Originally Posted by
oldmako
IMO, you're right.
Commuter aircraft 30 years ago were Piper Chieftans, Metroliners, Beech 99s, Shorts SDs, Twin Otters, etc.
Small mainline AC then, BAC 111 with 80 seats. DC9 with 80+, F28 with 50-60 seats.
Now? RJs have 70-90 seats. The pressure is still there. They play the long game and when the economy enters the next recession they'll try and take another bite at the apple.
Agreed. When a future big financial crisis hits the industry someone will end up relaxing scope as a concession and the race to compete with the new sense of normal will begin. If history only repeated itself, we could learn from the past and not keep making the same mistakes.