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Controversial but here goes.
If anyone looks at, give or take, the last 100 posts under the "Suggestions and Feature Requests" forum, there are all kinds of brilliant ideas and suggestions which would truly improve the game in many ways. But there are many flaws.
The suggestion which I personally have an issue with is "the removal of Spam airlines".
Personally for me, were spam airlines removed, it wouldn't act as a major convincing feature to continue to play AE.
The point is, is that AE is a game. Each kind of airline, whether trying to follow realistic configs, flying times, prices etc, are different.
And this is the point.
People complain a lot about spam airlines, and they, more often than not, have a negative effect for those who try to have a realistic airline in-game. Yet many forget that even though spam lines seem to be a plague they actually encourage the development of the game.
In real life, if Ryanair and other LCC had never existed, traditional airlines such as Alitalia, British Airways, Iberia, KLM, AIr France etc, would have never been forced to adapt. Alitalia is/has declared bankruptcy, BA and Iberia all adapted their price structure, and KLM and AirFrance all tried creating a low-cost alternative which ended in Bankruptcy.
Real life passengers who would have never been able to fly normally want cheaper flights because it's more convenient as a passenger to pay less for a flight, suffer hardship while flying yet be able to go for the wkend to a city for 30 euros return. In real life, flights from, say Madrid to any major European destination for 20 euros is possible; I've done it. The hours are horrible (super early/late departures/arrivals) and the whole experience is borderline EU Human rights abuses, but spending your wkend in Berlin or any other European city makes it worthwhile. And in AE, while 90% of the time not done on purpose, this is what spam lines are achieving; revolutionizing the game. If in-game you find flights from Stanstead to Paris Orly for 55 each way in the economy; many forget that it IRL, this is the case. Often, it can be even cheaper for 15 euros return.
Remember, Iberia and BA, owned by IAG were forced to adapt. BA now offers hang-luggage only options which are similar to Ryanair prices. BA now charges for food/drinks on its Economy Europe flights. The fact that what is referred to as "traditional airlines" do what many airlines in AE who are following traditional airline models are trying to achieve shows why Spamlines force AE players to adapt.
While AE players don't have the ability to change ticket prices based on whether hold luggage is allowed or not etc, which IRL airlines do. Shorthaul flights are becoming cheaper. Fuel costs go down, aeroplanes becoming more efficient etc. In AE, players who try to play realistic airlines are always at a disadvantage, just like real life traditional airlines are at. Many people would rather pay less, go to a different airport than gain OneWorld or SkyTeam miles for their holiday.
And the argument above demonstrates that while spam-lines in real life are unrealistic, they force traditional airlines in AE to adapt similarly to how Ryanair, EasyJet, Norwegian etc forced traditional European airlines to adapt.
Spam lines, at least within Europe in realistic worlds after the EU Open Skies agreement flourish. But they adapt, and to follow suit players who try to play traditional airlines have to adapt just as real-life traditional airlines were forced to.
A main principle of economics is that, when faced with competition within a certain product, such as ticket fares; both of two things can occur. Prices can fall, or development can occur as to make what was previously believed to be impossible occur.
Obviously, spam airlines in AE take this too far. If STN-DUB has total demand for 1100 pax per day, Ryanair would never flood the market with 3,000 seats per day. Yet, LCC would raise the total demand for flights from STN-DUB. Flying, at least within Europe (which is the market I know and have grown to love), is complicated. But if a pax IRL, with no intention of flying for the wkend finds return flights to Berlin for 20 euros on an LCC, if they have the money, will often take the deal. This creates demand. What has allowed Ryanair and other LCC to boost their growth has been the creation of new markets, and this is what spam lines do in AE.
They create demand.
Many will see this as controversial. But as someone who operates all kinds of airlines; I currently run a realistic Aerolineas Argentinas in R6, a LCC in both O1 and R5 and a First/Business only airline in O1; I know my fair share of the different running of airlines.
So whats my suggestion and feature?
That people stop demanding that spam-lines get their own world. We get it; they're annoying, cutting into your profits and making it harder to expand, grow and maintain your image as a traditional airline. Yet, in real life LCC did the same against traditional airlines. But at the same time, they make the game. AE wouldn't be the same with a newbie offering 7,000 daily pax from LHR to CDG, yet its a similar pattern to what LCC did with flying and Walmart did to expand its business. Offer such low prices that people fly with you, forget about their miles but prefer spending less than trying to reach a certain level in a loyalty programme.
This is contreversial, but I think that I can find a certain amount of support from people within AE who will on some level; agree with me.
Nonetheless, I am willing to defend my argument.
Regards,
LATAM
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My point is: The spammers don't make the game fun, they make it IMPOSSIBLE. I'm usually pushed out of big coutries with my universal and other full-service airlines because of these thingies, and they really don't make it fun at all for me.
