27 replies to this topic

[channy_thegreat]

Hey guys,

 

Quick question. So I've been here playing for a while now and have gotten good at starting and building airlines from scratch and making them into what I consider VLA's(about 1000a/f), of course that comes along with billions in cash and blah blah blah. 

 

However, I have never been able to crack the top twenty, and honestly probably 40. Some people create and manage to create seemingly enormous airlines overnight. How is it they do this? It seems to me it is the same select few people who dominate all the worlds. 

 

Before you say it, yes ive started at the beginning of worlds before so that is not the problem. I just wonder if their is something I am missing. 

 

Thanks

[Clutch Airball]

I feel the same way, never been able to get better than about 45...

[Worldlines]

I'm always up top!

[Stevphfeniey]

http://ae31.airline-...e3r1&player=140

 

I think for something this size they use some kind of script to order planes and whatnot. 

[2ndAcr]

I am almost certain that airline owner found some loophole or script, because he had 2 airlines running almost identical plane fleets double the size of everyone else back when I was active in R1. There was a thread about it too.

 

I am almost always in the top 10. Not always, but 90% of the time. One way, is bin dumps. Some worlds, I might score 200+ planes all bought from the bin in about 5 min time. Give me a couple of those and you will see a mega airline overnight. I scored 40+ 767-300ER and 17 747-400 in R4 last night in about 3 min, all bought. Added around 30 million DOP that fast.

 

I would say about 80% of my airlines turn into Mega airlines due to bin dumps. I just cannot resist when I am flush with cash. It almost always takes a mega airline to make the top 10, not always, but most of the time.

 

Some crack the top slot by entering the game half way thru and then slamming the bin when it is full of planes and then flooding every route they can find. And I mean flood them.

[Tower777]

In my opinion my ranking position is the less important in the game. So I just try to grow my airline under a strategy, flying from my base/hubs airports and compete with other airlines. When I say compete I don't mean duplicate o triple the real demand; it's quite annoying find it in whatever route.

 

If I have a bit of luck, I sometimes can buy many planes from used market (if you obviously have enough money). I cannot resist to buy them as well. I find airlines with 600/800/+1000 planes quite useless to manage (how much time do you need to manage them?). It has no sense.

 

Try to manage your airline, avoid to compete against those mega airlines and don't worry about the ranking.

[the DOC]

I'm always up top!

I'm number 1 in S3-C

[Stevphfeniey]

I try to find a sort of theme that I can model my airlines off of. I also try to keep the airlines I run within reason. For example, I'm running Czech Airlines right now in RDelta, and it's 1981, Communistin' times. Thus I've only ordered Soviet made jets and fly to Warsaw Pact and non-NATO nations (with the exception of Toronto, but nobody cares about Canada). 

Back on topic, another strategy I've seen with rapidly expanding airlines is the tendency to order as many aircraft types as they can in order to get more delivery slots (ie: Why wait for x amount of DC-10s when you can order L-1011s too and expand twice as fast). This bothers me greatly, because since about deregulation there's a reason why airlines try to consolidate their fleets into as little fleet types as possible. Of course with some exceptions. That limitation is not really present in AE, so I think some of the stupidly rapid growth can easily be curtailed by vastly ramping up financial penalties for maintenance and training that come from operating every aircraft type in game. This could also discourage players from purchasing the entire used market on a whim (see Fox's thread on this), retarding that end of the growth spectrum. 

[Stevphfeniey]

Another note: If you look at the seating configs of the big airlines in-game, they tend to be something inhumane like 7F/45C/290Y on a DC-10 for a total of 342 seats on an aircraft certified up to 380. I don't know if many people know here know much about seats on aircraft, but that works out to stupidly low pitch, in the low 20s if my guessing is correct. For comparison, Ryanair has 30" pitch on their aircraft. Ryanair. Given this, I don't think anybody outside of some crack-pot, ex-Soviet republic would fly on an aircraft with that little room between seats in the cabin. My point being, if you want to sardine-pack your aircraft, go ahead, but I feel like less people would want to fly on your aircraft (and by less, I mean nobody). 

[daytonanerd]

Another note: If you look at the seating configs of the big airlines in-game, they tend to be something inhumane like 7F/45C/290Y on a DC-10 for a total of 342 seats on an aircraft certified up to 380. I don't know if many people know here know much about seats on aircraft, but that works out to stupidly low pitch, in the low 20s if my guessing is correct. For comparison, Ryanair has 30" pitch on their aircraft. Ryanair. Given this, I don't think anybody outside of some crack-pot, ex-Soviet republic would fly on an aircraft with that little room between seats in the cabin. My point being, if you want to sardine-pack your aircraft, go ahead, but I feel like less people would want to fly on your aircraft (and by less, I mean nobody).

