United grounds Boeing 777 fleet

[eppur_se_muova]

Source: BBC

United Airlines has been forced to cancel flights after grounding its entire fleet of Boeing 777 aircraft.

United said that during a regular review of maintenance records it had discovered tests on a fire suppression system had not been thorough enough.

The airline cancelled 31 of its 84 daily 777 flights on Wednesday and expects more cancellations on Thursday.

United has been using other aircraft on the mainly long-haul routes as well as booking passengers onto other airlines.

Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7327561.stm

[DemoTex]

1. Aw hell .. nothing but bad news from the airline industry.

A B-777 in serious need of some fire suppression (PhotoShop not withstanding)

[Catch22Dem]

4. It's a comfy plane though

I did a Tokyo to Houston flight in 11 hours. No shit. The 747 was usually Tokyo to LA in 14. Not telling you anything you don't already know though. :D

[KeepItReal]

12. Sounds like you were on Connie! I made that R/T once.

:hi:

[skoalyman]

9. Aw hell

Aw ladies and gentlemen no worries its just the afterburners
kicking in ;-) 

[PSPS]

2. Our airline industry now resembles Soviet-era Aeroflot

Besides this, there was a recent story about bad landing gear and hot-shot pilots playing with and firing their "cockpit gun" through the fuselage.

What next? Aisles crammed with farm animals?

[DavidDvorkin]

3. Appropriate, since we're starting to resemble the USSR at its end

[Barrett808]

15. Check out Club Orlov for perceptive analysis of "closing the collapse gap"

Club Orlov
http://cluborlov.blogspot.com

Post-Soviet Lessons for a Post-American Century
http://www.fromthewilderness.com/free/ww3/060105_soviet_lessons.shtml
http://www.fromthewilderness.com/free/ww3/062805_soviet_lessons_part2.shtml
http://www.fromthewilderness.com/free/ww3/071805_soviet_lessons_part3.shtml

[DemoTex]

5. Oh PSPS with the short memory! Remember the US Airways PHL-SEA B-757 with the pig?

It was a big fat pig .. a "service" animal. Helped quell the demons in it's "mother's" head. She brow-beat the US Airways people in PHL, and they called a senior VP to over-ride the captain's decision to deny passage to the big fat pig.

The captain (a friend of mine) lost. The pig was carried in 1st class with the crazy woman. Half-way to Seattle, the pig went nuts and bolted down the aisle. He shat 1st-class and he shat coach .. big time. It was front page in the NY Times!

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

6. Oh yes. Oh, yes indeed.

Half the flight between PHL and STL with the delighful aroma of pig manure and urine wafting about the cabin on the zephyrs.

There are some things the cabin movie cannot distract the traveler from. Nor the drink cart. Of course, I am sure there was more than one wag who made comments about the smell of the upcoming meal.

[LuckyLib]

7. You provided wonderful belly laughs to two today -- me and my husband

(an airline captain) to whom I read the whole thread. Thanks.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

10. Well then...

I guess I have justified my existence for one more day. ;-)

[KamaAina]

14. Oh come now! Rush has as much right to fly as any of us.

and they called a senior VP to over-ride the captain's decision to deny passage to the big fat pig. :P

[Endangered Specie]

8. I guess 777 isn't so lucky after all...

[KeepItReal]

11. Crap!! I'm supposed to be on one this weekend.

I picked that particular model!

:-(

[Fiendish Thingy]

13. I was booked on ATA to Maui this summer...

but they declared bankruptcy today; my credit card co. says I will get a refund, but it may take up to 45 days...

I booked a replacement flight this morning on United (at a cost of $1000 more than the 4 tickets on ATA cost!- and those were the cheapest non-stops available!); the outbound flight is on a 777; I hope they get their act together before July...