Why the RJDC is sooo nervous

[Mkay?]

It's the passengers own fault. I agree that they are uncomfortable, but hey ... if you don't want to pay the proper fare, we'll stick you in a **CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED**ty seat in a cramped airplane. I say serves them right. The traveling public is at least in part to blame for the current mess we are in!

 

[General Lee]

First of all, I do NOT hate RJs. I continually say that I think RJs are good aircraft on certain routes. I don't think they are great on very long flights (the DFW examples--OAK, ONT, SNA, JFK, DCA, DTW, RDU, PBI, FLL), and I don't think they win out over LCC direct service on larger, roomier aircraft. They can't compete like that. I think the RJ role should be to support certain mainline flights during off peak hours, and to be route finders. I also think they are a better alternative to props.


Instead of slamming me (even though I did NOT slam the RJ in my first post on this thread, merely saying that the RJDC would be nervous), why don't you read the article and understand what the passengers are saying. I am NOT saying that---the paying customer is. Sure, guys like afellowaviator have neighbors that LOVE RJs---and some people do love them---but not many on LONG flights, and that is where ASA was using them out of DFW.


As far as the DFW collapse, I think a lot of the blame should be on aircraft planning. Certain routes should never had be considered. Also, there was a draw down in DFW because of the Song start up. Just think about it, we had to pull 36 mainline 757s out of mainline and put them on Express routes. That had a cascading effect----routes that had 757s now had to have 738s, which were then replaced by MD-88s, and the MD-88 routes were replaced by 737s, which were replaced by CR7s. The emphasis was placed on growing Song, which needed to be done to combat a Jetblue threat, and the loser was mainline at DFW---and the RJs then could NOT compete with AA and their MD-80s.


Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[jetflyer]

The "RJ issue" will fade away when mainline is fixed. Thus far, both DL management and DALPA are unwilling to fix mainline, so DL continues to die.

Let's hope DL doesn't DIE!!

Good luck DL,
Jet

 

[chperplt]

Dude, you and most Regional pilots are in denial... Passengers don't like smaller airplanes, and, when given a choice they will avoid them at all costs. I have heard these words from passengers myself - and they are adament about it...

I love hearing comments like this..

Passengers don't like smaller planes because they see safety in size. Ask the average passenger if they would rather fly a 777 from ATL-CVG over a 737-200 or MD80 and they will all say yes.

As a long time commuter, I get the chance to talk with all sorts of passengers. I've been lucky this past year and have flown in first class a good majority of the time, so I've been able to speak with the upper level frequent fliers.

The overall majority of those passengers that I speak with have no problems with being on an RJ at all. They like the fact that they can ring their FA call button and get a drink in a matter or seconds, not minutes or longer on a larger airplane.

In today's day in age, the cheap coach traveler is who you have to make happy. They are the ones who are buying the majority of tickets now. If the 158 other folks in the back of the 757 I rode in last night was any indication, they weren't very happy with the "comfort" level of that airplane.

I've never heard one passenger complain leaving my little RJ, but I sure hear passengers complain all the time leaving mainline equipment.

 

[General Lee]

Medflyer,


Dalpa and Delta management have been talking all along--with Malone and Grinstein talking twice a week on the phone (I read that in an article). Both of them are trying to SQUEEZE the creditors to contribute, and I think Dalpa has known all along that we will give back HUGE. Dalpa just stated today that we will again be going back to the table, probably starting next week, and it looks like the TA has a great chance of passing tomorrow---which would help Delta out again. I think both Dalpa and Delta know the eventual plan.


Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[Pukindog]

I think you will always find some pax complain about the airplane, comfort, and space... whether they're in a 1900 or 777.

 

[wil]

In an ideal world my job is to feed passengers to mainline aircraft. Also, intiate service to new cities that hopefully will later support a mainline aircraft. Our RJ's were never the long term answer and obviously not the short term with regard to DFW.
But, I don't want to read people complaining when they do not want to pay a fair price to travel. More people are traveling but they are not paying fares that support the system.
If mainline doesn't grow we are all in a world of hurt! It shouldn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out!! Cheers, Wil

 

[FDJ2]

No, Delta failed because DL mainline could NOT compete with AA mainline.

I guess that's why all the mainline airplanes got pullled out of DFW and there will only be RJs flying out of there now. OOPPs, I got that wrong.

JMO, but it would seem that with over 200 RJ departures out of DFW those self financing, super profitable RJs should have beat up on AA. Unless of course, those RJs are not the cash cows some people think they are. The RJ is a nice aircraft for connecting small towns to a hub, if the yields are high, but it is a poor competitor against any mainline aircraft, and too costly in this low yield market. Delta mortgaged its future on RJs these last 5 years, $3B purchasing ASA/CMR and billions more on acquiring the largest RJ fleet in the industry. We'll see if GG is as fond of the RJ as our recently departed executive team of Mullin, Reid, Bell and Mascarra were.

 

[jarhead]

I do not believe that passengers will not pay a higher price for a ticket. I believe they will shop for the best deal for them to get from point A to Point B. Often a difference in fare of ten bucks will be the determining factor, if all other things are fairly equal. LCC transport has brought this situation to be where it is. If ten bucks was the determining factor, these people would not be flying in the first place.

If I decide I need to fly from MSP to ORD, a relatively short one hour flight, and I had a choice between AA and NWA, what other than price would be involved with my decision, if frequency and a/c size were identical.

I believe there is to some degree, excess capacity in the system, and that is why any attempt to raise ticket prices, will drive the customer to the competitor who does not raise fares.

 

[General Lee]

jarhead,


Please, please re-read the article. Not all passengers are just looking for low fares. It looks like the passengers we WANT, the last minute high fare ones, continually look for ways to AVOID RJs. Don't take it from me, read the article again. Now sometimes they don't have a choice--like the DFW-CLE routing (in the article). But, if they do---they will avoid RJs on long flights and happily go AA on their MD80s.


Bye Bye--General Lee