I love how Ryanair is the gold standard of crappy airlines. Anyways, for seating on my Boeing 747-400, I have 14F/60C/425Y

[Stevphfeniey]

UA, an airline not exactly known for it's throne like seats runs 12F/52C/310Y in their 747-400s...

Air China has 10F/42C/292Y on their 747-400s, and that's their high density config

Lufthansa, regarded as a respectable airline, has 6F/66C/278Y on theirs

 

Though one might say "But Steve! Corsair has 582 seats on their 744s ", to which I tell them to look at the market airlines like Corsair serve. Tourist and charter flights to leisure destinations, which have high seasonal yields (which don't exist in AE), not trunk routes like ORD-DEN or LHR-FRA, and I've seen jam-packed 747s on both of those routes. 

[daytonanerd]

UA, an airline not exactly known for it's throne like seats runs 12F/52C/310Y in their 747-400s...
Air China has 10F/42C/292Y on their 747-400s, and that's their high density config
Lufthansa, regarded as a respectable airline, has 6F/66C/278Y on theirs
 
Though one might say "But Steve! Corsair has 582 seats on their 744s ", to which I tell them to look at the market airlines like Corsair serve. Tourist and charter flights to leisure destinations, which have high seasonal yields (which don't exist in AE), not trunk routes like ORD-DEN or LHR-FRA, and I've seen jam-packed 747s on both of those routes. 

But here is the thing. AE never defines how wide/how big/how much pitch a seat has. The F may not be a suite, or maybe the C is just economy comfort... It's not a flat standard.

[channy_thegreat]

 (with the exception of Toronto, but nobody cares about Canada). 

                       hahahaha amen to that. If your taking that mentality then might as well fly to France as well as they're canada's down syndrom older brother. 

[channy_thegreat]

But back on topic, I feel like they're "cheating" one or another  

[daytonanerd]

And also, I can fit more passengers on my 747-400 because my airplane has... http://www.thompsona...cts/cozy-suite  These seats for economy. The Cozy Suite. It may not have gotten past the FAA for Delta but... It got past the FAA for AWA

[daytonanerd]

Besides, when my airline matures (It is in R5), I will make it more realistic/comfortable.

[dieseltu]

I am new to this game. (A couple months) . And I have three airlines running. One is 3, One is 4, and one is 170 or so. Because I'm trying to make it harder to run.    I am not cheating. And it's not dificult. The only thing you are missing is the things the top people are doing . That YOU Aren't.   You should do your homework. Figure it out.  

     my first airlines were all midgame airlines.  I mean position 130 ish, 170,  Then I moved up a notch. 70s, 50s. 

 

     I can give you some clues. If you want to know what the top airlines are doing. Examine them when the game first starts. Day one.   Starting at the beginning of the World  start,  Is necessary.   If you jumped in late.  You're behind right off the bat.   You are not going to catch up. Most likely.

    Examine the forums.  I found some really good important  info in the forums. In  the things people write. Its only going to help if  you read them.

 Do the  route research.  If you want to know where the money is . Examine the routes.  Get a piece of paper and a pencil. And sit there and examine every route. Opened when a new game starts.  And figure out the capacity.  And how you need to configure your planes seats,  to get that  capacity.  In your planes,  If your planes have all the same seating arangments. They aren't going to get max revenue out of every route.  You have to do math.  Demand  x days, devided by available seats on the  available number  flights. That you provide.    Is your seating arrangement.  For one route.  Then fly your planes.  They dont make money with up yo  25 unused hours on each plane.

       Leveraging youself to the max to lease planes. Helps.  Picking the  right routes, helps.  Matching the plane to the route helps.  I spent two hours setting up my airline in S3. Before the game even started.  Then I made a mistake and bankrupted it. And started over.  

 And order planes.  There's a waiting list.   A couple of years perhaps.  If you waited to long to order. And you didn't order every type. You are falling behind.   Meanwhile everyone is getting there's. And adding flights and  pulling away.   That's not cheating.

 

There's different types of Airlines. In  S3C , Skycar and Vern Air are completely different airlines. He has a huge amount  of  different planes and huge amount of passengers, and shot up from behind. I have few  BIGGER planes and less passengers . And have creeped up.  Because my cost and passenger happiness, Are lower.  We are in different continents. Skycar is getting a lot of passengers. I am getting on high demand routes. And getting high revenue passengers.

