50 Seat RJs going away= no one wants

[ACL65PILOT]

What appears to be happening is simple. It is a slight ******************** to larger jets. The 76 seat jet is a seat restriction on a jet that can fly 86/88 passengers in its one cabin confguration.

Looking at DAL mainline 319/320's and their decision to pull First Class seats in favor of a few more Coach seats may be an indication of things to come. I could not be overly surprised to see a request for a slight changer in these 76 seat jets total allowable seat limit. Take a few FC seats out (2-4) and up the max to 80. Just a thought I had as airlines try to eek out every cent of every jet.

With them taking these premium seats out of the 310/320, 777, 767-300, and 744 in favor or more coach seats in some, and lie flats in another, it appears that they have now determined that too much of the premium seats end up being a bad thing for them. Ergo, the desire to up the seat counts on these large RJ's by a few to further insulate these jets from becoming totally unprofitable.

I could be totally wrong, but this is the next logical step to me.

 

[ground stop]

there will always be a need for the smaller seat aircraft inorder to serve the smaller markets. you try putting a 70 seat or larger aircraft into ithaca, ny four times a day and see if that is profitable. people like the frequency of flights, too. that said, i don't care what propels the airplane i fly, i just care about whats on my paycheck. call it a jet-prop, jet-aided prop, whatever. "fupm", is all i got to say.

 

[NuGuy]

I'm surprised Southwest doesn't really attack this 'outsourcing' angle. I know for a while they ran ads that went along he lines of real size big 737 jets. I agree most people would pay more to know the ticket they buy is done on all Mainline aircraft.

Heyas JJ,

I have often wondered exactly the same thing myself. Given their propensity for off-beat ads, a "Buy a SWA ticket, and you fly SWA" ads almost write themselves in the current situation.

MY guess, and it's only a guess, leads to 3 possibilities:

1) SWA doesn't want to "poison the well" for the day when THEY might want to outsource their flying

2) Their particular demographic target won't respond to that kind of advertising. The business frequient flyers would have already have bailed if the RJs were an issue and the Clampetts don't really care what they fly as long as the price is right (IE low).

3) It's some kind of handshake agreement made at annual meeting of whatever is the modern equivilent of the "Conquistadors de Cielo"

or some combination of the above...

Nu

 

[FLYLOW22]

I'm surprised Southwest doesn't really attack this 'outsourcing' angle.

They should. But the positive tact is usually more productive.

 

[General Lee]

there will always be a need for the smaller seat aircraft inorder to serve the smaller markets. you try putting a 70 seat or larger aircraft into ithaca, ny four times a day and see if that is profitable. people like the frequency of flights, too. that said, i don't care what propels the airplane i fly, i just care about whats on my paycheck. call it a jet-prop, jet-aided prop, whatever. "fupm", is all i got to say.

How about you put them into Ithaca twice a day, and then see how profitable it gets? Or, throw in 1 DC9-50 and then 1 70 seat RJ. That's how you do it! IF there is more need in the meantime, throw in a Beech 1900. 50 seat RJs all need to GO.


Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[ground stop]

bring on the dc-9's then. too bad usair doesn't use their e190's but they won't give up the frequency of the flights either. pax want choice. not just a 630am and a 530pm departure.