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Comment by rsynnott | Hacker News Reader

> United’s 757 planes will reach the end of their lifespan in about a decade

About a decade?! I was on one of their 757s returning to Dublin a while ago; it felt like they were already pushing the end of its lifespan. I suppose the repair of the interior doesn’t say much about the airframe...

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Airplane lifespans are determined by pressurization/depressurization cycles (i.e. number of flight trips), not distance flown or interior wear and tear.

Yep, I mean I know it’s nothing to do with the interior. But this didn’t seem like a plane that was being taken care of; it felt like one they intended to scrap the next week, so there was no point putting the work in any more. I was honestly kind of shocked; hadn’t been on a plane like it since Ryanair modernised their fleet.

Most airlines don't bother refitting older aircraft, or if they do it's just upgrading the entertainment system. Top tier airlines (e.g. Emirates and Singapore) typically refit their aircraft every 10 years, which involves pretty much reassembling it from scratch, so they don't feel as old.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3hLXP1R8y6o

You can install new interiors at any time, it's just not worth it for old planes with a limited future (because they're gas guzzlers).

Planes can essentially fly indefinitely if you're willing to put money into ongoing maintenance. For instance some B-52s will have served for roughly 100 years by the time they are retired.

It may be worth it on more premium airlines. United and Delta don't retrofit old planes, but Delta does for example.

i've used united twice this year for international (and internal us) flights and holy damn their planes are dated compared to other companies.

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