Amazon buys 11 Boeing 767s to expand its cargo fleet • Hacker News Board

Re: Amazon buys 11 Boeing 767s to expand its cargo fleet

#131

Post by chx » Wed, Jan 06, 2021, 4:09 AM UTC

Aperocky wrote: post #111

chx wrote: post #98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ryanair today is not what it was even five years ago -- they did transition to a much more customer friendly airline crowned in 2018 by a new baggage and boarding policy https://corporate.ryanair.com/news/new-bag-policy-from-novem... Just buy priority, it's 6 EUR , it's nothing. Their app is well designed and easy to use. You can contact them via chat and it's free. Ryanair is OK. Yes, you need to understand they wil…

There's not a lot to go wrong in the space of few hour and objective as simple as getting A to B in terms of customer experience . Somehow, some companies still mess it up.

The short time does not matter that much, really. The biggest problems are IRROPS and what happens then. Here managing expectations, I feel, matters most.

My biggest beef with European companies were some of them insisting on not allowing two bags onboard even for money. By now this has simply disappeared and everyone allows a large and a small bag as they should. I think Transavia might have been the last.

Re: Amazon buys 11 Boeing 767s to expand its cargo fleet

#132

Post by bonkabonka » Wed, Jan 06, 2021, 4:14 AM UTC

Hopefully Amazon (or maybe it was Air Transport Group that did the hiring since the planes were leased from them) has implemented a better training regimen since their crash[0] about two years ago.

[0]: http://avherald.com/h?article=4c497c3c/0002&opt=7680

Re: Amazon buys 11 Boeing 767s to expand its cargo fleet

#133

Post by dcolkitt » Wed, Jan 06, 2021, 4:31 AM UTC

contingencies wrote: post #86

moltar wrote: post #21

I predicted in October of 2018 [1], that in 3 years Amazon will start flying freight directly from China to US fulfillment centers and cut out the middlemen (FBA sellers). Since then Amazon has been on-boarding sellers in China at a rapid pace. - [1] https://www.scaleleap.com/zine/just-in-time-air/

This is likely a net good for the consumer, since it nominally lowers costs, increases reliability, and reduces time to delivery. However, there is an antitrust risk of monopolization. It's a case in which Amazon, the producer and the consumer have aligned interests, until Amazon turns around and screws everyone who have become dependent. Undercapitalized niche middle men still running on ancient oasis merchant middl…

> It's a case in which Amazon, the producer and the consumer have aligned interests, until Amazon turns around and screws everyone who have become dependent.

Has Amazon ever shown any indication of raising prices after monopolizing a market? As far as I can tell, the more they dominate a market the lower their prices.

Amazon does seem interested in monopolization, but mostly for the ability to squeeze suppliers into even tighter pricing- not turning around on consumers. Moreover, similar arguments were made for years about Wal-Mart and never materialized. Increasing market share seemed to go hand-and-hand with "Everyday Low Prices".

Who knows. Maybe it really is their secret strategy. One day the shoe will drop, and Amazon will start bleeding consumers in the markets they've grown to dominate. Somehow I doubt it though, and so far their behavior gives zero indication of it.

Re: Amazon buys 11 Boeing 767s to expand its cargo fleet

#134

Post by [deleted] » Wed, Jan 06, 2021, 4:52 AM UTC

lawguy wrote: post #84

Amazon's air safety record is less than stellar. Prime Air had a fatal 767 incident in early 2019. https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Pages/AA... In the accident flight, the first officer (FO) inadvertently activated the "go around" mode during landing, then, in surprise, pushed the airplane into the ground. > According to one check airman at [FO's previous airline], the FO could explain things well…

[deleted]

Re: Amazon buys 11 Boeing 767s to expand its cargo fleet

#135

Post by dunmalg » Wed, Jan 06, 2021, 4:55 AM UTC

bonkabonka wrote: post #132

Hopefully Amazon (or maybe it was Air Transport Group that did the hiring since the planes were leased from them) has implemented a better training regimen since their crash[0] about two years ago. [0]: http://avherald.com/h?article=4c497c3c/0002&opt=7680

Atlas Air, ATSG, and the like provide the pilots and therefore the training. Amazon has nothing to do with it.

