Dan Webb on Aviation
A few people let me know that the poll wasn’t working. Apparently, having the poll twice on the homepage (in the post and on the sidebar) causes some issues. It was very weird for me as the poll worked in IE7 but did not in Firefox.
Anyway, feel free to vote away in the sidebar!
I figured it would be a good time for a new poll, considering the old one (Southwest’s next city) is out of date now that Boston has been announced.
The Bombardier CSeries got a boost last week when Lufthansa ordered 30 aircraft (plus 30 options) for its Swiss subsidiary. In terms of seats, the two CSeries variants fit snugly between the larger E-Jets and the smaller members of the 737 and A320 families. I was wondering if the aircraft will have any success here in the States.
I think one important aspect is who will fly it. Is it a regional or mainline aircraft? Having it as a regional aircraft would bring down labor costs, but it seems unlikely that many unions would change their scope clauses to accommodate it. US Airways operated the E190 as mainline, and aircraft only seats 99.
The CSeries C100 and C300 (image from Bombardier)
Personally, I see the CSeries being a good bargaining chip for some airlines. Threatening to order a large number of CSeries aircraft could motivate Boeing and Airbus to get going on replacements for the 737 and A320. At the same time, I do think some airlines would like to use the CSeries to replace the older 737s and A320s, as the CSeries will be available earlier.
So, what do you think?
Well, it’s certainly been awhile since I’ve last posted a poll, so why not make a new one? And why not have two Southwest posts in a row? 
A few days ago, a thread was started in the Southwest forum on FlyerTalk that had part of an article that quoted Gary Kelly saying Southwest might move into another major airport in 2009 (in addition to MSP and LGA). So, here are four candidates that I’ve heard – ATL, BOS, CLT, and CVG. Which do you think is most likely? And if you think it will be an airport other than those four, feel free to leave it in the comments.
What will be Southwest's next major airport?
Total Voters: 152
Loading ...There’s a good debate going on in the Southwest forum on FlyerTalk right now – Will Southwest Win the Fee vs. No Fee War? As I’m sure all of you know, Southwest has decided to not follow all the other airlines in adding fees for checked bags and other items. Some seem to be wondering if that will be effective in attracting passengers. So, time for a poll I think!
Do you compare airline fees before booking a ticket?
Total Voters: 58
Loading ...Happy voting!
Time for another reader poll!
Thanks for voting in the first one. Most voters believed foreign airlines should be able to own more of United States airlines, but disagreed on how much. Some believed in a 49% limit, while others thought foreigners should be able to hold the majority. Anyways…
The past few weeks the idea of regulation has been bounced around again to try to solve the industry’s problems. On the other hand, though, some still think there is still too much regulation. For example, some may think that some of the airlines were allowed to stay in bankruptcy too long. Had they been allowed to go out of a business, we might not be having the same capacity problems we are today.
I’ve mentioned regulation before here and here. Evan Sparks has lots of good commentary on the issue on his blog.
So, what do you think? Should the industry be like it was before 1978? Well here’s poll #2…
Do you compare airline fees before booking a ticket?
Total Voters: 58
Loading ...Feel free to vote and share your thoughts in the comments.
Welcome to the inaugural reader poll at danwebb.us! (Cue confetti) I plan to do a few of these every month.
Foreign investment in United States airlines has always been an issue. Remember how much trouble Virgin America had in its infancy? There were many concerns about the airline’s connections to the other Virgin Group airlines. Lufthansa’s purchase of a large amount of JetBlue shares brought up the issue again.
Last week the Chairman of British Airways said in an interview said that the United States should be more open to foreign investment in airlines. Right now foreigners can hold only 25% of an airlines’ stock. For comparison, the EU also has a limit; non EU-investors can hold a maximum of 49% of the stock.
Raising the limit is certainly an option to consider. Foreign investment can potentially help the nation’s economy get back on track, and this limit, designed to protect airlines, could actually hurt them in the long run. What do you think? Feel free to vote and explain your opinion in the comments!
Sorry, there are no polls available at the moment.
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