Originally Posted by
80ktsClamp
The 800 is 173,000 mtow.... 320 is 166,400.
Considering that the 320 is newer tech with them fancy composites and tables... thats prob equivalent to the same.
Except for certain aspects of the cockpit, the 320 is not newer tech. Several of the original NWA A320's have already been chopped up (88/89 deliveries, go figure).The 737NG series has a redesigned wing (25% greater area) that is more efficient than that of the 320 series. Taking off from equivalent runways, the 737-800 carries more passengers farther than the A320. As Sailingfun pointed out, there are many times where Delta 737-800's make the west coast out of JFK when JetBlue is fuel stopping. The 737-700 in Delta's configuration has substantially greater performance than the Delta A319 in runway allowable and climb limit weights plus range. The Airbus does have some significant customer advantages with a wider fuselage resulting in more internal space, and its cockpit is substantially more spacious.
The MD-88/90 are range limited when compared to either of the products above, which is why they've been moved from SLC to MSP.