Does flight route quantity matter on same route.

[Flightman]

If two airlines competing on same route and same seat quantity, example on route 230 pax per day. competitor1 operates this with one B757 ones a day and competitor2 operates same route four or five times a day using example Embraer 145.

Does competitor2 get pax more likely becaus seats offered same quantity spread to whole day?
or does this matter?

[swiftus27]

yes....

and it does in real life too.

If someone flew a 744D versus 4 733s, are you trying to tell me that the 744 would get 1/2 of the pax?  Nope...

[MattDell]

yes....

and it does in real life too.

If someone flew a 744D versus 4 733s, are you trying to tell me that the 744 would get 1/2 of the pax?  Nope...

Honestly I think most pax wouldn't know the difference.  But that's another discussion.

-Matt

[Sigma]

Honestly I think most pax wouldn't know the difference.  But that's another discussion.

-Matt

That's a question of Equipment Preference, which I agree 95% wouldn't know the difference which is why I've never liked AWS' passengers having such an extremely strong penchant towards smaller equipment, especially when that equipment is a little CRJ which most people would hardly classify as their preferred method of flying.

But, in regards to frequency, yes it matters.  Passengers are more likely to choose the carrier they know operates multiple times per day out of their airport than the one that operates just once.

Actually, in the OP's situation, the Embraer carrier would have 2 important (in this game) things in their favor -- frequency of flights and smaller equipment.  Those 2 factors are the most important in AWS in regards to passenger preference.

[swiftus27]

You are forgetting something major about the scenario.  Unless all 4 737s are taking off at the same time, you can believe that PAX may want to take the 0900 1200 1500 or 1800 flight instead of the one offered by the other airline.  

[DenisG]

Hi MattDell.

There are great differences in fact. Lufthansa was even publishing their CO2-exposure per seat kilometer when you were booking a flight. And of course people prefer to fly known airlines with good reputation etc. This can simulated quite well with this pax preference for smaller planes and more frequent routes. I remember one guy kicking my butt on the route between Hamburg and Paris-Orly offering I think 6 dailies or so... I did not stand a chance with my beautiful Fokker100.

Denis

[MattDell]

Hey Denis,

While there is no doubt that there are individuals who pay attention to aircraft size, I'm quite certain that amongst 90% of the people I know (ie - not aviation enthusiasts), the only thing they look at when flying is the price of the ticket.  It doesn't matter to them whether they fly on a 777 or a 737.  Most don't even care which airline it is.

And if they do know something about air travel, many of them prefer to not fly on regional jets or turboprops.  That's why sites like Kayak have an option to filter out flights on turboprop aircraft or regional jetliners--pax don't like small, confined aircraft!  Only if it's a short flight under an hour; otherwise they'd prefer to be on something they can at least stand up in.

So, in my view, I would think "Large Aircraft" and "Very Large Aircraft" would be preferable to "Small" and "Medium" aircraft.

This is, of course, frequency aside.  I understand the desire of a pax to choose a time most convenient to them.

-Matt

[juanchopancho]

Hey Denis,

While there is no doubt that there are individuals who pay attention to aircraft size, I'm quite certain that amongst 90% of the people I know (ie - not aviation enthusiasts), the only thing they look at when flying is the price of the ticket.  It doesn't matter to them whether they fly on a 777 or a 737.  Most don't even care which airline it is.

And if they do know something about air travel, many of them prefer to not fly on regional jets or turboprops.  That's why sites like Kayak have an option to filter out flights on turboprop aircraft or regional jetliners--pax don't like small, confined aircraft!  Only if it's a short flight under an hour; otherwise they'd prefer to be on something they can at least stand up in.

So, in my view, I would think "Large Aircraft" and "Very Large Aircraft" would be preferable to "Small" and "Medium" aircraft.

This is, of course, frequency aside.  I understand the desire of a pax to choose a time most convenient to them.

-Matt

I agree 100%

[DenisG]

To a certain point yes, I agree. My experience is drawn from situations here in Germany. In Hamburg, Hamburg International has become quite large and is flying a modern fleet; but as people (business travelers or holidayers) talk about which airline to fly, in many cases the immediate backdrop is: "What aircrafts do they fly. Do they fly modern ones?". Perhaps in anecdotes still remembered from Hamburg Airlines (a different one) during the 1990s. Even better: Air Baltic , offering a number of routes to German cities from the Baltic states. But when talking about flying there, again: "What kind of planes do they fly? Do they have new ones?", also in remembrance of a predecessor, flying beautiful Tupolevs and Yaks to Hamburg. This goes hand in hand with security and safety, and of course corporate image (Lufthansa). Even within Star Alliance, I have seen many people skeptic to fly Varig instead of Lufthansa on code sharings. From that experience, I would say that there is a strong effect on safety and security concerning the aircraft.

However, not so much on size. Perhaps by simulating the preference for smaller aircrafts, the effect is included that CI and trust is simply bigger, when an airline operates the same route on more daily frequencies. Most people do not know the difference betweena 737 and a 320, that is correct. But I think they know it is an Airbus or a Boeing, but not a Tupolev.

Denis

[wtdawg]

Actually I prefer flying CRJ's to most everything else... as long as the flight is 2hrs or less.  1 - they're easier to get loaded/unloaded and B - I figure if there ever is an in flight emergency, they can set down just about anywhere.

But that's me.