I am having trouble starting in the established old worlds. It seems that all the slots at the larger airports are filled and there are literally certain days where I cannot have the flights I want. Any suggestions on this?
establish some routes to alternative destinations
Yes, build your airline, and keep an eye out for slots on those major hubs. Usually, every couple of weeks, because of some airline rescheduling etc, a daily slot will open up.
Or just simply avoid the major airports for now..most airports are fully booked..so just build your network on smaller airports that way when the bigger airports open up..you are going to be very happy !!