Originally Posted by
NightHawk
I think you should fully read my post before you respond. Yes some of it will be covered by somebody else, especially the 900 flying. But, I guarantee the majors have no desire at all to recoupe 50 seat flying if Mesa went under. Much flying will lost. Over 3/4 of mesa's fleet are 50 seaters. Nobody has any desire to keep 50 seaters going, they are slowly being phased out. US airways is taking every oppurtunity to reduce them as is delta and I'm sure United wouldn't mind as well if they had the oppurtunity. Look at the TSA/GoJet situation, need I say more? The majors are going to keep on with this until they have nothing but 70 and 90 seaters that are full. It is not economic to fly around 50 seaters with 12 people on board. And don't say you havn't had flights like that. You think that's making money? It's not. The only thing keeping anybody going is these contracts. The only airline immune is the one and only airline with only 700's. The rest of us are all prey.
I think you should reread your own post and ask yourself why you wrote it. The 50 seater was not profitable when gas was at $150 but now that it is under $40 I think the 50 seaters are doing just fine. Your right in saying the regionals are probably still going to get rid of MOST of them but there is not much of an incentive to do so right now. As for your little example, I would seriously doubt even a Dash8-100 would make money with 12 people on it. And yes I have been on a flight with no Rev pax on board it happens its called life.