Originally Posted by
TransWorld
If that was the case, the rationale would be AA having merged or bought out other airlines with some same fleets would be harder. Then the recent simplification to two narrow body and two wide body would be harder. Correct?
You are looking at the sub optimization of a part of the business, not the bigger benefits in other areas of the business that outweigh these costs and difficulties. Things like parts simplification, less pilot training events in the long term (not jumping from one type to another), less training required for mechanics, less number on reserve, scheduling simplifications, etc.
An example, parking the handful of the former US Airways A330s in favor of flying the B777 and B787 makes sense. Training events for the former A330 pilots, but all the other advantage stated above outweigh the cost. (And yes, Covid clouds the thinking, but all of this is the strategy underneath.)
The reasoning you gave does not look at the big picture.
You’re trying to equate major airline mergers and buyouts with consolidating owned cost centers. They aren’t the same. Buying another major brand to merge into an existing brand increases marketshare…l especially when one is bought in bankruptcy or otherwise in the cheap.
it’s not the same with owned regionals. They have no marketshare. They are cost centers. Reducing costs through consolidation means avoiding unnecessary costs in the process. I stand by my previous statement.