Cranky on the Web (May 24-28)

BNET, Delta, Mesa Airlines

Airlines Oppose New Government Airport Fees, but So Should TravelersBNET
I say airlines should oppose more government fees, but another BNET author disagrees.

Airline Coach Travel Is Back to Its Pre-Recession Levels, Thanks in Part to Premium CannibalizationBNET
Coach traffic is back where it was before the recession, and that highlights how different coach and premium travel behave.

Inside Delta vs. Mesa: Court Ruling Tells a Tale of Overbilling and ConfusionBNET
If you didn’t see the ruling against Mesa, then I highly recommend looking deeper. This was absolutely fascinating.

Regional Aircraft Manufacturers Pick Their Target MarketsBNET
Turboprops are back in fashion – but different manufacturers are looking at different markets.

Southwest Outperforming JetBlue, AirTran Where They Go Head-to-Head
Boston to Baltimore is a rare route with three low cost carriers fighting it out. Southwest is winning so far.

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5 comments on “Cranky on the Web (May 24-28)

    1. The main reason is pure efficiency. Turboprops are cheaper to operate and they’re fast enough for flights of less than 300nm or so. But in some airports, there’s also the issue of being able to use smaller commuter runways.

  1. Cranky,
    I left a post on the BNet site, but thought I’d mention it here too. Doesn’t Bombardier still make the Q200? That holds 37 seats. Wouldn’t that cover the smaller turboprop segment?

    1. Actually, no. They are just doing the Q400 and while they’re pondering a stretch one day, they are no longer looking at smaller airplanes.

  2. Having ridden Southwest, Airtran, and JetBlue on the BWI-BOS runs, I’d love to see the amount of O&D traffic each airline gets on those runs. The two times I flew Southwest into BOS, there were decent amounts of transferring passengers already aboard or waiting to board and I think Airtran would have some connecting passengers as well.

    I think Airtran might have also taken a hit due to their extra fees (seat reservation/baggage) over Southwest/JetBlue and the fact that their terminal at BOS is totally inhospitable. I know the C40’s are an enclave, but that place doesn’t scream “focus city” to me and it needs actual options for food/drink. JetBlue’s part of C is huge and Southwest at least has some stuff and the rest of E accessible.

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