Originally Posted by
freezingflyboy
I hope you're right and that those Airbii don't end up at RAH or any other regional. However, history does not support your argument.
I'd be willing to bet that when you remove labor costs, flying 2 E75s costs just about the same as flying one S80 over the same stage length. About the same number of seats, both premium and economy. Frequency is a bonus.
What regional is flying Airbus aircraft? I don't see it anywhere in the USA. So how is it likely they won't be operated at mainline? Where's the leverage? Also, 2 E75s cost a pretty penny. If an S80 is paid for, in most cases it'll be cheaper to operate it over 2 E75s. Now there are other factors such as available parts, mx, etc. But running older aircraft that are paid for can be more profitable then shiny new planes that are more fuel efficient. Heck, Delta is still making $$$ with 30+ year old DC9-50's.
Plus, frequency is not so much the gold nugget it used to be. Fuel is much more expensive. CASM is much lower with a larger airplane because of that. With extreme capacity discipline being implemented, we are seeing less frequency and larger aircraft in many markets.