Our first flight just left!

Again, I defer to Mike Boyd and his crew of analysts. They say you're wrong, from a macro point of view. Of course, there were true believers at FlyI until the day the doors closed, too.

Hope that Delta 'rumor' pans out for you.

And, BTW, I commute from one of your new "out" stations. Xjet failed to entice the company they wanted to outsource the ground ops to, causing a scramble to get someone to handle your jets. Doesn't sound to well-thought out to me.
 
Yeah... MB is always right... I see where you are coming from now... ;)

The Delta "flying" is not a rumor... just the "new" livery is. Just to clarify.

As to your last statement... that's business. It happens in all facets of all industries. I'm certain the company has simply gone to their 2nd choice... the airline hasn't fallen apart due to a first choice of an outsourced ground ops contract falling through.

You do know that things like ground handling & such at all airlines are contracts that come and go... due to service, contractual, and other business/service related issues, right?

Bob
 
So what does it cost to charter one of the aqua fresh planes per hour? Say Austin to Vegas round trip?
 
JayAre said:
So what does it cost to charter one of the aqua fresh planes per hour? Say Austin to Vegas round trip?
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From www.xjet.com :)
Consider a Charter Flight

To ensure that your group gets there together every time, check out our charter options. Our charter flights can save you time and money. With 15 different 50-seat aircraft, our rotation of charter jets gets you there with style and efficiency—but without all the hassle associated with conventional airline travel.
Hold meetings on the run, luxuriate in plush leather seating and a full-service bar or just enjoy the peace of mind that comes with a little privacy.

Pairing Comfort with Competence

Anyone can give you cushy seats and cocktails. The real question is: Who can give you peace of mind? All of our corporate aviation flights deliver a:
  • Variety of planes meeting some of the industry’s most stringent quality and maintenance standards
  • Capacity ranging from one customer to 50 depending on your needs and itinerary
  • Good night’s sleep knowing you’ll get there on time
Have a question about ExpressJet’s charter services? Learn more at www.xjtcorporateaviation.com or call 877.958.CORP (958.2677).
Click to expand...
 
The bottom line to this Expressjet branded flying (and ALL other airlines out there) is this.....

NO ONE knows that it is going to work or it is not, only time will tell. We can ALL argue till we are blue in the face if what they are trying to do will be a bust or a success and cite past examples on BOTH sides why it will fail or pass.

Who the heck knows? Yeah there are a TON of obstacles out there and they are facing a BIG uphill battle, but you have to have chest hair in this industry to try new things. If that new thing succeeds, things at XJET will be great. If it doesn't then things most likely won't be, simple as that.
 
Seggy said:
The bottom line to this Expressjet branded flying (and ALL other airlines out there) is this.....

NO ONE knows that it is going to work or it is not, only time will tell. We can ALL argue till we are blue in the face if what they are trying to do will be a bust or a success and cite past examples on BOTH sides why it will fail or pass.
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Hey, all I said was Xjet was looking for markets for 44 underutilized jets. Then, I got accused of "negativism". Then, I cited the source for my information.

After which, Capt. Bob jumped in with the Xjet side of the story.

All I know is you can make a pretty convincing case that there WAS excess capacity based on the additional flights Xjet threw into markets where they never were before. And the Boyd article affirmed that.

Only time will tell if Xjet can woo enough passengers to make it work. I'll remain skeptical. If Xjet is still in my local market in 5 years, I'll be astonished. If they're still here in 2 years, I'll be merely surprised.
 
Velocipede said:
Hey, all I said was Xjet was looking for markets for 44 underutilized jets. Then, I got accused of "negativism". Then, I cited the source for my information.

After which, Capt. Bob jumped in with the Xjet side of the story.

All I know is you can make a pretty convincing case that there WAS excess capacity based on the additional flights Xjet threw into markets where they never were before. And the Boyd article affirmed that.

