Ugly rumor?

[exphojump]

The ACjet certificate is a ticking clock. By December 2003 intention for its use must be declared and aircraft must be operating on the certificate by June 2004. It is possible that ACA aircraft will used as feed for Virgin Red on the ACjet certificate.

Inertia

JetBlue will bring EMBs on property and begin serving the smaller markets in the east coast by 2005. Airtran is adding 737s, 717s, and more AWAC CRJs.

Whether Virgin backs ACAI or ACA goes out independently it must be done quickly to capture market share. JetBlue began 3.5 years ago and is up to only 40 aircraft. ACAI has 118 jets, 30 turboprops, and over 1600 active pilots. ACAI could purchase larger aircraft and require Boeing/Airbus to acquire the leases for some or all of the CRJs. I'm sure Mesa would be interested in second hand CRJs.

The pilot group at ACAI could fly 737s and 320s as proficiently as CRJs and FRJs. They could move quickly into the small to medium eastcoast, midwest markets and match JetBlue in large aircraft within two years, without straining the pilot pool.

The question is, does management have the brass ones to attempt it? I hope they try.

ACAI must reinvent middle management, customer support, morale, and stop wasting money. That is what will make or break a run as an independent.

 

[General Lee]

Virgin Red is going to be owned by who? Can Richard Branson own all or part of a US airline? How much can he own? Who else will go in with him? Which airplanes will they fly? Where will they have a hub? A lot of questions....sorry.

Bye Bye----General Lee

 

[Rottweiller]

Virgin Red is going to be owned by who? Can Richard Branson own all or part of a US airline? How much can he own? Who else will go in with him? Which airplanes will they fly? Where will they have a hub? A lot of questions....sorry.

Bye Bye----General Lee

Moore and Branson are long time buddies so ACA have a foot in the door there at least. Branson has had eyes on something in the US for a long time just like he has feeders all over Europe.

Branson could own I believe up to 49% ie non majority holding. However if he is just fronting the cash through some deal then technically 100% as long as he isn't listed as an owner.

 

[Diesel]

I'm sure there are other airlines outwhere that let you steal mainline flying

Hey dierty your a loser. Your probably one of those guys that hate the regional jets yet jumpseat on them every week to get to work. Get off the plane and then bad mouth the crew when you hang with your mainline buddies.

 

[JBcrjca]

I'm sure there are other airlines outwhere that let you steal mainline flying

What a stupid thing to say. Dieterly, of all people, should know that regionals don't 'steal' flying from the mainlines. The flying is handed to them by piss-poor management at the mainlines. True, we all hate to see the majors lose so much flying, but don't blame the regional carriers. Blame the greedy mainline CEOs and middle-managers that don't seem to know how to run an airline.

 

[Jetsnake]

True, we all hate to see the majors lose so much flying, but don't blame the regional carriers. Blame the greedy mainline CEOs and middle-managers that don't seem to know how to run an airline.

Could not have been said better...

Jetsnake

 

[stillaboo]

Whether Virgin backs ACAI or ACA goes out independently it must be done quickly to capture market share. JetBlue began 3.5 years ago and is up to only 40 aircraft. ACAI has 118 jets, 30 turboprops, and over 1600 active pilots.
They could move quickly into the small to medium eastcoast, midwest markets and match JetBlue in large aircraft within two years, without straining the pilot pool.

One of the reason's 'Blue is so successful is b/c their hub is NYC, the largest city in the US. They have a market of at least 12 million potential customers right there (and their #2 market is LA, the 2nd largest city in the country). It takes about 150 small markets just to equal 'Blue's hubs! You can't just fly willy nilly up and down the east coast with fuel sipping aircraft with TV's in them and expect to compete with Jet Blue. And let's not fail to forget that Southwest, DAL, and US have all made claims on that market too. It's the best market in the country, and ACA will not be allowed to operate in it independently.

Trying to start up there would be suicide. The market is virtually saturated, and it will take a great idea managed by a visionary leader like Herb or Neeleman to succeed. Do you believe Moore is of the same caliber as these two? He better be if ACAI goes it alone, or the trip will be a short one.

DL has the southeast, CO the south, HP the southwest, AS the northwest, NW the north, US the east, and B6, AA, UA, and WN cover the whole spectrum (with DL doing a country cover too). There's only 3 markets open (the northeast, the midwest, and the west coast). All of these markets are covered, but not dominated. Nobody lives in the midwest, nobody takes planes in the NE when they all live within an hour of a big city, which leaves the CA coast as the only viable market on entry. Kinda and odd place for a company called 'Atlantic Coast' with gate ownership in IAD to try to stake a claim, huh? And UA, HP, and AS are already there, though everyone provides some service. Not impossible, but very difficult, for sure.

If I were ACA managment, I'd be praying for Virgins.

-Boo!

 

[NDPILOT]

Hey! I lived in the midwest...

 

[Frank Abagnale]

jetsnake

is that my wife?

your avitar rules!

 

[Dieterly]

True, we all hate to see the majors lose so much flying, but don't blame the regional carriers. Blame the greedy mainline CEOs and middle-managers that don't seem to know how to run an airline.

Just what I said in earlier posts, don't blame the Mesa Pilots, blame Jonathan. To bad some of you commuter pilots are to stupid to get it.