Swiftus' Guide for Newbs

[swiftus27]

CHAPTER 1:  GETTING THE RIGHT PLANE

WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN AN AIRCRAFT

1.  Capacity:   Obviously, you need somewhere to seat your paying passengers! 
2.  Fuel Consumption:    One of your largest expenses is fuel.  If you select planes which use too much fuel, you run a risk of bankrupting your airline.  As an example, a Tupolev 154B consumes 7,410 kg/hr to move 167 pax.  A 727-200adv can carry 189 pax using only 4502 kg/hr.
3.  Range:     Don't plan for simply the next route.  Get a plane that could potentially cover other routes as well.  If you have only a few airports within 1000 miles, consider getting planes that can fly 1500 or more!
4.  Speed: People want to get from A to B as fast as possible.  They will not spend the same to fly your smaller propeller airplane when they can get on a fancy jet.   However, jet/turbofan aircraft are not always the best.  They use a lot more fuel per pax per hour.
5.  Runway Requirements: Planes like the 727-200 need such a long runway that it cannot land at airports like Chicago Midway.
6.  Age/Condition: Older planes cost a lot more to keep flying
7.  Time Until Next C and/or D Check: Both of these checks are extremely expensive and time consuming.  Do not lease/buy a plane that is due for a D check in the next few years.

FLEET COMMONALITY 

Consider this; you have been tasked to maintain a fleet of cars.  Let's say that you own a Ford, Toyota, Nissan, Kia, and a BMW.  You would have to keep a lot of tools and technical manuals to keep them all running at peak efficiency. If you have a fleet of five Chevrolets, you only need to buy the parts and manuals for Chevrolets.    The same holds true in AWS.   

Commonality is broken down into the following categories: 
  1. Manufacturer (Boeing, Airbus, McDonnell Douglas)
  1a. Airplane Series   (737, A300, DC-10)
  1b. Sub-Type   (737 100-200, 300-600, 700-900)
  2. Engine Manufacturer (Pratt-Whitney, Rolls Royce, General Electric)
  2a. Engine Series   (Pratt-Whitney JT7D, JT8D, JT9D)
  2b. Engine Sub Type   (Pratt- Whitney JT8D-15, JT8D-15A, JT8D-17A)

*Note, Different Engine Sub Types currently do not add to your aircraft maintenance costs.

Simply remember, the more common your fleet is, the less you will be spending monthly in maintenance. 

[swiftus27]

CHAPTER 2:  ROUTE PLANNING & SCHEDULING

DEMAND:

Route Planning (click Routes and then Route Planning) is your friend.   You need to make sure that there is sufficient demand before scheduling air service to another airport.  There is no point flying a plane with 250 seats if 13 people want to fly the route!  If you fly it they will NOT come.   

It is suggested that before you begin choosing planes, consider researching all of the major airports to see what type of distance your average plane will fly.   This goes to Chapter 1 where fleet commonality is discussed.   If you can be consistent with your planes, your airline will be stronger.

Always use the available bar graphs to your advantage.

ROUTE TYPES:
You have 3 different types of routes that you can make:
1.  A to B (JFK to Heathrow)
2.  A to B to C to A (JFK to Heathrow to Frankfurt to JFK)
3.  A to B to C to B to A (JFK to Heathrow to Frankfurt to Heathrow to JFK)

All of these route types have their merits.  Just remember that all routes must start at your home airport.

SCHEDULING:

Keep your planes in the air.  Idle planes make you no money. 

Hints:
1.   People don't generally want to fly really late or really early.  If you can get your plane in the air before 2300 and land after 0500 (local time), you will do better than someone does not.  Remember, you want to fly east late and west early.  Take advantage of the time zones.  You can make a three hour flight last six if you plan correctly.
2.  Keep delays as short as possible... but remember that there will always be some delays.  Scheduling flights with too short turnarounds will not only make you no money but will greatly hurt your company image as well when those flights get cancelled (also another reason to keep your planes in good condition). 

Maintenance:

Your weekly schedule will also need to include maintenance. 
'A' Checks take place weekly. They take 5 hours to complete and have to be scheduled around your flights.   
'B' Checks take place monthly.  They take 24 hours to complete and will cancel any flights (without impacting your airline rating) scheduled for that day.    You do NOT have to schedule them around your flights.

[swiftus27]

CHAPTER 3: CHOOSING YOUR AIRPORT

Major Factor 1:  Competition
The larger an airport is, the more likely that others are going to use it as their base or are going to fly in to it themselves.  Starting at a major airport may give you the initial advantage by having sufficient demand but know that every other airline may fly to your home base as well!

Major Factor 2:  Hours of Operation & Slots
Many airports are closed at night.  Even larger ones, like Heathrow, do not allow flights late in the night.   Since the number of landings/takeoffs per hour are limited, the largest airports in the game are often completely saturated with volume.  In just a short few years, every single slot at an airport can be taken.  This will greatly impact your ability to do business.  Many players will put orders in for planes that take five years but by the time they arrive, the slots are all gone.   

Major Factor 3:  Demand
To make money, you must move passengers.   You need to make sure that there is enough demand.  Use the Route Planning tool to see how many people want to travel each day.

