Advice for longhaul routes

[X007]

Hello,

My Airline Paris Airs has HQ in Paris Orly, recently I openen a base at Düsseldorf. Everything goes Good and I'm making a lot of money, and I'm expanding my fleet.

I have a copple of longhaul routes from Paris Orly. Examples are Toronto (around 400 demand), Tahiti (320 demand). I never flew long haul routes, so I wantend to try it. I first leased only one plane, just to try. I leased an old (10 years) A310-300 and it has a state of around 80%. I fly every day of the week, exept for sunday, to Toronto. Every day there is a demand of around 400, my A310 has only 225 Seats and it has LF of 25%. Can someone help me?

[gazzz0x2z]

My little tutorial for better planning - especially the second part for long range planning. Done with my base in Orly.

That being said, do you have a tech stop? Are you at standard pricing? Did you inverst in route marketing? What is your route image?

Most likely, you just opened the route, your route image is ver low, below 10. You'll make money when route image will be full. Or did you a tech stop? Those are not a good idea in the 21st century.

[X007]

Wow that tutorial has learned me a lot! Thank you! 

Yes, I just opened the route and my Route image is low. I don't do a tech stop. Bu I don't have any marketing on this route. If I want to start marketing on this route, how long do I need to the marketing, and if the LF is Now around 25%, Can I realy get that up to above 70%, that would be amazing!

[gazzz0x2z]

may be different in beginner's world, but my rule of a thumb is that routes reach 100RI from 0 in :

12/14 months unmarketed
10/11 months with internet marketing
8/9 months with internet + newspapers
little more than 4 months with everything

Without a tech stop, you should fill 80/90% of the plane at 100RI. A310s are probably dirt cheap to lease in your time, so if fuel is not insanely costly, you should make money on the route when route image reaches 70/80. More generally, the longer the route, the longer the wait for profitability. But 3500/5500Nm direct routes, at 100RI may be very lucrative. It's an investment.

[X007]

Thx, when I started the route I didn't understand route image and marketing totally, Now I do. I made my route to Toronto a little cheaper and I'm Now already at 50% LF.

[48days]

Also, don't forget that you are competing with other airlines flying that route.

[philipgod96]

Thank you for the tutorial!