"non-stop" flights that aren't non-stop

The Wall Street Journal notes that heavier winds this winter have affected jet fuel consumption by commercial flights between Europe and the United States. As The Journal reports, "Last month, United Airlines said, its 169-seat 757s had to stop 43 times to refuel out of nearly 1,100 flights headed to the U.S. A year earlier, there were only 12 unscheduled stops on roughly the same volume of 757 flights." The problem is compounded by United Airlines' (foolish) attempt to save money during the recession by flying smaller planes which can't hold as much fuel.

You'd think by 2012, this inconvenience of 1930s air travel wouldn't exist. The 757s are cheaper to operate (than 747s) because they require fewer flight attendants. If United (and USAirways) are too cheap to use the big planes for trans-Atlantic air travel, they need to compensate all the passengers, not just the ones who missed connections.

UAL uses 757 aircraft on trans-atlantic flights? Why not 767 or 777s? There's no need to move to a 4 engine design to get better fuel efficiency, though I suppose those planes do require more staff (but still less than a 747).