Only time will tell if Xjet can woo enough passengers to make it work. I'll remain skeptical. If Xjet is still in my local market in 5 years, I'll be astonished. If they're still here in 2 years, I'll be merely surprised.
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Oh, no I don't think that you were negative. You did state the facts on your side of the issue. Like you I am skeptical of what they are trying to do, however, I REALLY want them to flourish under this idea, I have a lot of friends there and would HATE to see them suffer or out on the street.

The bottom line is we can all make arguments for both sides of the case, if they will fail or if it will work. Only time will tell!
 
The "throwing" flights into markets where there never was any before... is actually a strong part of our business plan. Bascially... providing service to communities that are too small to entice the majors... yet large enough to support an RJ.

It's been said by our CEO in open conference calls with the Pilot Group that we will continue to be flexible and fluid as we go along. He stated that he is "certain" that some market pairs may very well not work and thus cause us to re-evaluate those routes... while at the same time... we are already seeing market pairs where we will need to beef up service soon by adding more flights.

So basically... we may very well not be in your market in 2-5 years... and yet... we may still be very successful.

The fact is... that Pilots are a skeptical bunch by nature. Even our own pilot group is. That's why I state that we are looking at this with "cautious optimism". The things that have kept us motivated are a strong management team actually keeping us in the loop, and knowing that we personally will have a hand in the new "Service" that we are providing.

As negative as we can be by nature... the fact that we are actually flying our own customers around and that we personally will have a direct impact on their impressions of us... is what has kept the pride and positive outlook alive for us. That... and a good product, good amenities, cool paint, and what appears to be a workable business plan.

That being said... we aren't blind to the fact that it can all end overnight. But yeah... the kool-aid is good right now on day 1... and the defensive shield went up when a statement like:
Velocipede said:
Is that one of the fillers they scheduled for the 44 planes that have nothing to do?
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came out in our "inaugural" thread.

No hard feelings... but... that's our side of it.... well... my side anyways... :)

Bob
 
Captain_Bob said:
The "throwing" flights into markets where there never was any before... is actually a strong part of our business plan. Bascially... providing service to communities that are too small to entice the majors... yet large enough to support an RJ.
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Good idea, PROVIDED, there isn't an alternative. In the market I'm most familiar with, all Xjet is providing is non-stop service. In an RJ. Neither of which will wean away customers from their local favorite mileage plan.

It's been said by our CEO in open conference calls with the Pilot Group that we will continue to be flixible and fluid as we go along. He stated that he is "certain" that some market pairs may very well not work and thus cause us to re-evaluate those routes...
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In other words, he's using underutilized jets to "explore" markets that may not pan out. You don't do that with fully a fully utilized fleet. That's because ALL your airplanes are out making money in your established route system. You're not the only carrier doing that, BTW. Horizon lost its Frontier Express contract and is doing the very same thing with the 10 jets they had committed to Denver.

Its that underutilization that was a the heart of my intial point. You've got 44 jets that the CEO is trying his darndest to find pax for. No need to get defensive. That's his job. Try to fill the jets.

However, if he can't, the alternative is to park them in the desert alongside FlyI's planes and furlough pilots. That's the reality of the RJ business. They cost too much to operate and you can't recover the operating costs moving only 50 passengers. Why do you think the Ejet is becoming so popular? Because airlines are trying to convince everybody that an Ejet is an RJ so they can pay RJ wages to fly a 100 seat airliner. So far, jetBlue is the most successful at that scheme.

So basically... we may very well not be in your market in 2-5 years... and yet... we may still be very successful.
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Maybe, maybe not. Losing the United label killed FlyI. Hopefully, Xjet won't meet the same demise. However, right now, you're pursuing the same "business plan" that put FlyI away. Good luck with that.

As negative as we can be by nature... the fact that we are actually flying our own customers around and that we personally will have a direct impact on their impressions of us... is what has kept the pride and positive outlook alive for us.
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Exactly the same thing FlyI guys thought. "We'll just soldier on in the RJs until the Airbus gets here." Unfortunately, the money ran out before the bus arrived. Its good to keep a positive attitude, but if Xjet starts having huge fare sales to fill seats, you're again mimicking FlyI. Lots of hoopla when it started. Lots of hope. Lots of favorable press coverage in the new markets.

