Originally Posted by Phil D.
Yea but then you compromise service for size.
Plus, many of the RJ and smaller flights, operate to and from small markets to LGA which could not feasibly fill larger planes.
US Airways operates plenty of "low-capacity" daily flights from ALB, PVD etc.. which if you were to replace with a larger plane, would surely reduce the number of daily flights from 3 or 4 to 1, giving people less time options, and causing many of them to find alternative means of transportation, thereby "scaring" their revenue away.
There are some markets I agree with you on, but most regional markets are set up to fill flights and at the same time offer passengers multiple daily travel times. You're probably not going to fill up 1 daily MD80 or 737 SAV-LGA flight, but you may very well fill up the 3 CRJ's DL flies daily on that route.
Plus, it's not like most airlines are flying RJ's between the same market every 15 mintues. The only "frequent" RJ market I can think of out of LGA on the same airline are the AE LGA-BOS and LGA-DCA flights, which operate I believe every 2 hours.
Regional Jets are here and will become even more predominant. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I remember hearing flying RJ's is more expensive per person per mile to fly than a larger airliner (i.e. assuming both are full to capacity). I'm sure if airlines could add larger planes on routes, and fill them up, they would. But, airlines can no longer afford to fly 1/2 empty planes and therefore have gone over to the RJ. By eliminating RJ flights, or making airlines cut down on them, you'd end up hurting the "legacy" carriers even more, as it would most likely force more people on LCC's and you would end up hurting the industry even more.
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