 

   I am watching the top 10.  And it is not dominated by the same people.  Its dynamic. And in flux.  People are moving up and down.  The top 3 . Maybe.  There comes a point when you can't catch them. But they were there at the beginning of the game.    My S3 airline has been bounced around from 4 down to 66. And back up again mumereous times.  People are thinking ahead.  Ordering planes before they have the money to pay for them. Based on their income projections. Getting their planes. And moving up.  And I know the next 10 routes I'm placing planes on.

 

Like everything else in life.  To be successful, You have to learn.  And adapt.   Those who excel and learn get ahead.  There's natural talent. And learned talent.   There's plenty of operational issues, keeping you from the top 10. Cheating is certainly not keeping you out of the top 10.   Most if not all of it. Isn't due to cheating . 

 

Its a game. Treat it as such.  But you need to run it like a business.  To get up there.  Some people are more business then others . Some people are veterans. At playing here. And some like myself. have a some real life airline experience. Which helps too.   And that's not  cheating. 

[dieseltu]

Another note: If you look at the seating configs of the big airlines in-game, they tend to be something inhumane like 7F/45C/290Y on a DC-10 for a total of 342 seats on an aircraft certified up to 380. I don't know if many people know here know much about seats on aircraft, but that works out to stupidly low pitch, in the low 20s if my guessing is correct. For comparison, Ryanair has 30" pitch on their aircraft. Ryanair. Given this, I don't think anybody outside of some crack-pot, ex-Soviet republic would fly on an aircraft with that little room between seats in the cabin. My point being, if you want to sardine-pack your aircraft, go ahead, but I feel like less people would want to fly on your aircraft (and by less, I mean nobody). 

 

Last year I was on a few planes real life that I couldnt get my legs in. Sardine cans.   And everyone flies on planes with no room between the seats. Its not like you get to look before you buy your ticket. And change your mind. When you board the plane.  I few on a United Embraer jet.  That was the tightest seats I flew on in my life.  A Chinese 777 that had 59 rows of 9 seats. Except for the rows in the  middle part where the toilets and galley is.  I counted them. It was unbelievable. And they had baby baskets attached to the walls.    And a 737- 400 that was the same as the Embraer, but the seats are wider.  I measured one plane at 29 inches. Another at 27. Another premium economy plane at 31 or 32. That was actualy nice.  And yea. I take a plastic tape measure on board.  Theres only so much you can do cooped up in a plane. 

[dieseltu]

Another note: If you look at the seating configs of the big airlines in-game, they tend to be something inhumane like 7F/45C/290Y on a DC-10 for a total of 342 seats on an aircraft certified up to 380. I don't know if many people know here know much about seats on aircraft, but that works out to stupidly low pitch, in the low 20s if my guessing is correct. For comparison, Ryanair has 30" pitch on their aircraft. Ryanair. Given this, I don't think anybody outside of some crack-pot, ex-Soviet republic would fly on an aircraft with that little room between seats in the cabin. My point being, if you want to sardine-pack your aircraft, go ahead, but I feel like less people would want to fly on your aircraft (and by less, I mean nobody). 

 

Last year I was on a few planes real life that I couldnt get my legs in. Sardine cans.   And everyone flies on planes with no room between the seats. Its not like you get to look before you buy your ticket. And change your mind. When you board the plane.  I few on a United Embraer jet.  That was the tightest seats I flew on in my life.  A Chinese 777 that had 59 rows of 9 seats. Except for the rows in the  middle part where the toilets and galley is.  I counted them. It was unbelievable. And they had baby baskets attached to the walls.    And a 737- 400 that was the same as the Embraer, but the seats are wider.  I measured one plane at 29 inches. Another at 27. Another premium economy plane at 31 or 32. That was actualy nice.  And yea. I take a plastic tape measure on board.  Theres only so much you can do cooped up in a plane. 

[mxax-ai]

That's a subjective "sardine can", while AE configs are more like "cut-your-legs-off-to-fit-in-the-seat-thight".
Actually, 59 rows of 9 seats across would exceed the 777's passenger limit of 550 PAX. (And that's the bigger version.) Looking at Air China's seat maps, I can see their 777-200s having a last row with the numer "59", which correlates to your statement, but not really having 59 rows in the aircraft. This is because of the row count always skipping a few when changing the classes (e. g. F ends on 2, C starts with 11). These 777s have 310 seats with a pitch of 32'' in Y, which is generous compared to some charter airlines.
Regarding your other point, you do have a choice. You can browse the internet in advance to find seating configs and pitch and choose your flight according to your preferences.