Originally Posted by
flyinaggie
So if the general consensus here, so it seems, that an RJ is not a sustainable a/c on its own, how well do xjt people on the inside think this branded thing is going to work out in the long run?
I hope it works. i dig the retro paint job.
RJ's might be sustainable on their own, but they cannot compete head-to-head with 737/buses on routes which support the larger aircraft...this is what ACA tried to do in IAD.
The XJet scheme has a better (not great) chance because they are focusing on non-stop routes which do not have quite enough traffic to support larger, more effecient aircraft. They will need to pick routes VERY, VERY carefully...
-Too few PAX and they lose their @ss
-Too many and they have to compete with SWA
It's going to be a delicate balancing act...you have to almost fill an RJ to make a dime, but if it's easy to fill a 50 seater, there might be enough traffic to interest SWA. Their success will determined by their skills at walking a fine line.
They also run the risk of successfully creating a non-stop demand in a market where non-stop service did not previously exist...only to have southwest swoop in and take over the business that XJet built. This predatory behavior is SOP for SWA.