In the end, lots of unemployed pilots and flight attendents. Keep an eye out for the warning signs.

Whatever the end result, good luck.
 
Indy's plan was to run a HUB alongside a major's fortress hub.

XJT's plan is to have a few focus cities, ONT, SAT, SMF and run a lot of point to point flights.

The only similarity between the plans is the size of the jet. Thats it.
 
OldTownPilot said:
XJT's plan is to have a few focus cities, ONT, SAT, SMF and run a lot of point to point flights. The only similarity between the plans is the size of the jet. Thats it.
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That doesn't address either the economics of attempting to run an RJ airline (a significant factor in the FlyI debacle) OR the lack of O/D traffic out of those cities. Especially when you consider those cities are also served by major airlines whose FF programs inspire great customer loyalty.
 
How many unique routes did Indy fly? It's an easy answer....ZERO.

Every route that XJT is starting was not served at the time of the announcement.
 
It's a NEW airline... how else are we going to find out if a market pair works without at least trying it. We have 44 jet's that will be utilized for the entire operation... and that includes finding new prospective market pairs. Nothing wrong with that.

In the business world... "Direct" means a lot. You can either spend several extra hours out of your day commuting out of your way to a hub and connecting or mis-connecting on your flights to get to your destination or back home... or... you can fly direct. Time is a premium... time = money for business or better QOL at home. We are betting folks would prefer to have that extra time for the same price fare.

The only thing similar to our business plan and FlyI is that we started our own brand. That's it. FlyI did it 100% no holds barred, come hell or high water it will have to work!... We are just using a small part of our fleet to get a feel for it while having the ability to fine tune it as we go along.

FlyI went into the same markets as their old "mother ship" and they were set up as a Hub/spoke structure. Not a good idea... a fare war with a major carrier in their own backyard who happened to be going to the SAME destinations... isn't something they could handle well for a long time along with oil prices rising astronimically back then.

We are not setting up as an LCC. We will be offering competitive rates with the Major's in the markets we are in. We don't want to pi** in anybody's backyard. The difference is... we will be charging the same price... for a "direct" flight. A flight with good meals, dollar beers, blankets, pillows, XM radio, comfy seats, no middle-row, gate side bag pick-up, and the knowledge you aren't being hearded into a packed 737 like cattle.

FlyI was waiting for the airbus... we are not. We fully intend to run this operation with the equipment we have. That will keep our costs down significantly... adding a fleet type will practically throw our cost structure out the window at this time and we know that.

Also... remember this... we are only utilizing 16% of out fleet to do this. Sure it's a gamble... but it's not a life or death gamble for XJT. There are other options for the jets besides parking them in the desert too... Overseas flying... leasing them out to other carriers... other RFP's... etc. You never know what will "pop" up (Jet Blue). Not all the options keep all the pilots flying... but they can still be profitable for the company.

Overall... I "get" what you are trying to say... but you are trying to say it by comparing us to an airline that there is really no comparison to. Take a look at FLYi's old route and cost structure then take a look at ours and you'll see that. But the analysts don't see that and they get everyone on the "Look what happened to FlyI!!" bandwagon. Lot's of these same analysts said that Delta would have been absorbed by another carrier... USAir and Northwest wouldn't be around after bankruptcy... and none of them predicted what America West did...

Well... what's wrong with "Look what happened to Southwest..." ;)
 
Big day at TUS yesterday with Xjet to ONT and SAT......wow....two flights on the first day.......balloons and cotton candy too........it was a big party at Gate 23!! I think that service out of TUS will be good for me because I go to ONT to work at least two times a month and will no longer need to drive to PHX to catch Southwest!! YEA!
 
Velocipede said:
Only time will tell if Xjet can woo enough passengers to make it work. I'll remain skeptical. If Xjet is still in my local market in 5 years, I'll be astonished. If they're still here in 2 years, I'll be merely surprised.
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You know...I heard those same exact words about JetBlue.
 
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