Delta 777

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Delta Air Lines Inc. Is retiring its fleet of Boeing Co. 777’s and warning its pilots of massive overstaffing as the carrier grapples with the unprecedented collapse in travel demand caused by the. Delta: Single Handle Vessel Bathroom Faucet - Less Handle 777-SSLHP-DST. In a pandemic-related fleet shakeup, Delta is gearing up to bid farewell to one of the largest planes it operates — the Boeing 777. This widebody jet was the workhorse on many of Delta’s flagship.

Come November, there will be one less Boeing 777 operator.

In a pandemic-related fleet shakeup, Delta is gearing up to bid farewell to one of the largest planes it operates — the Boeing 777. This widebody jet was the workhorse on many of Delta’s flagship long-haul international routes, including flights from Los Angeles to Syndey and from Atlanta to Johannesburg.

But then the coronavirus came stateside and nearly wiped out all demand for these routes. Although Delta recently completed a cabin retrofit project across its 18 777s, the Atlanta-based carrier later decided to simplify its fleet for cost-effectiveness.

To that aim, in May, Delta announced the retirement of its entire fleet of 777s by the end of the year. Well, 2020 is nearly over (thankfully), and the carrier has scheduled its final two 777 flights.

If you’re looking to catch one final ride on this Boeing widebody, you better start planning now. The final two flights are as follows, according to Cirium schedules and confirmed by a carrier spokesperson.

• Oct. 30: Delta Flight 8787 ATL — LAX, 3 p.m. — 4:30 p.m.
• Oct. 31: Delta Flight 8807 JFK — LAX, 1 p.m. — 4 p.m.

Of course, there’s a possibility that the dates and timing shift. Over the past few months, there’s been an increased number of pandemic-related schedule changes across airlines. So while these are the final scheduled flights, anything could theoretically change at the last minute.

There are still seats left for sale in all cabins on the first retirement flight from ATL to LAX. The JFK to LAX flight is currently sold-out in business, but there are seats left in the other two cabins. Coach fares start at $149, premium economy starts at $350 and business class starts at roughly $1,200.

© The Points Guy Delta One Suites on a Boeing 777 (Photo by Nick Ellis/The Points Guy)

Award availability is limited, though there are currently some coach seats available at saver rates on the JFK to LAX flight. Delta’s charging 16,000 SkyMiles, though you can book the flight through Virgin Atlantic for 12,500 points.

You’ll still see plenty of these Boeing jets flying across the country. Aside from the myriad of international airlines that fly the 777 to the U.S., two of Delta’s biggest competitors — American Airlines and United — both operate the 777-200 and longer 777-300 variant. You’ll even find AA and UA 777s flying on domestic routes from time to time.

Related: These are the jets that could end up in the boneyard

Delta’s retirement of the 777 is just the latest in a long list of planes being sent to the boneyard across the world. With a full recovery not predicted for a few years, carriers are streamlining their fleets and saying goodbye to the gas-guzzling jets of yesteryear. In Delta’s case, the airline has so far retired the Boeing 737-700, McDonnell Douglas MD-88 and the MD-90.

Aviation enthusiasts like me (case in point: check out my Instagram page) will mourn the fact that many Airbus A380s and Boeing 747s — two of the world’s largest passenger planes — are getting scrapped. Just this week, British Airways retired its final two Queens of the Sky. BA was previously the world’s largest operator of the 747. Going forward, it’ll have none, leaving just a handful of airlines still flying the 747.

While long-time fans and enthusiasts will miss the flying the 777 in Delta’s livery, the carrier already has a swanky modern replacement, the Airbus A350. Going forward, the A350 will be DL’s flagship aircraft. The A350 burns 21% less fuel per seat than the 777s they’re replacing.

Plus, these are some of the newest widebodies to enter the airline’s fleet. The cabins are outfitted with the latest Delta One Suites, Premium Select, Comfort+ and standard coach seating.

It’s not all sad news; the A350 is actually opening up a new market for Delta: Cape Town.

Related: Delta to serve all 777 routes with A350s, and add Cape Town

Though the A350 can replace almost every ultra-long-haul 777 route, the Atlanta to Johannesburg frequency requires a modification. Going forward, the airline’s South Africa service will follow a new circular routing that goes: Atlanta-Johannesburg-Cape Town-Atlanta.

The stop will allow for refueling at sea level before beginning the 8,130-mile trek back to the U.S. And it adds a new dot to Delta’s route map.

So while Delta’s 777 retirement is sure to disappoint some flyers, it ushers in a new era for the carrier’s fleet — one focused on more modern, fuel-efficient aircraft.

Featured photo by Alberto Riva/The Points Guy

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© Delta Delta

Delta 777 Seating

• Delta plans to retire its entire fleet of Boeing 777 aircraft by the end of this year, CEO Ed Bastian said in a memo to employees.
• The decision to retire the long-haul plane comes as airlines plan for a sluggish return of international travel demand.
• Delta has temporarily parked about 650 aircraft due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Delta CEO Ed Bastian said on Thursday that the airline would retire its fleet of 18 Boeing 777 wide-body jets by the end of this year.

In a memo to the airline's employees, Bastian said that the decision came as the airline was striving to reduce cash burn amid the global COVID-19 pandemic. The full memo is embedded below.

While the airline previously announced plans to retire its older short-haul MD-88 and MD-90 fleets, the 777 retirement comes as airlines assume an increasingly dim outlook toward the return of international travel.

As international demand returns, the 777 will be replaced by newer Airbus A330 and A350-900 aircraft, Bastian said. The A350-900 burns 21% less fuel per seat than the 777, according to the airline.

'Retiring a fleet as iconic as the 777 is not an easy decision — I know it has a direct impact on many of you

who fly, crew and service these jets,' Bastain wrote in the memo. 'The 777 has played an important role with Delta since 1999, allowing us to open new long-haul markets and grow our international network as we transformed into a global airline.'

'However, parking this fleet will provide significant cost savings over the next several years,' he added.

Delta operates two variants of the plane — the 777-200ER, and the 777-200LR.

The airline had recently completed a $100 million project to retrofit the entire 777 fleet with new cabin interiors, including the airline's new business class suite and premium economy cabin.

© Delta File photo: Delta's new Delta One business class suite on a 777 Delta

The 777 flew some of the airline's longest and most premium routes, including New York to Mumbai, India; Los Angeles to Paris, France; Los Angeles to Sydney, Australia; Atlanta to Shanghai, China; Atlanta to Amsterdam, Netherlands; and the airline's longest flight, Atlanta to Johannesburg, South Africa.

Delta 777 200lr Cabin

Airlines around the world have grounded large portions of their fleets and suspended routes to try and cut costs as travel restrictions, stay-at-home orders, and anxiety over the pandemic continue to drive travel demand to record lows.

Delta has temporarily grounded about 650 planes, but is still burning through $50 million each day while taking in very little revenue.

© Delta File photo: Economy seats with in-flight entertainment on a recently retrofitted Boeing 777. Delta

American Airlines has announced early retirements for several types of aircraft from its fleet, including long-haul Airbus A330-200s, and Boeing 757 and 767 jets, a workhorse in the airline's fleet until the collapse in travel demand.

According to a press release, Delta's 777s have continued to see use through the pandemic in support of its cargo operation, and for select flights to repatriate US citizens stranded abroad due to the coronavirus.

Boeing 777 200

Are you an employee at Delta or another airline? Contact this reporter with your thoughts or tips at dslotnick@businessinsider.com.

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