With the minimal pay difference between the 320/220 QOL will play a bigger part than ever before.

 

Pretty much.
Until we are a 220/321 airline.

 

220/320/321 airline.

We will have the 320 for a long time....

The A220 will go more senior than the E190 because it pays close to the A320, is much bigger then the E190, larger more comfortable cockpit and has much better range which MIGHT mean less 4 leg days.

And unlike the E190, they MIGHT even let it leave the East coast for a few minutes. MayBe.

 

More and more 321s are we even getting more 320s.
I fully expect it to go west and definitely red eyes.
It will be interesting to see the seniority, I will be happy to be done with that stupid step into the cockpit which annoys me more vs the “rams horn”

I’m just glad that at least made I decision right.

I still wouldn’t be shocked if a some point the older 320s get swapped with 220s but as you know I doubt they even know

 

We aren't taking any more A320s, but our newest ones are only 5-7 years old, so we will have A320s for another 15-20 years.

Long term they will likely replace retiring A320s with a combination of new A321s and A220-*500-700*s. But I do not believe they replace a single A320 for an A220-*100-300* (unless we are in a major long-term recession).

In the medium term they will replace retiring A320s with A321s.

Agree they made the right decision with the A220.

Never really minded the Rams horns, but now I realize that the Rams horns makes my dinner table impossible, and that is completely unsat. The worst part of the cockpit step, for me, is how it forces your feet 6" higher when seated. I looked like I was sitting in a kindergarten chair and it was a beech on my back.

I may finally pull the upgrade trigger when the A220 shows en-masse.

 

So for the last couple of interviews what has been the actual time frame between interviewing in Orlando and hearing back from the hiring department. Then if everything checks out with PRIA the time from that to an actual class date.

 

Usually 4-6 months. Just chatted with a guy who is on iOe who interviewed in May I think

 

Dinner table.....so mainline

 

I could see us taking some A320NEO+s if airbus revisits the idea. Depending on the 797/MoM decisions by Boeing and Airbus, I expect an XLR 321 variant with a new wingbox, possibly a new wing. Airbus has said they expect to rewing the 320 series in 10 years or so (according to something I read), and if the 320NEO had 3 extra rows of space it’d be a better competitor to the Max 8 (why the 320neo+ concept came to be) and I see us buying those as 320 replacements in 10–15 years depending on the 220-5/700 development. At some point 6 abreast becomes more efficient than 5 abreast, and I think a theoretical a220-500 may be the last viable stretch. The -300 is already just about as long as a 737-8, and a -500 would conceivably be as long as a 737-9, or just shy of it. Apparently tailstrikes, deck angles, and approach speeds would be an issue as the plane approaches that length, which is why I predict AB stops the stretch at the -500 (~150 seats in 32” pitch config) with a rewinged/improved 320 series for the ~160+ seat market. A new 6 abreast small narrow body with A220 systems architecture would be cool too, but with the 320/321NEO backlog I don’t see any engineering bucks going to that for a while.

 

All possible! Generally airlines have figured out that the small difference in acquisition cost and small difference in operating CASM between the 320/321, it makes much more sense to buy 321s and run some flights at 80% and have the extra seats available for peak days and peak seasons. That is especially true for airlines that have a heavy concentration in markets that are heavily gate, slot, ATC, and pilot restricted.... That's us.

The A220 sits up pretty tall, so I don't think it would have a problem being stretched, in fact I think they engineered it with 2 stretches in mind. But I do not know that for sure.

A new wing on the A320 series would be huge, but I think it would disproportionately improve the A321. Further cementing airlines preference for A321s.