I think Horrido hit it.

This won’t approach United business class service. One poorly paid and trained regional flight attendant to serve the entire cabin will do more to hurt our product than any perceived savings some scope work around will provide. (After the newness wears off, it will be a junior bid position). I can imagine the unhappy businessmen tweets now.

No doubt our marketing geniuses have been talking to potential customers to find out if they would pay more for B\C service, and of course the answer was “yes”. Except in the customers mind BC service is what they experienced in a mainline cabin.

Or are they going to train their flight attendants to UA biz class standards and staff a second to serve econ? This is where the economics won’t work, long term.

 

I hope you are right, and I'm wrong...
But I've always read that the job of the little aircraft (RJ's and small narrow bodies) is to feed the hubs/International Widebodies. That we also generate 'x' amount of revenue by charging certain fees and selling services to our passengers.

While it's obvious that replacing a 50 seater with 'another' 50 seater will still allow for same sale of service.
The question I have is, isn't the CASM going to be higher for a 70 seater converted to a 50 seater?
Will the RASM be made up by the new seat layout? How many markets will we have were our passengers are going to pay for a 1st class seat.. but no service?!

If a 50 seater is used to open new markets..
And then they upgrade to a 70/76 seater..
Till they start adding a mix of 70/76 seaters and 50 seaters.. till
(in our case)
We can only jump up to a 128 seat aircraft (A319)
While Delta can jump to a 109 seater aircraft (A220-100)..

We are at a disadvantage for not having a NSNB.

I think this is SK's way of giving us (UALALPA) the middle finger..
Again, I hope I'm wrong and that we announce an order for NSNB (E195-E2) and shortly thereafter we announce a TA.
Of course, I hope the TA has a substantial pay raise for the E195-E2.. vs. what it is now.


The "Killing us Slowly" was in regards to Profits, vs. Delta.
Our competitor can add a single aircraft with 109 seats, while we would have to answer it with either 2 CRJ550's or a single 128 seater (A319). Which one will create more profit?

Guess we'll know how this all works out in the next year or 2.

Motch

 

We answer it with a flight attendant pep rally in Chicago and purple uniforms. Delta is playing chess, United is playing checkers.

 

Good point. And with the crappy ops and service that UAX gets, it won’t get enough ice, if any at all to keep drinks cold.

See above, part jest but part TRUE.

It’s STILL a crappy CRJ tube, with our crappy WiF, being operated by a lowest bidder outsourced vendor. Watching the circus of a bunch of bags getting stuffed into bins and the reverse at the destination will be comic gold.

Instead of being ****ed on the jetway waiting for their bags, THEN fighting each other to get their bag and thread then gaintlet, I’ll now happen inside the crappy tube.

At least if that part of the plan to “improve” the product.

 

What is this business class standard on mainline flights you all speak of? When I’m up front on a domestic first class flight for a 1.6 hour flight it’s a basket of snacks and maybe 2 drinks if things go well. Snacks and drinks generally served with little enthusiasm. We maybe have the bar set an inch higher than Express first class service on short flights.

 

From what I’ve read on the Gojet forum, no agreement has been reached with their pilots as to pay rates. My understanding is their rates are based on number of seats. That will be interesting, watching Go convince their pilots to accept 50 seat pay for a 70 seat.....

Apparently, the rate UA will pay has already been agreed.

Go has a problem with pilot retentions and sounds like pilot relations are already strained.

 

It doesn’t need to approach mainline service to succeed. It only needs to be a step up from the CRJ200. The businessmen/women who step into this plane the day after they flew the same route on a CRJ200 and sit down in their first class seat will be happy for the improvement. I venture to guess that the folks on these particular routes aren’t expecting mainline service. But this will be an improvement.

The “vending machine” move is an interesting one....

 

Those baggage closets better be lazy Susan’s or stacked lockers or that’s going to be a crap storm

 

One already overworked F/A and a vending machine... They are calling THAT premium service! It is a joke, even if the machine is painted purple to give the illusion of premium. This company will never be successful until it stops declaring war on its employees by trying to eliminate them.

 

Good point. 200 with 50 pax (and associated ballast), fuel for 600nm @ M.72 FL330 2400 pph.
700 with 70 pax, fuel for 600nm @ M.78 FL370 3400pph.
Remove 20 pax and 20 seats and 1 FA. Add a couple closets, coke machine, upgrade 4 seats. Probably = 5000 lbs lower cruise weight, fuel burn drops to 3300 pph. Climb to F390 save another 100pph.