Originally Posted by
ijgordon
Because business travelers, the ones paying the bills, want choice. If you only offer, say, a 6 or 7pm departure, you risk losing a lot of business to a competitor that offers a 9 or 10pm departure which allows them to finish their work day before heading to the airport. And you need to have that earlier flight for those who need an early arrival to start their day at their destination.
For the most part, the business (class) travelers have no problems with the product offered on PMCO's 752s. It's actually much better than the PMCO 767s.
The increased frequency argument is only one possible explanation and only one part of the operational puzzle.
For example, UaCo pulled its 763 from IAD-AMS and replaced it with not two but only one 752. Same frequency as before, fewer seats, and, of course, a terrible record of fuel diversions so far (attributable in large part to the freak La Niņa weather patterns).
Still, when UaCo puts a 752 or two on a route, they also pull another a/c from it and place it elsewhere in the system.
Remember, the 763 not only has more capacity but also a lot more raqnge than the 752 and it can be operated on many routes in the system where the 752 just doesn't have the range.
So, while adding frequency for the customer may indeed be UaCo's motivation, it could also be--at least in part--that they needed those 763's elsewhere in the system and all they had left to swap were some 752's...