Originally Posted by jamesholzhauer

A prem heavy (lie flat biz) config only works on some routes. Other airlines with a regular domestic first class have about as many total seats in their planes as all core JB planes with no first class due to JB’s greater seat pitch. JFK-MCO with a 140 seat premium heavy 321 is not the same as a 191/197 seat delta A321 with their domestic first. It’s kind of like AA’s A321T which has 102 seats (with 20 lie flat biz and 10 lie flat first) they use on a couple transcons from JFK. They just added it to BOS as well, and they actually run a JFK-BOS flight on that plane, but it’s for repo/sked purposes, not because there’s demand for lie flat on a 30 min flight. I can’t imagine they make much money on that flight.

That’s an extreme example, but I don’t see a < 3 hour NY-FL flight working in a Mint config.

I’ll also point out that at any given time there are a ton of DL widebodies sitting on the hard stand for hours at JFK. These intl planes don’t necessarily have to have the same utilization as any of the other planes in the network if they make up for the revenue when they are working.

But I have a feeling there will be a decent schedule to keep them moving, provide a buffer for delays/maint, and keep a much smoother Europe op than the domestic op. If you figure 7-8 hours block there, couple hours to turn/maint, 9 block back, couple hours to turn and do maint, that will be a 24 hour cycle with some buffer. I don’t see a need (or ability) to get much more utilization out of 6-9 hour plane.