announced it was restarting but then cancelled. I can’t believe it’s due to lack of demand. A lot of people (me included) would pay extra for a daytime flight. Must be due to availability of landing slots, logistics for routes, etc.

I know people keep saying they personally would pay extra for a daytime flight, but a quick scan of prices doesn't support that more generally- the morning departures are not more expensive than evening departures from New York.

I don’t think it’s a valid comparison. There are multiple daytime flights from New York to London, presumably enough to cater to people who want to travel during the day. If there was one flight travelling from DC to London during the day, that would be the only option for anyone wanting to travel during the daytime. When United previously operated a daytime flight, I did in fact pay more on various occasions.

Yes and they cut the flight because it was described as "one of United's worst performing trans-Atlantic flights". The fact that they cut it alone, when they have 2 evening flights, and BA has never tried it despite now having 3 evening flights, tells you a LOT more about the actual demand for such a flight than a few people here saying they would pay extra for it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The 8am IAD-LHR nonstop on UAL was absolutely awesome.

If you weren’t trying to connect anywhere.

And only if it ran with no delays ever.

The one time I tried it, we landed hours late. The LHR Hoppa buses to nesrby hotels already had stopped. There were no taxis. I was curbside with my bags and no easy way to get to my hotel. Never again.

And I was flying up front, no checked bags, and zero delay at immigration or customs because we were one the last few flights to actually land that night.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I took the 8am direct United flight to London for about 10 years. It ended with covid. United announced it was restarting but then cancelled. I can’t believe it’s due to lack of demand. A lot of people (me included) would pay extra for a daytime flight. Must be due to availability of landing slots, logistics for routes, etc.

I know people keep saying they personally would pay extra for a daytime flight, but a quick scan of prices doesn't support that more generally- the morning departures are not more expensive than evening departures from New York.

I don’t think it’s a valid comparison. There are multiple daytime flights from New York to London, presumably enough to cater to people who want to travel during the day. If there was one flight travelling from DC to London during the day, that would be the only option for anyone wanting to travel during the daytime. When United previously operated a daytime flight, I did in fact pay more on various occasions.

Yes and they cut the flight because it was described as "one of United's worst performing trans-Atlantic flights". The fact that they cut it alone, when they have 2 evening flights, and BA has never tried it despite now having 3 evening flights, tells you a LOT more about the actual demand for such a flight than a few people here saying they would pay extra for it.

Its one virtue was it was easier to upgrade to the better cabins -- because they were never full. That meant it was non-economic for UA.

[Anonymous]

I'm sure everyone here realizes a return flight to the US that departs Europe at say, 11PM, gets to the US around 3AM. That isn't useful for anyone. Good luck getting a bunch of people to pay for that.

[Anonymous]

I refer overnights but I can sleep on the plane with no problem. I wouldn't want to waste a vacation day on a plane.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I refer overnights but I can sleep on the plane with no problem. I wouldn't want to waste a vacation day on a plane.

PREFER

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm sure everyone here realizes a return flight to the US that departs Europe at say, 11PM, gets to the US around 3AM. That isn't useful for anyone. Good luck getting a bunch of people to pay for that.

OP doesn’t realize anything but her own convenience. She does not care if the plane sits idle for 12 hours until she is ready to fly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I took the 8am direct United flight to London for about 10 years. It ended with covid. United announced it was restarting but then cancelled. I can’t believe it’s due to lack of demand. A lot of people (me included) would pay extra for a daytime flight. Must be due to availability of landing slots, logistics for routes, etc.

I know people keep saying they personally would pay extra for a daytime flight, but a quick scan of prices doesn't support that more generally- the morning departures are not more expensive than evening departures from New York.

I don’t think it’s a valid comparison. There are multiple daytime flights from New York to London, presumably enough to cater to people who want to travel during the day. If there was one flight travelling from DC to London during the day, that would be the only option for anyone wanting to travel during the daytime. When United previously operated a daytime flight, I did in fact pay more on various occasions.

Yes and they cut the flight because it was described as "one of United's worst performing trans-Atlantic flights". The fact that they cut it alone, when they have 2 evening flights, and BA has never tried it despite now having 3 evening flights, tells you a LOT more about the actual demand for such a flight than a few people here saying they would pay extra for it.

Its one virtue was it was easier to upgrade to the better cabins -- because they were never full. That meant it was non-economic for UA.

Exactly- the key factor for long haul international to be worth operating is the ability to fill the premium seats with people paying cash. If you can't do that, you can't make money on the flight and won't run it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I took the 8am direct United flight to London for about 10 years. It ended with covid. United announced it was restarting but then cancelled. I can’t believe it’s due to lack of demand. A lot of people (me included) would pay extra for a daytime flight. Must be due to availability of landing slots, logistics for routes, etc.

I know people keep saying they personally would pay extra for a daytime flight, but a quick scan of prices doesn't support that more generally- the morning departures are not more expensive than evening departures from New York.

I don’t think it’s a valid comparison. There are multiple daytime flights from New York to London, presumably enough to cater to people who want to travel during the day. If there was one flight travelling from DC to London during the day, that would be the only option for anyone wanting to travel during the daytime. When United previously operated a daytime flight, I did in fact pay more on various occasions.

Yes and they cut the flight because it was described as "one of United's worst performing trans-Atlantic flights". The fact that they cut it alone, when they have 2 evening flights, and BA has never tried it despite now having 3 evening flights, tells you a LOT more about the actual demand for such a flight than a few people here saying they would pay extra for it.

I don’t think it’s lack of demand so much as they can’t easily turn a plane that lands in London at night. So that plane will sit empty until the next morning. Unlike the red-eye configuration.

The answer to all of your questions is money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I took the 8am direct United flight to London for about 10 years. It ended with covid. United announced it was restarting but then cancelled. I can’t believe it’s due to lack of demand. A lot of people (me included) would pay extra for a daytime flight. Must be due to availability of landing slots, logistics for routes, etc.

I know people keep saying they personally would pay extra for a daytime flight, but a quick scan of prices doesn't support that more generally- the morning departures are not more expensive than evening departures from New York.

I don’t think it’s a valid comparison. There are multiple daytime flights from New York to London, presumably enough to cater to people who want to travel during the day. If there was one flight travelling from DC to London during the day, that would be the only option for anyone wanting to travel during the daytime. When United previously operated a daytime flight, I did in fact pay more on various occasions.

Yes and they cut the flight because it was described as "one of United's worst performing trans-Atlantic flights". The fact that they cut it alone, when they have 2 evening flights, and BA has never tried it despite now having 3 evening flights, tells you a LOT more about the actual demand for such a flight than a few people here saying they would pay extra for it.

I don’t think it’s lack of demand so much as they can’t easily turn a plane that lands in London at night. So that plane will sit empty until the next morning. Unlike the red-eye configuration.

The answer to all of your questions is money.

Yes, we are saying the same thing, I was imprecise in what I wrote. What I meant was that there isn't enough demand at the higher fares that are needed to make up for extra costs like that.

It only makes sense in the NYC-London market where you have so much premium traffic that it can sort of spill into the space for filling a morning flight with high enough fares. United actually has 2 of them from Newark around an hour apart. Cargo also probably plays a role- it is probably similar to passengers where it's better for cargo going elsewhere in Europe or the UK on a tight schedule is better to arrive in the morning than late at night.