Originally Posted by
DenverF9Flier
Doesn’t the Q400 offer better performance at ASE than the current CRJ's? I know they get a lot of delays and cancellations due to the runway and weather peculiarities up there, and I'm wondering if this "inferior" prop-plane might in fact deliver fewer delays and greater reliability?
The aircraft performs exceptionally well at the high altitudes and can do an engine failure at V1 (takeoff decision speed) and clear the terrain at pretty much maximum takeoff weight.
What does that mean for you?
Passengers and bags would only be bumped on only the hottest of days, and in the winter your bags and skis are almost guaranteed to make it to your ski destination with you (unless they got lost and that's not the plane's or weather's fault, its the airlines fault).
I would hope that by next winter, when the weather issues are at their best, the operational teething will be done. What it will be is comparable to the current Mesa Dash-8's occasionally flying the route right now, but a lot quieter and more comfortable for the passengers.
Whether or not the Lynx inflight service is better than Mesa's, I don't know, but I have a suspicion that it might be.
Checko