Originally Posted by
ByrdluvsAWACO
VX should focus on intra-west routes where their aircraft can achieve a higher number of cycles per day. PHX/TUS, PDX, DEN, SLC, ABQ are good candidates... They will need a mid-country hub at some point. STL seems like the best candidate.
Or CVG or even PIT. You have a point about RPMs being depressed by longer sector lengths, but I don't think they can or should limit themselves to being an intra-west airline. I think they should prioritize airports where there is unmet demand and reduced legacy dominance, and make a business out of taking those people to LAX, SFO, JFK and BOS, with a few nonstop transcons overlaid. I would stay out of DEN and SLC. TUS, ABQ, SAT, maybe MCI are all good candidates. Places with some sleeping business-travel demand.
Legacies and even B6 manage to achieve pretty good utilization of their aircraft flying transcons - by choosing a smart mix of long as well as medium and short routes, they can rotate aircraft through different routes that are a good use of flight hours. VX needs to be smart about choosing the intra-west routes and learn how to properly rotate the aircraft through them...
Well said.