13 replies to this topic

[FlyingDutchman7]

I'm quite new here and I've got some questions:

1. Why do most bigger routes have a bigger 'seats on market' bar compared to the 'daily demand' bar? How is that profitable, especially when the red bars are twice/four times as big as the blue one?
2. Why would it be better to fly a 100 seat plane 15 times to a city instead of a 150 seat plane 10 times to a city? So, why do you recommend starting with a smaller aircraft?
3. Is it just me or is the demand engine a bit too positive? I mean, a daily demand of 35 people from Pensacola to Provo wouldn't exist in real-life IMO... And the biggest airliners in R4 are just way too big to exist in real-life, especially if 10 of these huge airlines exist. Quite much the top 10 travels more passengers per year than the biggest airline according to Wiki (Delta (160 mln pax)). Also, for example Phoenix, has in real-life 1 flight to Europe (British Airways 747-400, flown it myself), while in R4 20 routes seem to be profitable. Howcome this big difference?
4. Denver's runways aren't this long for no reason. They are this long because of the altitude of the airport. Why isn't this a factor in the minimum runway length, or am I overlooking something?
5. Why do you recommend starting with short flights? Isn't it more profitable to keep your airplanes in the sky for the longest time possible? Everytime your plane lands (which is quite often if you've got only short routes), you have the 30 min. or so turn time.

I hope someone could help me with my questions. I might come up with more in the next few days

[M4matthew]

1) 7 times out of 10 these routes won't be profitable, but people are always trying to claim route dominance - they somehow believe that by boosting capacity and slashing prices they can drive off the competition, but on a 'golden' route like JFK-LHR it never works.

2) From a passenger's point of view, it's better because it gives them a range of travel times - however, as an airline, it's better to go large and reduce frequency.

3) The reason why big airlines get so big in AE, IMO, is because they are allowed to fill their planes to the maximum and offer no IFS and passengers still fly with them. (If it was that easy in real life, real airlines wouldn't bother with 'legroom' or 'IFS' ) ...A short term solution for this until AE4 is realised, I feel, would be to ban airlines from adding F&C classes to seating configurations over 70% capacity.

I worked out the F class pitch on one AE airline's A380 to be 35" and they were charging $7000 for it. Well, that would go down like a lead balloon in the real world.

4) I believe factors like this will be taken into account in later versions, possibly AE 4.

5) Ticket price is not directly proportional to flight distance.

[2ndAcr]

Welcome aboard. Let's see if I can dent your questions. Some of the more experienced might have better answers.

1. That would be because of competition. Usually on high demand routes where each airline is flying enough seats to fill the demand qouta and a price war ensues. The bigger airlines can afford to run routes even at a loss if it means driving off the competition.

2. Number of flights per day counts on your route reputation and some times it is more profitable due to less fuel usage, less maint casts etc.

3. That would be for the Devs

4. Again for the Devs

5. Well, short routes use less fuel allowing you to hit maybe 2-4 different airports. Depending on the distance, I have no problems flying 50 pax planes with a 20 min turn. I do that in R5 out of Dallas Love. I have up to 36 or more flights a day to say Atlanta off 50 pax planes. And they make a profit.

[FlyingDutchman7]

1. Thank you for your good answers on this question.
2. So, the reduced fuel usage and maint. costs do weigh up to the higher profits from tickets and the, presumably, little extra profit from passengers who prefer frequency?
3. Ha, yeah, that's totally unrealistic, Riddler!
4. I hope so, Riddler!
5. But, having more different airports also makes you have to pay more gate leasing, and again, the airplane isn't in the air for a longer time and thus not making profit. Or does the extra tickets weigh up to that too?

[2ndAcr]

3.........hey now, I am one of the biggest in O2.......I just happen to be my own boss so i get to play games while "working". And I do use IFS/IFE. And try to be fairly realisic in my seating configs. I do have a bunch of CL44 running pretty snug in O2 though. Just waiting on the new planes.

4. Extra tickets can offest cost sometimes. Sort of depends on what plane you are trying to run on the short route. I try to find the best fuel rating, fast turn around, decent pax load. That allows you to run a high frequency. Take O2.........Paris to Madrid is an extremely heavy profitable route. You can fly it with say 3 jets doing 2-3 flights per day each or you can stick a 4-5 prop planes doing the same job and odds are you will make more with the props. Due to the lower maint and fuel cost. Even though you have to put an extra plane or 2 on the route.

[FlyingDutchman7]

New question:
Let's say a plane has a 'Fuel Flow' of 15000. Does that mean it burns less fuel than a plane with Fuel Flow 17000?

[FlyingDutchman7]

^Thanks!

Err...
Why would a plane flying 25 times a week to Montreal have a lower daily profit than a plane flying to numerous smaller airfields? (it's a small margin, but it is there) (and yes, I that's the maximum profit I can earn, the planes are identical)
In real life flying to bigger airports make bigger profit per day right?

[QK Flight Industries]

^Thanks!

Err...
Why would a plane flying 25 times a week to Montreal have a lower daily profit than a plane flying to numerous smaller airfields? (it's a small margin, but it is there) (and yes, I that's the maximum profit I can earn, the planes are identical)
In real life flying to bigger airports make bigger profit per day right?

Not necessarily. The bigger and more popular the airport, the more chance that you could incur more expensive fees and lease charges. You avoid those by going to smaller airfields, but it shouldn't make too much of a difference.

[FlyingDutchman7]

Well, with smaller airfields I meant in other cities like Flagstaff, Provo etc.

[pseudoswede]

Well, with smaller airfields I meant in other cities like Flagstaff, Provo etc.

Odds are that you would be the only airline flying those city-pairs. Ever. Basically, it's free money.

Flying to YUL from another large airport means that there will most likely be competitors. If you don't keep track of the route, and you get squeezed out, you could be incurring a loss on that route (or very little profit, which may or may not pay for the larger gate rental fee).

[FlyingDutchman7]

Uhu, but I just started the YUL route from STL. There weren't any competitors.

[pseudoswede]

Uhu, but I just started the YUL route from STL. There weren't any competitors.

Odds are that you won't be the only operator of that route during the whole round. If you are, congratulations.

[Mick2295]

Hi I'm new to Airline Empires and I was just wondering is the game played in actual real time or is shortened for easy play?

 

Regards 

Mick

[Mr PAG]

There are different game worlds ranging from 20-30 mins/day and in different years too.