757 PROBLEM - United's Fleet Decision

United Airlines is one of the largest operators of the Boeing 757 series and, as such, has a responsibility to one day replace the type. However, a decision to do so has only been made harder as the company believes there is no true replacement for the type and their fleet looks "imperfect." Today, I explore key fleet decisions that have been made throughout the years and how while the intention to replace some 757s is there, a variant still remains a grey area with a lack of new Boeing aircraft to truly replace the iconic workhorse.

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Video was written by Daniel Fowkes.

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#aviation #news #usa #america #757 #a321 #737 #flight #aircraft #avgeek #airplane #airlines #airport #planespotting #airbus #boeing

[MrSuzuki]

I flew the 757-200 for United out of all 3 NYC airports for 15 years before I retired in 2015 at age 65. There is simply no replacement for this wonderful airplane. I can recall taking off from SNA/Orange County, CA on a 5, 700 foot long runway with 182 passengers and flying non-stop to Newark landing with 1.4 hours of fuel remaining. Boeing is trying to replace the 757 with longer 737s, and it just does not work.

[jimwells]

The 757 was the commercial aircraft equivalent of dropping a big V8 into an MG, then putting big brakes on it. You get something that literally leaps off the runway, goes a long way, then can land on relatively short runways, all while carrying a respectable number of passengers. FABULOUS aircraft!

[Bnard]

Boeing definitely screwed up by not making a 757 replacement. My second flight ever was on a 757 and the takeoff performance was out of this world. At first i was very scared how powerful the takeoff was and seemed to climb all the way up to cruising altitude instead of climbing in steps as other airliners. Boeing should have made a 757 out of composite materials with larger wings with newer efficient engines and they would be eating Airbuses lunch right now.

[ryanthomas]

Boeing made the decision to end the 757 in 2003 and delivered the final one in 2005. It knew an NMA would be needed. It should have designed one concurrently with the 787 in the way the 757/767 were done in the 70s

[swanvictor]

the fact Boeing are rebuilding their house on the airframe of the 737 is quite depressing. That airframe is over 50 years old for gods sake. The Pencil was better than they ever imagined and airlines simply want another one! There doesn't seem to be a replacement for that amazing plane.

[danthias]

The 757 was and has always been my favorite plane to work over my 30+ year career. Love the takeoff role and sound and power of the engines!

[LoydChampion]

Their 757's are great for the baseball and football teams charters. They carry the whole teams in comfort as well as their equipment with ease.

[rudedog]

Worked heavy maintenance on 757-200s, and -300s for over 25 years. Worked line maintenance on them also. A very fine airplane and my second favorite to work on next to the 767.
I never understood them not stretching the 757 more than they did. It sits higher off the ground on it's long legs, leaving more room for bigger engines, a problem built into the 737.
I'm not a fan of Airbuses, I find them to be a throw away airplane, which the airline I worked for did with some of the first ones we got after less than 15 years in the fleet.
At that same time we were operating 757s that were 20 plus years old, along with some DC-10s, and DC-9s that had been build in the early 70's, that were still flying and in great shape.

[jtsholtod.]

Having worked at United, a critical part of the 757 role there actually had nothing to do with passengers and performance. It's the cargo capability (airlines make s surprising amount from cargo transport). Neither the 737 nor A321 can match it in terms of ease of access and versatility to so many destinations.

[fjp]

The thing is, that the only replacement for the B-757 is another B-757.

[COtrucker]

My favorite feature of the 757 is when flying in first class, and boarding is done using the L2 door, first class isn't impeded by all the economy passengers boarding!

[bigjoel]

Goes to show how reliable the 757 is when Delta and United with the possiblity of other airlines around the world that run the 757 are struggling to find a replacement. Boeing should be noticing this and kicking themselves.

[meRyanP]

All Boeing had to do was slap a new fuel efficient powerplant on the 757 and upgrade the technology throughout the entire plane and they'd have a winner. They avoided that on purpose, they always saw the 737-900ER as the replacement of the 757-200 and they doubled down on that belief with the MAX9 and MAX10. They gambled and lost imo.

[TimAyro]

I hope the 757 ends up like the A-10 where they want to replace/retire it but never can do it...because I'm an airline pilot trying to get onto the 757 before it dies.

[gerardmoran]

Updating the 75 line would have been better than endless steroid shots for the 73. The 75 is the best transport category jet I've flown. It's handling, performance and reliability are unmatched. I wonder if Boeing's vapid management will get off of their asses and deliver a jet before I'm dead (or perhaps they die).

[esseil]

To greatly oversimplify, the problem is that when Boeing merged with McDonnell Douglas they let the financial people from MD take over the company instead of the engineers that have always run Boeing. When the 757 was discontinued there was no aircraft on the market in the same capacity/range envelope -- and, really, there still isn't (to my knowledge even the latest Airbus won't have quite the same range as the 757 for the same payload, although it's a lot closer than anything being proposed by Boeing). Boeing blew it and has done nothing to rectify the situation.

[anabilrahmangaming]

Boeing honestly should invest in a 757x. New avionics and wings, and engine, they could easily dominate those a321s business wise with it. Jus don’t know why they don’t see this lol

[rich]

I work for AA who retired their 757 fleet a few years ago! I talked to some pilots who now fly the Airbus A321 they hate it in comparison! The 757 was a rocket! they say the Airbus is a dog! No mid range power at all lol

[alooga]

Northwest Airlines (later Delta) kept the aging DC-9 fleet for many decades until some of them hit their maximum pressurization cycles. Could this be the case for United's and Delta's 757s?

[Papershields]

The 757 is still easily my favorite airliner.