A sign of things to come?
01-21-2008 | 02:47 PM
#31
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Dec 2005
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From: 7ER B...whatever that means.
Today I came across the astonishing discovery that on March 30th, United Airlines is upgrading ALL the flights on its route from Eugene, Oregon (EUG) to SFO to mainline 737-500s, from Skywest CRJ-200s and -700s.
Now I've flown that route a mere handful of times in the past 15 years, and back when I was a very young lad the mainline jets on EUG to SFO were commonplace. After 2002 (per United's routemap in Hemispheres), EUG was downgraded to United Express. Back in 2006 I took my first CRJ flight (a Skywest -700) on that route (and learned to hate the CRJ's awkward lavatory), and wondered if the big jets (it was once a 727 route) would ever return. When I got word of United's upgrade, it gave me the shock of my life.
Well, after looking at United.com, I saw that the airline was cutting the 7 CRJ-200 and -700 flights to 4 737s. So is this a sign of things to come? Will we start seeing more-frequent regional jet flights replaced with less-numerous mainline flights?
Now I've flown that route a mere handful of times in the past 15 years, and back when I was a very young lad the mainline jets on EUG to SFO were commonplace. After 2002 (per United's routemap in Hemispheres), EUG was downgraded to United Express. Back in 2006 I took my first CRJ flight (a Skywest -700) on that route (and learned to hate the CRJ's awkward lavatory), and wondered if the big jets (it was once a 727 route) would ever return. When I got word of United's upgrade, it gave me the shock of my life.
Well, after looking at United.com, I saw that the airline was cutting the 7 CRJ-200 and -700 flights to 4 737s. So is this a sign of things to come? Will we start seeing more-frequent regional jet flights replaced with less-numerous mainline flights?
To answer the original question: FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, I HOPE SO!!! I'm really tired of flying my stupid little RJ from IAH-YYZ or PIT or MCO or ORD when really a 737 should be doing those runs. But as the product distinction between airlines diminishes the only thing left for them to compete on is price and schedule (in that order). RJs were a cheap way for airlines to compete on frequencies without killing yields with excess capacity. Unless yields get to the point that it is more economical to fly a half-full 737 instead of a full RJ on a route, you are going to continue to see RJs doing "mainline" flying.
Last edited by freezingflyboy; 01-21-2008 at 03:00 PM.
01-21-2008 | 10:58 PM
#32
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Originally Posted by freezingflyboy
what route LOST 737 (to surely be replaced by RJs) in order for United to put 737s on the SFO-EUG. Like someone else said, it really is a zero-sum game right now in the domestic market so while SFO-EUG went from 7 RJs to 4 737s I'm sure somewhere else went from 737s to RJs.
Or, the other route could've gotten RJs. SMF to LAX always used to have at least one 737, A319/320, or 757 among the RJs. Now it has none (but I think that's just because it's winter). PDX to LAX is all RJs right now. And people wonder why nobody wants to fly on the Friendly Skies anymore...
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