Originally Posted by
johnirvine
If you look at the organisational management literature, you will see that problems frequently arise when firms try to expand too quickly without setting in place the administrative, engineering and IT systems necessary to operate at a larger scale. Additional planes will surely be needed to operate A3īs rapidly expanding LCA hub. I do not accept the argument that Aegeanīs current opening up of new routes justifies the fact that they can`t get it together to offer a flight program allowing booking up to 355 days in advance. TK is expanding even more rapidly and they have no such problem.
TK is, however, operating in somewhat different markets to A3 - it already has a more extensive route network and several wide body long-haul planes.
It would probably now be extremely difficult for A3 to make substantial inroads into those type of long haul markets - so it looks like they're concentrating on a European route network, building steadily and within their means and capabilities - perfectly sensible, and a good way to manage free cash flow.
That, in turn, might mean that there's really no need to offer bookings further out than 6 months - intra-Europe bookings are mostly done a relatively short time ahead compared to long-haul, so A3 may not see the need for anything else.
I'll agree it's unusual not to offer 355 days plus, but not unique. What does FR, now a fairly direct competitor to A3 on domestic routes, offer?