8 replies to this topic

[Avelo]

What's the difference between major airlines and niche airlines? Feel free to comment below :-)

[Chubby Bear]

Major airline are like Singapore airlines, Emirates etc. Niche perhaps like Air Tahiti Nui or even smaller and fly to more remote places.

[TNT88]

Niche airlines are losers.

[CNW]

Well, as far as I am concerned, I separate them along the criteria listed below. Note that the airline doesn't have to fulfill all of them and conversely

 

Major airlines

- Large fleets (often 100+ aircraft)

- Large APSM & RPSM

- Bases and hubs are major airports

- Significant market share in those airports

- Often a flag carrier

 

Niche airlines

- Small fleet (30 at most)

- Flights often at an ad-hoc basis (i.e. charters)

- Secondary routes and airports, often regional and/or seasonal ones

- If they fly to a major airport at all, the market share there is low (less than 1%, often orders of magnitude lower)

 

As far as gameplay in IE goes, it is a matter of playstyle - roleplaying (yes, it exists) or a self-imposed challenge.

[SirMoo]

 

Major airlines

- Large fleets (often 100+ aircraft)

- Often a flag carrier

 

Niche airlines

- Small fleet (30 at most)

 

And what are airlines between 31-99 aircraft?

[TNT88]

And what are airlines between 31-99 aircraft?

Regional power.

[AlfehC]

So what would you call airlines line Virgin Atlantic, jetBlue?

[TNT88]

So what would you call airlines line Virgin Atlantic, jetBlue?

Depends, virgin was like medium-low income airlines and jetblue was like smart people airlines.

[SirMoo]

So what would you call airlines line Virgin Atlantic, jetBlue?

Niche in my view. They target very specific audiences. Alaskan and Hawaiian would fall in there too.