Comments on: MAXjet Wants China

By: The Cranky Flier » China Flights Awarded, Not Nearly as Fun as Last Time

The Cranky Flier » China Flights Awarded, Not Nearly as Fun as Last Time — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 14:42:07 +0000

[...] out yesterday for 2008 and 2009 flights and they were mostly as expected. Let’s look back at my post from July 17 to see how I did with my guesses. Conventional wisdom says Delta will get this [...]

By: D-R Gooch

D-R Gooch — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 16:55:40 +0000

I think you’re right about MaxJet’s chances being slim, but not because its planes only have 100 seats. The DOT is charged with picking a carrier for the route that will bring the most value (not the exact “mandate” but it is going to be something like that). Maxjet essentially operates point to point service where each of the network carriers competing for the route allocations will provide far greater access to China through the various connections they can offer.

By: George Bolaris

George Bolaris — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 15:04:13 +0000

PS United has announced that they will refurbish their international premium cabins–both F and C class. I hope that they will improve on AA “wedgie” C-class seat.

By: George Bolaris

George Bolaris — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 15:02:03 +0000

Is this discussion about UA or MaxJet?

I cannot wait for the form 41 data for 1H/2007 for MaxJet and see if they have a chance of SURVIVING let alone expanding to China. If you looked at 2006, financial performance was extremely dismal, but one could not tell if they were bleeding money operationally or due to start up costs. However, in 2007 the growth continued so we are probably going to see more large losses.

I actually think that a smaller aircraft Seattle-China is an excellent marketplace proposition–there’s enough business both ways. But in the absence of open skies, I am as pessimistic as Cranky.

By: CF

CF — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 04:36:15 +0000

That’s another problem UA has. If you saw little reading lamps, you were looking at their very dated business class. That’s a bigger problem for them. The Economy Plus seats are the same as regular Economy. The only difference is that Economy Plus has up to 5 inches more legroom.

By: JC

JC — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 04:15:11 +0000

Umm yeah… I can vouch for the no all Economy Plus flights on UA. I sat in the back. The problem is where you board you have to walk by all the Economy Plus seats with their reclining seats, little reading lamps, and leg room before you get to your plastic folding chair in the back o’ the plane. It like when you’re driving in a nice neighborhood and take a wrong turn into a bad neighborhood and instinctively check to make sure your doors are locked. I don’t think those chairs in the back recline. They just go from straight up to forward! 15 hours crammed next to your closest new Chinese friend does not make for a Happy China Day.

By: Zach

Zach — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 19:54:00 +0000

Wow, no kidding? I had always just assumed that their ultra-long haul segments were all Economy Plus, but I must have not been looking closely enough. There was one flight where I got the absolute middle (like seat 34 G or something along those lines) on the 777 next to a kid who kicked me in the head repeatedly. That certainly didn’t feel like Economy Plus.

By: CF

CF — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 19:13:48 +0000

Actually, no UA flight is all Economy Plus in back except for p.s. flights between JFK and LAX/SFO. You must just have been flying so much you never had to see the coach dungeon in the waaaaaay back.

By: Zach

Zach — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 18:53:57 +0000

I was a frequent flier on UA’s Chicago-Beijing route for a couple of years (I feel like an ad for United lately), which isn’t a bad service since it’s all Economy Plus and is available for $800 roundtrip if you buy at the right time.

I think your argument about the Seattle-China niche is a potentially good one, but a lot of the people who travel that route frequently are going to China to visit family, not to conduct business, and therefore will probably opt for a cheaper fare instead of a more comfortable seat (especially since the Chinese as a rule aren’t particularly concerned about personal space).