737 for trans Atlantic Flights

S

Snagglefoot

Joined
Dec 31, 2017
Messages
17,950
Location
SE British Columbia, Canada
Apparently there are currently 24 trans Atlantic flight routes that utilize a 737. I just took one. It was from Halifax in Canada to Dublin, Ireland. It’s not my favourite plane for a route over the Ocean but for certain volume routes it works. It was a 737-800/8. It had those huge overhead bins for carry on luggage. The route was about 2500 miles and the range of that 737 was 3400 miles, so lots of circling time. Dublin is a very modern airport, I believe it’s in the top 20 in Europe for volume. Unlike the UK, Ireland is part of the EU, so clearing customs in Ireland gets you anywhere in the EU without further interrogation.
Anyone else fly on a 737 across the pond?
 
Last edited:
Just did a few 2 hour stints on 737-800's and found them very loud. I certainly wouldn't want to spend more than a few hours in one. Although Ryanair's seats didn't help, they're like deck chairs.
 
Last edited:
I cannot imagine a more miserable experience - the tiny lavs, the narrow seats, the crowded cabin, the cramped cockpit.

What's your ideal car for a long road trip? '83 Yugo? Ugh.

Widebody, not guppy, is the way to cross the pond.

The professional’s preference shown below - faster, quieter, twin aisle, 45 Polaris first class pod seats, larger premium economy seats, and lavatories in which a grown man can fit. Save cattle-car experience for a cheap flight to Orlando.

Heathrow at dawn, another on time arrival.

IMG_4594.webp
 
Last edited:
A couple years ago, my family and I flew on one of the first Jetblue transatlantic flights from Heathrow to Logan. I believe it was an Airbus A321 and to be honest compared to the Air France 777 we flew to Paris on, it was a bit concerning being on such a small plane over the Atlantic.

I just flew from Boston to Denver last week on a United 737-800 and it was fine. The plane going out there had TV screens but the WIFI was broken. On the way home there were no TV screens but the WIFI worked. The flight out was 4 hours and change and the flight back roughly 3 ½ hours. I wouldn't want to be on a +5 hour flight on a 737.
 
PWMDMD said:
A couple years ago, my family and I flew on one of the first Jetblue transatlantic flights from Heathrow to Logan. I believe it was an Airbus A321 and to be honest compared to the Air France 777 we flew to Paris on, it was a bit concerning being on such a small plane over the Atlantic.

I just flew from Boston to Denver last week on a United 737-800 and it was fine. The plane going out there had TV screens but the WIFI was broken. On the way home there were no TV screens but the WIFI worked. The flight out was 4 hours and change and the flight back roughly 3 ½ hours. I wouldn't want to be on a +5 hour flight on a 737.
Click to expand...
Keflavik, Iceland to Seattle is the world’s longest 737 route. Just over 7 hours. 😖
 
k1xv said:
When returning to the USA from Europe, I always prefer flights that change airplanes in Iceland. Breaks up the flight. My favorite aircraft on that route used to be the Boeing 757-200,
Click to expand...
I believe @Astro14 has called the 757 “the sports car of commercial aircraft” or something similar. They sound like lots of fun!
 
In terms of comfort, a 757 wouldn't be any better and there are still a number of 757 flights to European destinations, with a number offered by United.
I do agree that a twin aisle offers a lot more comfort for a long flight.
 
While on a long flight a widebody would be preferred, the reality is there are tradeoffs.

Not every long route requires an airplane with the capacity a widebody provides... Using the narrowbody plane allows many routes to be non stop that would not otherwise be economically viable and would then require a connecting flight.

As a passenger, then I have to weigh whether the widebody with a connecting flight, the additional time that requires, and the potential for missconnections outweighs putting up with the single aisle plane for a long flight. My time is worth something...
 
E365 said:
The new Airbus 321XLR is getting somewhat common on transatlantic flights.
Click to expand...
I’m told it’s a great airplane. At least, from a passenger perspective. That extra foot or so of fuselage width translates into a couple inches at each seat.

And that matters

Airbus is several years behind on their deliveries, and we intend to replace the entire 757 fleet with the airplane.

From a pilot perspective, they’re typically down at lower altitude, which tells me they’re a bit underpowered…
 
Just a civilian pilot said:
Smart move putting a NB on a route that isn’t profitable with a WB.
Click to expand...
Which is why we serve so many European destinations with nonstops from the United States.

We can develop the market with a narrow body, and if the market grows, then we move to widebody.

We flew 757 from EWR into Porto, Portugal, for example, which is now a wide body route. We opened the market, grew it, and “upgauged” it.

It’s not that the narrow body doesn’t make sense, it does, it’s that the 737 is a miserable narrow body on the long flight
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom