How to create acceptable image with old AC

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1

One of my companies on older servers has its secondary hub based at the airport with relatively short runway. The airport is currently being served by 735 BGW. I also have some MD-87s which I would like to replace because of relatively high(er) operating cost than 735. While MD-87s are still profitable on the route, I am trying to drop one maintenance category (MDs). I have looked into 737-200 Adv (HK) and it can operate from the airport the same way as 735 BGW can. It is slightly less profitable than 735 BGW but more profitable than MD87.

Now the problem is that this aircraft has a three-red-bar appeal (negative) which along with the old age (4 red bars) make the overall image of the flight negative by two red bars. I got one of these 732 birds to play with it and see how to set it up, but so far I have been unable to create a flight with a positive overall image for the flight.

I was testing on a 25 y/o 732, so not "that" old. But a 25 y/o MD87 has positive pax appeal, making the overall flight rating green (positive) in spite of aircraft age. But I am stuck with the red bars for the 732.

Does anybody have any suggestion on how to use 732 and have positive (at least one green bar) image for the flight booked on 732? (Please no suggestions to use more modern aircraft that fits the runway, while I could use 736 or E195 there, I do not want).

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I had an airline running with 737 classic mostly around 20 years old. Although the 737 classic has 3 green bars with passenger rating you should do well enough if you assign additional FA's, raise your staff mood with higher salary (at least temporarily) and maintain a good plane condition. Should offset a little especially if you keep the 735.

Other than that I never understood what image does. I started said airline with modern planes and had an image of around 50. Little by little I switched to 737 classic reducing my image to around 15. It did not matter. Transfer PAX ratio well above 75% with a load factor around 95% to 98% with only standard seats on european routes and leisure seats for atlantic long haul in Eco. Business had recliner shorthaul and recliner longhaul respectivley. Just to give you a picture  :)

EDIT: I had no interlinings except one in Canada.

3

Again I spent 5 minutes writing and everything is lost when iposted from the phone...

4

OK, so back to a "real" keyboard...and  type this again:

@forexlive

From my experience, image matters somewhat.

For example, each flight's overall image reflects upon company's general image for the class of service (economy, business, first, cargo) which can be visualize din the company's info page. If the flight overall image is negative, it as negative impact on the general image, and vice versa, if the overall image for a particular flight is positive, it has positive impact on the general image (of the class of service).

For example, one of my airlines has a negative general image of almost -20, caused by several weeks of flying old seat configs and bad staff mood caused by underpaid staff (5 red bars, ouch). This negative general image results in two (2) points ORS lower rating for all flights, as compared to a fresh new startup flying the same route, the same plane, with the same service and same price, and with zero (0) general image.

So if you have a positive image of 20, I guess you have 2 ORS points in your favor which could technically allow you to increase prices by 2%-4% depending on seat type without affecting the ORS. So image matters, yes, in the long run negative general image will hurt you ... so I try to get at least one green bar of positive image (even if it doe snot grow quickly, at least it will not go negative).

With a 737 classic (733, 735, etc.) my overall flight image is green (positive) because there is only one negative item in rating - aircraft age.

But with the mentioned 737-200, I do what I do, but flight rating shows me 2 red bars as overall image for the particular flight booked on this 737-200... there are two negative factors, aircraft age, and aircraft type (pax preference).

So does anybody has any idea how to achieve overall positive image on a flight booked on an old 732?

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So does anybody has any idea how to achieve overall positive image on a flight booked on an old 732?

As you might know, I am not looking at the image of my companies but it is my hobby to operate classic ("old") aircraft. My major concern is to allow a profitable operation with such aircraft. Happy passengers are nice but it is far more important to archive profitability.

My AS-experience shows that the 737-200 is a rather "easy" aircraft when it comes to age and difficulty. It took much more time for me to allow a profitable ops of the BAC One-Eleven, Fokker F28, Tu-154M, Douglas DC-8, and DC-9-10.