ORD-MIA Mainline is Back
Oct 23, 2014, 7:28 am
#16
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Oct 23, 2014, 8:10 am
#17
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While one flight is anecdotal, I also have flown about 40 Saturday inbounds into MIA or FLL over the last 10 years, so I'm very familiar with the market. And nearly every one of them has been packed, with flights often overbooked. The wide open UA flight was definitely an anomaly.
Oct 23, 2014, 8:20 am
#18
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While one flight is anecdotal, I also have flown about 40 Saturday inbounds into MIA or FLL over the last 10 years, so I'm very familiar with the market. And nearly every one of them has been packed, with flights often overbooked. The wide open UA flight was definitely an anomaly.
I've been stuck in FLL/MIA many times.
Oct 23, 2014, 10:15 am
#19
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I don't mind bumps - indeed they are enjoyable as is being afforded more time in flight. It is the time on the ground that is a bore. The only time I've ever questioned that it might be better to be on the ground was aboard a sea plane suffering fuel starvation in far northern Ontario -- but only until we reached water's edge enabling me to sit back, relax, and enjoy the pilot dead sticking us into the lake.
The only two amenities worth anything are Ch.9 - which yes, is not available on non-mainline - and the flight map which is only available on select mainline aircraft.
I'd never waste $$ or miles on F. If anything, I find the seats upfront uncomfortable - and often the seatmates stuffy. Indeed, I generally ask to please not be "upgraded." The only seat location better than an aisle in Y, IMO, would be in the cockpit.
The only two amenities worth anything are Ch.9 - which yes, is not available on non-mainline - and the flight map which is only available on select mainline aircraft.
I'd never waste $$ or miles on F. If anything, I find the seats upfront uncomfortable - and often the seatmates stuffy. Indeed, I generally ask to please not be "upgraded." The only seat location better than an aisle in Y, IMO, would be in the cockpit.
Oct 23, 2014, 12:05 pm
#21
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Oct 23, 2014, 12:09 pm
#22
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Oct 23, 2014, 12:12 pm
#23
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Routes like ORD-DCA/BOS, SFO-STL/MSP, etc., that are seeing certain mainline flights replaced with E75 ultimately free up more mainline frames to operate frequencies to smaller markets. The promise of better F meal service, wifi and streaming entertainment on the 70/76-seaters make this trend far more palatable.
Oct 23, 2014, 12:17 pm
#24
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Oct 23, 2014, 12:20 pm
#25
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I'm always amazed at the disdain for non-mainline service. Sure, I don't like regional service because it is a way to weaken labor and pay less in salary, because frequent small planes fill the skies (much better, IMO, to limit the number of flights between points), and then there are safety issues (resulting from overworking crew and lower seniority of crew), but to care about the actual size of the aircraft or their deployment on specific routes seems silly.
A plane is, largely, a plane regardless of size. A seat is a seat.
For those of us who fly quite often, it doesn't really matter what specific routes particular equipment types are deployed. If X% of the routes are flown by RJs, then I figure, X% of the time I'll be on RJs.
I don't find the argument that a longer RJ flight is more unsafe than a shorter RJ flight persuasive as nearly all major safety incidents happen near departure or landing.
A 744 or a Q400 - it doesn't really matter. Each get me there.
A plane is, largely, a plane regardless of size. A seat is a seat.
For those of us who fly quite often, it doesn't really matter what specific routes particular equipment types are deployed. If X% of the routes are flown by RJs, then I figure, X% of the time I'll be on RJs.
I don't find the argument that a longer RJ flight is more unsafe than a shorter RJ flight persuasive as nearly all major safety incidents happen near departure or landing.
A 744 or a Q400 - it doesn't really matter. Each get me there.
Oct 23, 2014, 12:24 pm
#26
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The issue is that the local market is not huge (a fraction of the MIALAX market) and AA already has an entrenched position at MIA. UA feels it adequately serves the South Florida market from FLL, where it is stronger relative to AA than at MIA.
Oct 23, 2014, 12:29 pm
#27
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Oct 23, 2014, 12:30 pm
#28
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SFO-MIA is only 3x daily across all airlines so it's not like there's a huge business demand either (compared to 5x daily for SFO-FLL)
Oct 23, 2014, 1:59 pm
#29
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Oct 23, 2014, 2:00 pm
#30
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Have you seen the jumpseat in a non mainline erj-145? Compare that with a mainline 737's jumpseat. You might change your opinion.