Throw in an FO and it goes up to $1501 to operate.:D

I remember reading an earnings report stating the NY-DCA flights (using 135's) were some of the most profitable routes at AMR. Anyone have a copy of that?

I wonder how they come up with number. It has to cost more than that. Any insight?

There used to be a way to see how much it cost the company to operate an Eagle flight by looking at the bottom of the station copy of the release, between the flight plan portion and the fuel breakdown. That line of numbers with the max t/o weight, payload, etc. Anyone remember how to decode it?

yeah its the number next to either "d" or "q" i forget.... its usually around $2000

Im surprised we stopped the LGA-DCA flights, since they would serve as slot holders for both airports, and it was such a short flight. I know that the BOS-JFK route is consistently one of the most profitable in the AMR system due to connect revenue it bring in with the overseas flights.

From the BOS-JFK flt 4662 today:

$1068 to run the flight, not too shabby!

It doesn't. It used to be on the release forms that listed the costs of the flight. if you watched it, it averaged about 1500 an hour. Sounds about right too... hourly costs are typically lower when there is a high untilization. I'm not surprised by it, our old flight school had the same issues. There were fixed costs, aircraft mortage, insurance and things like that, and some costs that were variable costs based on hours of use such as; fuel, oil, scheduled mx... and other costs like unscheduled mx, unscheduled repairs or replacements, engine overhaul.... etc.... Basically, the more the planes flew, the less it cost to own them on an hourly basis.

So, I'm not at all surprised that a 25 million jet, can be operated for 1500 per hour.... if the same aircraft were in private or corp use getting 1/3 the use it would run 4,500 per hour. So, when you see Legacy's being chartered for about 5,000 per hour (which they are), it tends to validate the principle as fairly accurate.

I'm sure it was a matter of aircraft aquisition costs, including averaged mx costs, together with costs per hour for crew, fuel, taxes, fees, and the prorated portions per hour of all ground people involved....

If I knew the full story, I'd be running the airline instead of sitting behind the windscreen.... but, I do know that long ago I had inquired what the item on the release meant, and a station manager flat out told me it was the cost to the airline to run that flight...

Since then, I am told the numbers no longer appear on the release.... However, being that gas is back around where it was, and nobody has obtained any real meaningful pay or benefit increases... I would say the numbers are still pretty close...

enough insight for ya?

The 1500 included ALL costs associated with the flight... pro-rated rampers and gate agents included.

As a side note... and not to drift tooo far off topic... but,

I find it interesting to note that the typical ERJ top step Captain is getting between 90 and 105 per hour to fly a 35-50 seat jet.... that works out to at best over 2 dollars per seat.....

comparing that to mainline payscales.... I see that their Captains are getting around 1 dollar per seat.... so;

Who is it that is really bringing the industry down ?

they are still on there. give it a look next time