Re: Amazon buys 11 Boeing 767s to expand its cargo fleet

#136

Post by petra » Wed, Jan 06, 2021, 5:10 AM UTC

tidepod12 wrote: post #74

discodave wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Isn't "logistics as a service" pretty much what Fulfillment By Amazon is? There is a lot of crossover between FBA, and a UPS or FedEx, but it's not 100%. FBA is basically B2C, as opposed to B2B or C2C. Back during the "peak lockdown" of April/May 2020, a little birdie told me about some of the steps that Amazon was taking to give the warehouses and delivery network a break from the increased demand. In other words,…

>Logistics part of Amazon has expressed a desire to become the "4th flywheel" of Amazon I'm not surprised at all if this is the long term game plan. I'm curious though, what are the first three flywheels? AWS, retail sales, and what? Alexa/Kindle devices? Prime Video? Advertising? All of those seem like strong contenders but I'm not sure they really rival the AWS/retail arms (yet).

Retail, AWS, Ads.

Re: Amazon buys 11 Boeing 767s to expand its cargo fleet

#137

Post by stevekemp » Wed, Jan 06, 2021, 5:23 AM UTC

slaw wrote: post #48

nixass wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Right now Ryanair has almost 200 737-800MAX on order, significant amount of these were added during MAX grounding as the prices went down a lot. Bold looking move again, but still shitiest airliner out there

I am still waiting for refunds from Ryanair for cancelled flights in March.

I've still got an open dispute from KLM back in 2018! Every month I get a brief update to say it is still ongoing:

> We’re contacting you about your claim for compensation for your KLM-Royal Dutch Airlines flight to Helsinki on 2018-09-11.

Re: Amazon buys 11 Boeing 767s to expand its cargo fleet

#138

Post by Stevvo » Wed, Jan 06, 2021, 5:24 AM UTC

nixass wrote: post #36

simonh wrote: post #19

This reminds me of when Ryanair bought 100 Boeing 737-800 aircraft in 2002 after 9/11 hammered the airline industry[0], a very bold forward looking move. It was good for Ryanair and for Boeing. [0] https://www.theguardian.com/business/2002/jan/24/theairlinei...

Right now Ryanair has almost 200 737-800MAX on order, significant amount of these were added during MAX grounding as the prices went down a lot. Bold looking move again, but still shitiest airliner out there

Ryan are terrible and I do not fly with them because of it, but they are far from the worst. Chinese budget airlines like Spring Air have the hostesses talking through a megaphone trying to sell you shit for the entire flight. When the cockpit door opens at the destination, you can smell the cigarette smoke.

Re: Amazon buys 11 Boeing 767s to expand its cargo fleet

#139

Post by notatoad » Wed, Jan 06, 2021, 5:26 AM UTC

kd913 wrote: post #11

I remember watching a video from Wendover Production talking about the decline of 747 and A380s mainly due to a lack of guaranteed passengers to fill the plane routes in both directions. Exceptions being some airlines which are able to operate hub and spoke models and where fuel is cheap like the middle east airlines. Wouldn't these types of planes be more suitable for a role in logistics which can benefit the greate…

There's enough existing 747 cargo fleets to soak up any excess supply of decommissioned passenger 747s.

The A380 wasn't designed for cargo so the economics don't work out for many cargo loads. It's also limited in what airports it can operated out of. I'm sure there is some route out there where it will end up as an ideal freighter when they start retiring from passenger service, but it is not very flexible. Definitely not where you'd want to start building out your cargo fleet.

Re: Amazon buys 11 Boeing 767s to expand its cargo fleet

#140

Post by subsaharancoder » Wed, Jan 06, 2021, 5:29 AM UTC

unethical_ban wrote: post #130

verhey wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Boeing isn't really gaining much from this. The 767s Amazon is acquiring are ex-Westjet (previously Qantas) and Delta passenger aircraft, and likely last saw a Boeing factory somewhere around 15-25 years ago. That said, Alaska just put in another order for MAXes, and Ryanair is buying more as well. Part of why these 767s were available for Amazon to purchase at all were due to the industry model shifting and airlines…

I need to fly on an A380 before they become dinosaurs.

I suggest business class, it's worth every dime!!