FRA THE BIG ORDER

CHAPTER 4

THE BIG ORDER

Case 4-4 …. The big order

• On October 15,1990, United Airlines (UAL Corporation) placed the largest wide-body aircraft order in commercial aviation history – 60 Boeing 747-400s and 68 Boeing 777s – with an estimated value of $22 billion.
• With this order, united became the launch customer for the b777.
• This order was equally split between firm order and options.

United Airlines…

• United was founded in 1926 as Varney Air Lines, becoming Boeing Air Transport in 1927 when it was purchased by aircraft manufacturer Boeing.
• United became an independent company in 1934 and merged with Capital Airlines in 1961.
• In 2011, United merged with Continental Airlines, replacing its own tulip logo with Continental's globe logo as well as their aircraft livery.
• The airline operates 706 aircraft, consisting of narrow body Airbus A320 family, Boeing 737 Next Generation, and Boeing 757 aircraft as well as wide body Boeing 747, Boeing 767, 777, and 787 aircraft.
• The airline has single-aisle Boeing 737 Next Generation and 737 MAX aircraft as well as the wide body Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 Dream liner aircraft on order.

Headquarters :

• In 2007, United Airlines moved its headquarters and its 350 top executives from its long-time headquarters at 1200 East Algonquin Road in suburban Elk Grove Township to 77 West Wacker.
• In April 2012, United announced its intention to relocate their corporate headquarters to Willis.

Destinations :

United Airlines flies to 78 domestic mainline destinations and 108 international destinations in 69 countries across Asia, Americas, Europe, Oceania, and Africa not including cities only served by United Express. United Airlines, along with British Airways, Delta Air Lines, Emirates, Korean Air, Qantas, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines and South African Airways, is one of the few airlines that fly to all six inhabited continents.

1- Boeing 747-400s….

Role : Wide-body jet airliner

National origin : United States

Manufacturer : Boeing Commercial Airplanes

First flight : April 29, 1988

Introduction : February 9, 1989 with Northwest Airlines

Status : In service

Primary users : British Airways, Lufthansa, KLM, Transaero Airlines

Produced : Passenger versions: 1988–2007, Freighter versions: 1993–2009

Number built 694

• Unit cost 747-400/-400ER: US$234–266.5 million, 747-400F/-400ERF: US$238–268 million
• Developed from : Boeing 747-300
• Variants : Boeing YAL-1, Boeing 747 Large Cargo Freighter
• Developed into : Boeing 747-8
• The Boeing 747-400 is the latest flagship of United Airlines. United rolled out this newly updated plane in early 2008, with state-of-the-art First Class suites and truly lie-flat 180 sleepers in Business Class.
• United appears to have hit a home run with this plane's Business Class, offering a true 180 degrees lie-flat bed. This product significantly outclasses all other US airlines' international offerings, and closely matches the world's higher ranked Business Class products such as those by British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and Singapore Airlines.