Originally Posted by
WIPilot
Very interesting read. One thought I have is how important is recognition? For example look at every other carrier that has a regional working for them. In their situations it hasn't seemed to make much of a difference as long as the aircraft flying the people has the tag of the mother ship on the side.
Ever notice pax at airports. Magazines, computers, Blackberries, cel Phones, Novels, food, snacks, occassional conversations, TV news. etc. Only the kids (and retired pilots) are looking out the windows at airplanes. The majority of pax could not tell you what color airplane they flew in except by assumption: Oh - NWA - they're red and gray, silver / ahhh ?
Marketing looks for the things that makes companies different - Midwest Airlines hot cookies and all first class seating have developed a following - groupies. What every airline wants - loyal repeat business customers.
In the future Majors and Legacies will want the use of regionals to be totally transparent - you should only know that you are on NWA flight not a regional or comuter one. Some regionals / comuters have developed a shoddy reputation for lousy maintenance and low experience aircrews. It is carrying over onto the comuter airline reputation - sometime refered to as "Kamikaze Airlines." The Business flyers pay attention.
Recognition is important. A seemless, standardized, professional airline with no apparent mainline/regional separation will be the goal.
There will still be separate corporations (NWA / Compass / Mesaba / et al) so that liability can be fenced.