Originally Posted by forgot to bid

Start-up Airline Business Plan 101

DO NOT try and buy new A320s or B737s and launch a new ultra low cost carrier that is heavily reliant on flying routes where other airlines did not have direct flights and flying to secondary airports rather than heavily-trafficked ones and doing cheesy stuff like selling advertising space on the interior and exterior of its aircraft as well as selling merchandise on board.

DO buy a small fleet of cheep regional jets. Fly for a mainline carrier and get a contract where you're guaranteed a profit for each departure and you don't pay for fuel. To show good faith accept whatever base they request and call that a hub and make the pilots live there (like NYC), pay everyone really low wages and skimp on training and maintenance. One day take your small fortune and buy bigger jets and compete with the mainline carrier completely funding your new airline with a long term contract signed with the mainline carrier who probably won't even notice what you're doing. Their pilots may complain but nobody listens to them anyways. Heck, make sure your pilots join their union! It'll neuter them both.

It's simple, it's cheap, everyone who is anyone is doing it.

That ends today's lesson in Start-Up Airline Business Plan 101.