22 replies to this topic

[iquit]

The purpose of this guide is to provide a baseline strategy for newbies to get a profitable airline up and running so he can proceed to explore further features himself. This is not a magic's secret finally revealed guide. As the name implies, this guide tries to use as many default settings as possible. Unlike other tips from most players, it will not try to compensate for fundamental mistakes with various dirty tricks like scam IFS or pay cut.

 

1. Find a regular world (R*) that has been running for approximately 20 years, almost all worlds at this stage have old airlines abandoned at faster rate than new airlines created.

2. Before creating your airline, look at the ranking page. click the drop down menu besides "Filter by Home Country" button. Your starting country should NOT be listed there, meaning you will be the only airline in your country.

3. Pick any starting aircraft (almost all starting aircraft should work well) and the capitol airport of your starting country.

4. Go to "Buy Used Aircraft" and lease as many aircraft of the same type with your starting aircraft as your cash allows.

5. Go to "Browse Airports" and search with max PAX range and min runway length of your starting aircraft.

6. Go though each destination with at least a free gate starting from top downward, fill the route with total capacity close to its demand IF AND ONLY IF nobody else is flying that route.

7. Repeat 6 until your starting aircraft+all used aircraft you leased are fully utilized.

8. Log out and come back the next day (or whenever you have time), repeat step 4 onward.

[SWMcCaig]

Thank you for the tips. Seems very straight-forward and easy to understand, just the way I like it!

[TNT88]

I've been doing it since i started, problem is, lots of airport ran out of gates, this usually happen to mid-size airport, such as OSL, LIS, TXL, GVA, ZRH, MXP, VCE, HEL, LED, and most South American countries major airports, the smaller one would be worse, so gate limitations is something to consider because you can't build terminals in other countries too

[iquit]

Thank you for the tips. Seems very straight-forward and easy to understand, just the way I like it!

Glad that it helps!

 

I've been doing it since i started, problem is, lots of airport ran out of gates, this usually happen to mid-size airport, such as OSL, LIS, TXL, GVA, ZRH, MXP, VCE, HEL, LED, and most South American countries major airports, the smaller one would be worse, so gate limitations is something to consider because you can't build terminals in other countries too

Which is why I wrote "destinations with at least a free gate" instead of "your favorite destinations". If you followed exactly what's written above, you would be flying to TLV, MEM, DMK, BJV, PNR, VVO, PLW, LBB instead of OSL, LIS, TXL, GVA, ZRH, MXP, VCE, HEL, LED, etc.

[TNT88]

Glad that it helps!

 

Which is why I wrote "destinations with at least a free gate" instead of "your favorite destinations". If you followed exactly what's written above, you would be flying to TLV, MEM, DMK, BJV, PNR, VVO, PLW, LBB instead of OSL, LIS, TXL, GVA, ZRH, MXP, VCE, HEL, LED, etc.

I just try to explain it more detail, but yeah, those airport you told me, apart from VVO, usually ran out pretty quickly too, depending on do the world have several airlines in that country, usually Russia, Brazil, and Turkey have at least 1 big Airline like us, so they would likely to ended up using all the gates in those area

[iquit]

Oh, I am not suggesting which airports you should fly to. Just want to make it clear that someone folloing the guide exactly will not face your problem as long as they don't do it your way.

[TNT88]

Oh, I am not suggesting which airports you should fly to. Just want to make it clear that someone folloing the guide exactly will not face your problem as long as they don't do it your way.

But I always do it your way....

[Northern]

I would probably say the new player guide is allot more helpful than this and is more comprehensive and in depth

http://www.airline-e...our-first-a-r14

[TNT88]

I would probably say the new player guide is allot more helpful than this and is more comprehensive and in depth

http://www.airline-e...our-first-a-r14

I think this is more like a strategy for a newbie, not basic guide to play like the tutorial

[iquit]

But I always do it your way....

#1 start in 20 year old world, you did not.

#2 start from an uncharted country, you did not.