You CAN build a great airline from a smaller city.  Since other players are going to try to go after the major lines first, you can take up all of the demand from yours. 

Major Factor 4:  Distance
In short, you need to determine how far your airport is from others.  Going with what planes you decide to fly, you need to strategize early to ensure that the correct aircraft are ordered for the future.  For example, don't start at Tokyo Narita (International-only airport) and expect to use smaller planes.

[Kammola]

Excellent guide. I have learnt all these during the game. First try led to a bankrupty due to bad commonality and too hungry planes.
What you didn't point out is the differences between cities and their airports. I was first in a big city with some competitors, but airport was closed 23-5. Not too ideal for a newbie. Then I restarted in a city that has most domestic demand, but no other airlines in that city. The airport is open 24h.

[swiftus27]

Excellent guide. I have learnt all these during the game. First try led to a bankrupty due to bad commonality and too hungry planes.
What you didn't point out is the differences between cities and their airports. I was first in a big city with some competitors, but airport was close 23-5. Not too ideal for a newbie. Then I restarted in a city that has most domestic demand, but no other airlines in that city. The airport is open 24h.

I am nowhere near done with this yet.   I will make sure that I put in Airport choosing into its own section.  Thanks for the idea.

[Kontio]

Very good and detailed info. I wish I had this when I was playing my first game.  

On the whole, I think it is important to do research and make plans. Don't just lease the first aircraft you happen to see and put it on the first route you think of. In fact, you have to think ahead even before you have actually started the game and research your starting airport carefully.

[Filippo]

That is true, I have detail stage plans for 6 airlines after ATB, and other 8 not fully planned (in the stage of preparation)!

I really am a planning dood

[Brockster]

^ Lol, I'm impressed.

I can't plan that far ahead... I'd go crazy! 

[toyotaboy95]

That is true, I have detail stage plans for 6 airlines after ATB, and other 8 not fully planned (in the stage of preparation)!

I really am a planning dood

i used to do that too...but then it got boring after a while. so now im going with the flow

[woober]

Very nice work

[swiftus27]

Sorry I haven't updated this much recently.  I plan to do a lot more and revise it once the 1.1 game is out.  No point doing much now if I am going to have to re-do it in a month.

[masoniclight]

Great stuff Swiftus.. as you always do! Great stuff.. very well done. Keep up the great work.

[swiftus27]

I appreciate the kind words.  I plan on working on this again shortly.

[swiftus27]

CHAPTER 5:  JETS VERSUS PROPS

(short chapter)

This sim uses different times for Takeoff, Approach, and Cruise.  The difference between propeller driven and jet powered aircraft are minimal.

With that said, it is important to realize that 350nm or less flights will have minimal difference

For instance, a Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 on a 348nm flight takes 1h35m to arrive at its destination.
A Bombardier CRJ takes 1h30m to reach the same destination.   So, the jet aircraft saves only 5 minutes on that flight!?!?   Yes, that's correct.  And since the Dash 8's turn time is 5 minutes shorter, you are saving no time at all.   The CRJ only carries 44 pax and uses 1270kg/hr doing so.  The Dash 8 carries 68 and consumes only 710 kg/hr.  That's a massive savings.
 
Let's take the same planes on a 842nm flight.    The Dash 8 takes 3h05m where the CRJ takes 2h45m. 
Finally, let's go to the full range of both planes...  A 1497nm flight takes a Dash 8 4h55m and the CRJ takes 4h20.

The lesson here is that you need to consider your flight times.  If you have no competition on routes, why take jets?  Jets burn a ton more fuel.  This is something I am learning now.  If your load factors and profit are good, why add additional expense of jets?

[Tujue]

Thanks for the guide, but I think you forgot Chapter 4?!

[swiftus27]

I had to re-do it.  Good point, though.

It is on Marketing and company image.  With Sami changing so much, I never got around to finishing it.

[Tujue]

I had to re-do it.  Good point, though.

It is on Marketing and company image.  With Sami changing so much, I never got around to finishing it.

lol, I failed several times while operating in Thessaloniki (DoM), so I thought maybe this guide will help me to improve my marketing strategy. Thanks for providing it I'll be waiting for chapter 4.

[hybridace101]

I would like to get your idea on increasing LFs especially since there is a relatively high amount of demand for a particular route but the problem is there is competition.  I have been in business for around 2 years.  I have marketing strategies and have slashed prices by 20-25% and they haven't returned to such price levels.  My route image is 85 and company image is 59.  For example, take a look at my flight on Fridays where after adding my flight, available seats exceed demand (factoring in the flights offered by competiton).  Sometimes my LF fluctuates (i.e there are days or even weeks when LF is barely 30% but others that are more than 90).  What accounts for the inconsistent and fluctuating LF?

[swiftus27]

flying that route once a week is a bad idea.  

But to answer your question, perhaps his plane is in service on fridays?  Or B check fridays? 

There are really too many variables to ponder.   You need more planes on that route ASAP or your competition will eat you alive.

[cashacasha]

Well said! But what about slot costs?.... City hotels and bus lines? Just kidding