Just caught my eye

[JamesE]

An interesting factoid just popped up. THAI is selling seats FRA-HKT on a A350-900 but they've been flying a B777-300ER, a larger plane (by about 50 seats), since 24 September. Any clues as to why that might be? Is the 777 more economical to operate? It doesn't look like passenger numbers going up is the reason.

[MrStretch]

The weight difference isn't great enough for any major savings.

The only major difference between the two planes is the 777 is pressurized to 6,000 feet, making the flight a bit more comfortable.

We know they are trying to shed aircraft, but I thought it was the other versions of the A350 that they were trying to offload.

https://airlinegeeks.com/2016/11/25/beyond-the-one-inch-length-difference-airbus-a350-1000-vs-boeings-777-300er/

[JamesE]

From your link: "Airbus’ business jet version of the A350"

I knew there was a reason I wanted to grow up and be a billionaire.

[Smithydog]

2 hours ago, MrStretch said:

The weight difference isn't great enough for any major savings.

The only major difference between the two planes is the 777 is pressurized to 6,000 feet, making the flight a bit more comfortable.

We know they are trying to shed aircraft, but I thought it was the other versions of the A350 that they were trying to offload.

https://airlinegeeks.com/2016/11/25/beyond-the-one-inch-length-difference-airbus-a350-1000-vs-boeings-777-300er/

Agree. Minor differences but passenger comfort. The way I read the report is that the A350 is the one with less cabin pressure, although it would have been easier if they didn't keep mixing and matching variants!

"The A350XWB, like Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner, is pressurized to a lower altitude than the majority of commercial jets today. The aircraft is pressurized to only 6,000 feet, while the 777-300ER’s cabin pressure, like most other non-composite airliners, generally sits around 8,000 feet when airborne. This difference can certainly allow passengers to arrive at their destinations feeling refreshed and rested."

https://airlinegeeks.com/2016/11/25/beyond-the-one-inch-length-difference-airbus-a350-1000-vs-boeings-777-300er/

I really can't put my finger on it. But when I was flying pre-covid, I always felt the 777 gave me a feeling of being on an old aircraft, though in most cases it wasn't as dramatic as that could sound!

Perhaps the think the A350 has more up to date leasing payments they can't afford to pay and hence less likely to be grounded by Creditors!

[JamesE]

I'm keeping my eye on it. They've been switching out to the 777 about a week in advance. Right now my flight is listed as the A350 - which is nine across, if they switch me to the 777 I'm going to grab the middle four and stretch out on my flat-bed sleeper.