#6 fly to next available airport, you want OSL, LIS, TXL, GVA, ZRH, MXP, VCE, HEL, LED

Leasing used aircraft alone does not make you do it my way.

Please do not confuse new players who read this thread.

[TNT88]

#1 start in 20 year old world, you did not.

#2 start from an uncharted country, you did not.

#6 fly to next available airport, you want OSL, LIS, TXL, GVA, ZRH, MXP, VCE, HEL, LED

Leasing used aircraft alone does not make you do it my way.

Please do not confuse new players who read this thread.

the only thing i don't do is numero #2

I start in S3-C when it's more than 20 years

And i fly to wherever airport that have free gate

[SWMcCaig]

By searching for airports within max PAYLOAD range, won't this limit you to only carry 2 or 3 passengers per flight? Seems like a waste of fuel.

[Mobeer]

By searching for airports within max PAYLOAD range, won't this limit you to only carry 2 or 3 passengers per flight? Seems like a waste of fuel.

 

No - quite the opposite, as this is the maximum PAYLOAD range, not the maximum range

[SWMcCaig]

Ah, I COMPLETELY read that the wrong way....my bad.

[iquit]

I reworded it to max pax range to minimize confusion.

[Alfrenzo]

Oh sure, no scam tactics or whatever *rolls eyes* - that seat density's so 'great' it fits sardines...

[ar157]

Personally, I believe that new players should be utilising the S4 world. Its cycle is much shorter and enables newbies to gain as much experience before they tackle the other game worlds. 

[bcrath]

My guide is as follows.

If you wan't to compete a lot(like me). Just note that major airports such as Gatwick and Frankfurt International will have oodles of passengers but also other airlines.

1. Start in either Europe or the US, 

2. Decide what aircraft you want to be the backbone of your fleet. If this aircraft is on the starting list, then select. If not, take smallest aircraft and immediately terminate.

3. Reduce all staff wages by whatever amount is deemed suitable. The defaults are too high for a start-up carrier.

4. Make an IFS system. This will greatly increase your profitability, depending on how expensive or cheap you make your meals, or whether you have just snacks or 3 course meals.

5. Lease more aircraft of your chosen type, for me, either the A319-100/LR or the Bombardier q400. The choice is yours,but these 2 are the most profitable in my LCC model from experience.

6. Once you lease an aircraft type, stick with it until you have at least 10 of them. Avoid flying to major airports with sub 70 seats aircraft, as these wont cover the gate lease. Even then, make sure it takes no more than 3 days to make up a gate lease cost with the routes out of the airports.

 

If you don't wan't to compete:

Original guide except:

being sole operator in your country.

1. Select a small aircraft, preferably with around 50 seats, maybe less if desired. The ATR 42 and Dash 8-300 are the best for this role, or the Bombardier q200 from the Dash 8 family can also be used. Bear in mind that the dash 8-300 costs only 2.3 million less than the q400, and exits production in 2009, but is much more economical than the ATR-42 because it was designed as a stretch, not a clean sheet design as the ATR-42 was. These aren't the only choices but are the best ones for profitability in secondary airports(ie. Luton instead of Heathrow).

2. Never fly to major airports such as Heathrow. 

3. Apply an IFS. It will greatly increase your profitability, and your reputation on routes.

[iquit]

This guide does NOT attempt to:

 

1. Replace other more basic guides. Players are expected to have completed S4 and familiarized themselves with the user interface. Now it is time for what they don't learn in S4 - surviving competition.

2. Force "your airline must be realistic" dogma onto new players. Defaults are kept for simplicity so players can focus on understanding the real issues instead of being distracted by minor contributors such as IFS, pay cut and fuel efficiency. Never the less, It may somehow prevent realism advocates who blame "only unrealistic airlines can be profitable" as an excuse for their own incompetence from passing this misconception to new players.

3. Neither does it tell you how to run a spamline. Racing for gates (which is unnecessary) is beyond the scope of this guide.

[Hake.]

We need a definition for spamline. And no one said realistic airlines aren't profitable.