Lynx Becoming Part of Republic
08-20-2010, 10:19 AM
#71
Che Guevara
Joined APC: Aug 2005
Posts: 6,408
Originally Posted by ColdWhiskey
In my opinion Lynx should be added to the Frontier certificate. It never made sense to me to have Lynx seperate from Frontier. Economies of scale (10 airplanes) should have precluded it in the first place. All of the duplicated functions (management, headquarters, dispatch, scheduling, maintenance, ect., ect. made it a losing proposition from the start (three times the startup cost than what was planned). Inside rumors report that Lynx IS the reason for the bankruptcy. Frontier could just as easily have added the Q400 to the Frontier certificate and made that aircraft the entry level position and negotiated a fair wage scale for that aircraft. The aircraft and it's markets made sense. A whole new airline for just 10 aircraft did not.
08-20-2010, 03:22 PM
#72
New Hire
Joined APC: Aug 2010
Posts: 5
Originally Posted by BoilerUP
That's an interesting story...
When I worked at AWAC we'd seasonally do EYW-MCO in the CRJ-200; I don't remember if we were pax-restricted on that particular segment (I do remember we didn't have more than a few extra pounds of fuel to play around with) but I seem to recall it not really being a problem to take 40ish people to Orlando.
I know Eagle used to do RDU-AUS in a E135 which I've always heard was "hot rod"...I presume the E145 I saw Freedom flying EYW-MCO during that time was better on that particular route?
When I worked at AWAC we'd seasonally do EYW-MCO in the CRJ-200; I don't remember if we were pax-restricted on that particular segment (I do remember we didn't have more than a few extra pounds of fuel to play around with) but I seem to recall it not really being a problem to take 40ish people to Orlando.
I know Eagle used to do RDU-AUS in a E135 which I've always heard was "hot rod"...I presume the E145 I saw Freedom flying EYW-MCO during that time was better on that particular route?
The E145 would actually be more restricted. EYW would always want to try for a 145 around spring break and was always told no because they would get less than 37 pax on a 145.
Eagle has done RDU-AUS and still does very long segments like LGA-XNA. CHQ has done them as well such as MCO-IND, CMH etc. The range of the aircraft wasn't the issue. It's the take off performance that is the problem. The 145 family can't deal with the 4800 ft runway.
08-21-2010, 05:05 AM
#74
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Aug 2008
Position: FO4LIFE
Posts: 1,531
Originally Posted by void
I believe Comair did EYW-MCO as well and would limit seats, but you would have to ask someone at Comair about that.
08-21-2010, 06:36 AM
#75
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jul 2009
Posts: 414
Originally Posted by ToiletDuck
Fuel spiking over $100 a barrel and getting hit hard by the credit card processing have always been pointed at as the key issues.
The Lynx debacle left them cash poor. Had they had that cash they could have weathered the oil spike and would not have been vulnerable to the credit card processor.
08-21-2010, 07:56 AM
#78
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Aug 2008
Position: Swing that gear
Posts: 354
The Lynx certificate did cost a lot of money... the number you mentioned is 3 times higher than anything I have heard before (depends who is telling the story I guess). There are lots of reasons why F9 was low on cash at the time. Like, recession, competition, 318's, RAH contract, deliveries, fuel price, post Potter syndrome, Lynx certificate delays, and course First Data. These reasons combined caused the chapter 11... not just one of them.
08-21-2010, 08:14 AM
#80
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jul 2009
Posts: 414
It's all spilt milk at this point. S.M. got the ship headed in the right direction. I still think he would have been better off to cut his loses with Lynx and just add the aircraft and employees to the F9 certificate. The aircraft and it's markets make a lot of sense. Having a whole separate airline with all of the duplicated functions and only 10 airplanes did not make sense. Don't get me wrong. I always have considered the Lynx employees to be top notch, and their DOT record speaks for that, but I have always also considered them to be Frontier employees. If B.B. does decide to keep them in some form, they deserve to be on the Frontier certificate.
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