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Billion-dollar airline routes

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Re: Billion-dollar airline routes

#81

Post by notacoward »

darkwizard42 wrote: post #24
hereforphone wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm the same. I stand around until the last minute. We're all getting there at the same time, and I'd rather be standing because soon I have to sit for hours. My bag fits nicely under the seat in front of me.

But then where do your feet go when you want to stretch out? I find it terribly annoying to have to keep adjusting my bag when I want to stretch out or sit normally (knees bent)

> where do your feet go when you want to stretch out?

Depends. The bag can be under the seat in front, pulled up next to your own seat, or even in your lap. If it's under the seat it can be squished up, down, or sideways. If it's too big or overstuffed for that, then you can take one or two things out, or you can check a larger bag to keep the in-cabin one small. Not saying you should have to, but those are all viable alternatives to fighting for overhead space. I'm 6'2" with long legs for my height and I'm not young either, so I do know the struggle, but I used to travel quite a bit on six- and even ten-hour flights and I never felt like putting stuff overhead was an absolute necessity.

Re: Billion-dollar airline routes

#82

Post by bennysomething »

celticninja wrote: post #71
bennysomething wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Erm, maybe it's recommended, but that is really annoying for other isle passengers on long haul flights. Well I find it annoying if someone keeps standing by my seat and stretching. I was once in front isle of economy: someone thought it was fine to keep appearing and standing in front of me at regular intervals.

Other people1? how ghastly.

Aye, someone with their arse one or two feet from my face is pretty "ghastly".

Re: Billion-dollar airline routes

#83

Post by jsmith45 »

mithr wrote: post #50
rtkwe wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Gate checked luggage comes to you on the skyway not at the luggage claim. Takes a little bit there but it's faster than normal checked luggage.

> Gate checked luggage comes to you on the skyway not at the luggage claim That's not a given. At least as many times as not, I've gate-checked luggage and had to pick it up at baggage claim with everyone else.

There are two types of gate checked bags. Proper gate checked bags get the full sized label that all other checked bags get, and are fully in the system, and if nothing goes wrong gets spit out at your final destination on baggage claim, like normal checked luggage.

Valet Checked bags use pink/red tags and are supposed to be returned on the jetway. It is supposed to be impossible for these bags not to be returned planeside, and are not supposed to get intermingled with the normally checked baggage. In practice I've seen this not work out first hand, with the bag ending up in baggage claim. (I've seen others say the same thing happened to them too. I suspect some airports actually have baggage handling set up to check for these if they get "into the system", and forward them to baggage claim, as the safest option.)

Re: Billion-dollar airline routes

#84

Post by wolverine876 »

londons_explore wrote: post #79
wolverine876 wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The 'race to the bottom' argument against all taxes is mostly insignificant: First, airports, air traffic control, etc. have to be paid for somehow; taxes are how it's done. Second, taxes don't determine profits to that extent. Will an airline discontinue service to the EU because of a gas tax?

On many routes, even a small gas tax would just make airlines fill up their tanks at the other end of the journey and carry extra fuel in one direction. Carrying extra weight is bad and causes more CO2.

That's a bit hard to believe; it would seem to depend on the tax. Do you have any basis for it?

Re: Billion-dollar airline routes

#85

Post by mitch3x3 »

bennysomething wrote: post #55
Aperocky wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I stand up every hour to stretch all limbs, and I always sit aisles.

Erm, maybe it's recommended, but that is really annoying for other isle passengers on long haul flights. Well I find it annoying if someone keeps standing by my seat and stretching. I was once in front isle of economy: someone thought it was fine to keep appearing and standing in front of me at regular intervals.

I’m one of these people. The reality is that I am too tall to fit comfortably in the seat and need to stretch my legs to get the blood flowing since it is hard to sit with your knees compressed for long periods of time.

Re: Billion-dollar airline routes

#86

Post by ethbr0 »

midasuni wrote: post #65
ethbr0 wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I flew most domestic US when I was in the air, and rarely did I need more than under-seat sized. If you have a garment bag, I suppose that's a consideration, but I remember there always being "lay on top" free space in the overheads, even if full of bags.

How long were you away? I’ll fit a couple of weeks in my standard bag easilly, plus electronics etc. In my under seat sized bag I’d only really get 3 days worth. Besides you can’t put stuff under seat in the exit row.

Usually M-F, but it was consulting-developer formal, not suit and tie. So probably more compact than what's usually needed for a client.

Re: Billion-dollar airline routes

#87

Post by airbreather »

A while ago I had to fly Perth to Kalgoorlie (return), a flight that normally takes a bit over an hour, but I have done in as little as 46 minutes.

On the same day I could have flown from Perth to Los Angeles return for $50 less.

It was rumoured that the two most profitable routes for Qantas in the world for nearly ten years were Perth to Port Hedland and Perth to Newman return, both Iron Ore mining hubs.

At one stage there were 6 flights a day to Newman 7 days a week for many years and never a spare seat.

Typical flight times 1 hour 20 minutes, cost of tickets around $1100 and nominal population of Newman is 4500 people...

Edit : these are all flights within the state of Western Australia

Re: Billion-dollar airline routes

#88

Post by Aperocky »

bennysomething wrote: post #55
Aperocky wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I stand up every hour to stretch all limbs, and I always sit aisles.

Erm, maybe it's recommended, but that is really annoying for other isle passengers on long haul flights. Well I find it annoying if someone keeps standing by my seat and stretching. I was once in front isle of economy: someone thought it was fine to keep appearing and standing in front of me at regular intervals.

> someone thought it was fine to keep appearing and standing in front of me at regular intervals.

That's a lot further than just stretching in the aisle..

I'm on the taller side and I apologize for any inconvenience, but I really do need to stretch. Those coast to coast flights will leave me paralyzed for days otherwise.

Re: Billion-dollar airline routes

#89

Post by nradov »

csteubs wrote: post #20

There's still money on the table for airline operators where routes are concerned. It sounds a bit fringe, but most of these flights take off and land at airports in large cities. International airports are often zoned around industrial centers that are typically set off away from the city core. Coupled with the high frequency of inbound and outbound traffic depending on the airport, commercial flights are excellent…

Most commercial flights operate in a small number of fairly narrow corridors. Is there really a billion dollar market for aerial imagery of those flight corridors? Seems unlikely.

Re: Billion-dollar airline routes

#90

Post by Gravityloss »

londons_explore wrote: post #79
wolverine876 wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The 'race to the bottom' argument against all taxes is mostly insignificant: First, airports, air traffic control, etc. have to be paid for somehow; taxes are how it's done. Second, taxes don't determine profits to that extent. Will an airline discontinue service to the EU because of a gas tax?

On many routes, even a small gas tax would just make airlines fill up their tanks at the other end of the journey and carry extra fuel in one direction. Carrying extra weight is bad and causes more CO2.

Is that true? Airplanes need so much fuel, I think they're always tanked at each destination.
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