United will buy 15 ultrafast airplanes from start-up Boom Supersonic. Any takers?

[mike carey]

14 hours ago, Unicorn said:

I just looked at the Business Class fare from LAX to SYD, and it looks like it's around $7500. So, yeah, I think with that pricing point, I would go for the SST. 

Los Angeles to Sydney

American Airlines • Tue, Jul 13

10:55pm - 7:05am

10:55pm through 7:05am

⁺²

^{Arrives Thu, Jul 15}

15h 10m (Nonstop)

Show details

Selected fare to Sydney

• $7,503$7,503

  $7,502.25 one way for 1 traveler

  Flagship Business, $7,503

  Flagship Business

  Cabin: Business

Current inbound fares to Australia in general are wildly distorted because airlines are limited to low double digit pax on each flight. I am surprised it was so low on that AA flight, although it's roughly what I would expect the normal 'full fare' J class to be. A week or so back in chatting with another forum member, I did a sample search for J class fares next April (far enough out that some carriers are using their usual calculations rather than the Australian-isolation-Covid fares) and found a R/T fare to Sydney from a US city at about $AU7.5K on Air Canada via YVR. There were others a little above that. (Yes the flight website quoted fares from the US in AUD because that's where I searched from.)

If the choice is between the SST fare quoted above and an airline's highest J fare, it could well be competitive, but I would guess if those aircraft were to come into service, the airlines would deploy the same pricing algorithms they do now for conventional flights.

[sincitymix]

3 hours ago, Oscar Not Wilde said:

Who is they? United? Boom?

United. Ill try to find the article, a reporter had a piece about it and had a a rough "guesstimate" from United.

[+ sync]

"Boom" for the name of an Airplane manufacturer was a bold choice.

Edited June 14, 2021 by sync
Edited name of Airline to Airplane manufacturer, per @OscarNotWilde

[marylander1940]

On 6/6/2021 at 11:33 AM, Walker1 said:

An untested aircraft? No thanks. maybe 5-6 years after they are in service. Boeing has its problems with those  planes falling down from the sky and they have been in business for ever.

I understand you but you sound like so many folks skeptical about Pfizer. 

[lonely_john]

On 6/4/2021 at 7:50 PM, sync said:

I was wondering what the enticement was for United Airlines to make such a monumental commitment. If it flies (no pun intended), it will give United quite a jump ahead in passenger air service.

Continental flights on conventional planes might become obsolete in the future, so they are anticipating being first in niches where Maglev or Hyperloop trains won't be able to operate, thus getting a global competitive advantage.

On 6/12/2021 at 5:53 PM, Unicorn said:

I just looked at the Business Class fare from LAX to SYD, and it looks like it's around $7500. So, yeah, I think with that pricing point, I would go for the SST.

Corporations usually go through lengthy feasibility analysis before making these kind of announcements so they probably figured out how to make it work financially, but if they can't, it wouldn't be the first time that some big company plans fail after so much publicity.

 

[Oscar Not Wilde]

4 hours ago, sync said:

"Boom" for the name of an Airline was a bold choice.

Boom is the name of the plane manufacturer not the airline. I think it is short for sonic boom. 

[+ WilliamM]

2 hours ago, marylander1940 said:

I understand you but you sound like so many folks skeptical about Pfizer. 

Many people recovery from covid19, but certainly not all. Few people person recover from a plane crash.

[marylander1940]

15 minutes ago, WilliamM said:

Many people recovery from covid19, but certainly not all. Few people person recover from a plane crash.

you missed the point... I was referring to folks skeptical about the Pfizer vaccine... not about Covid-19 itself. 

[+ WilliamM]

5 minutes ago, marylander1940 said:

you missed the point... I was referring to folks skeptical about the Pfizer vaccine... not about Covid-19 itself. 

Huh. People who skip the vaccination might get covid19.

Please stop telling me I miss your points. Jeez

[marylander1940]

Ex-British Airways CEO Doesn't See A Future In Supersonic Flight - Simple Flying

United plans supersonic passenger flights by 2029 - BBC News

OP note: only time will tell who's right. 

[HotWhiteThirties]

United has so many ways out of this deal if it doesn't go anywhere.  In the meantime, they get tons of interest and publicity from the public and multiple mentions on all sorts of media platforms. At this point, it's as much about that as anything, in my opinion. If the development proves fruitful and profitable, then all the better, of course. 

[+ nycman]

Just a reminder, 18 companies originally placed orders for the Concorde.

Including United Airlines, by the way.

Only 2 companies ever took delivery.

https://www.heritageconcorde.com/concorde-orders-and-options

[rvwnsd]

3 hours ago, Oscar Not Wilde said:

Boom is the name of the plane manufacturer not the airline. I think it is short for sonic boom. 

Right. That's even worse than an airline named Boom. 

[Walker1]

8 hours ago, marylander1940 said:

I understand you but you sound like so many folks skeptical about Pfizer. 

Pfizer is a vaccine made by a company that has been in the pharma industry for ever. Boeing, I still fly-they too have a lifetime of experience. This company is new-might have experienced backers-but will wait and see if they are flying coffins or safe. Now if they were made by Boeing or Airbus-that is another story.

 

The same thing for space travel. I don't have that much money saved apart from kids education and retirement, but it looks like they may commercialize it in our lifetimes-if so I would wait and see before I go-assuming I have money for it.

Edited June 14, 2021 by Walker1

[+ EVdude]

On 6/6/2021 at 2:56 AM, nycman said:

As much as I’d love to see supersonic travel return, they are very small, very loud planes.

The real beauty of the A380 is that you barely even realize you’re on a plane as it takes off into the clouds. 

The Concorde was more like riding a slightly uncomfortable rocket.

It was magical every time, but if I had to pick I’d choose A380 First Class for my long haul flights.

Only flown a 380 once to Singapore in business class (on someone else’s dime.) The combined comfort and service made for a wondrous experience.

When I fly to Perth, Australia, I go through Hong Kong on the Cathay 16 hour A-350 nonstop from JFK. At around $1300 RT coach, still pretty damn nice.

It would be awesome to try a supersonic flight but only if someone else is paying. 

 

[+ JEC]

I'd rather we be investing in high speed rail...much bigger impact.    Like the Concorde, this will serve the uber-rich and ultra business travelers.   Unlike 20+ years ago, we now have Zoom Skype and Teams is we need to see someone urgently yo get business done, which IMHO puts the value question into question.

[Guest]

16 hours ago, rvwnsd said:

Right. That's even worse than an airline named Boom. 

I feel a song coming on...

 

[Guest]

 

[+ sync]

5 minutes ago, Unicorn said:

I feel a song coming on...

 

Rockin' instrumentals.