Making It? Top Three Suggestions

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1

I’ve been a player for about two years.  I like the premise and implementation of the game, so I continue.  But this is a game I’m bad at as I can never really make it anywhere.  Most servers are now down to 200 or fewer players as I suppose the mechanices and lifetime of a server allows a few to dominate and it is about impossible to build anything up that is interesting (i.e. I don’t want to build my empire in Africa, etc.).

 

I am on Stapleton by the way.

 

Here’s the simple question:

 

Please reply to this post with your top three suggestions to a player in order to get past that first $10,000 and really get a network going.  Now, I’ve read almost everything available here, so I am not trying to get out of reading.  The purpose is, even if it is one of the obvious pieces of information that is always shared, please consider replying here and ranking your top three pieces of advice.

 

Just looking for any edge that let’s me build something beyond one or two aircraft that barely break even.  I’d like to build a proper airline just once in this game.

 

Thanks for your consideration.

2

Please reply to this post with your top three suggestions

Patience

A business-model that works

No long-haul at the beginning + no aircraft bigger than 737/A320/MD-80-size.

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Instant success: 40-seat Q400s, 80-seat Boeing 737-800s ;) :ph34r: .

3

Patience

A business-model that works

No long-haul at the beginning + no aircraft bigger than 737/A320/MD-80-size.

---

Instant success: 40-seat Q400s, 80-seat Boeing 737-800s ;) :ph34r: .

Thanks for the reply, your items number 1 and 3 make good sense to me. However, #2 is open to interpretation.  Would you be able to illustrate one or two examples of a working business model?

Your input is appreciated.

4

Would you be able to illustrate one or two examples of a working business model?

It´s highly individual. There is no pre-determined path for success (but many ways to collapse).

Personally, I like the way to secure market-shares in markets with high demand with attractive frequencies and a hub-and-spoke system. The development of a hub is (in most cases) very important. 

Some of my subsidiaries only work because they act as a feeder for my main company. However, my main airline also allows the smaller aircraft of subsidiaries to be filled-up with connecting passengers. So it´s a win-win-situation.

Look at all the airlines at look at their schedules, fleet and you can probably see the system behind it.

5

Find a niche market

Lease regional airplanes first (such as CRJs, Dash8s or EMBs)

Build a good hub-and-spoke system with 2 waves (e.g. east-west, west-east)

6

For existing game worlds

  • Find a vacant market (ie. big company just shut down)
  • Old planes while no competition, then upgrade to new in time
  • Hub/spoke/wave system

For new game world replace part one with

  • Find a decent size but not most popular market unless your a pro (ie. go for Stansted instead of Heathrow)
7

Start interlining, at the moment you have none. Open interlining contracts with airliners located at your open hub (copenhagen) but also in helsinki, oslo and stockholm. 

Do you have some descent seats and onboard services installed?

8

Thanks for the tips. I find I have to pay the staff high and set the amenities high to get a good rating to fill the seats.  However, when I do this, I make no money or break even.

9

1. Choose a country with a good domestic market (10 or more airports with 4 bars), but put your hub in the 2nd biggest city to avoid competition.

2. Start with turboprops - ATR or Dash400.

3. Don't even think about long range until the domestic market is working. Use ILs.

10

1. Don't be afraid to lease old aircraft. A 15 to 25 years old of aircraft was always okay. I've managed to start leasing newer aircraft in three weeks. Yes, maintenance cost will be high. But leasing rate, will be lower. It's the same.

2. Build a strong hub (not hubs). Make sure the flight will takeoff or land on that one airport you choose. Connect to all domestic and neighbor countries.

3. Give best on board service, raise the salary, and lower price. Charging less than 100% of the default price was also okay. I can get 30-35% profit margin on my first four weeks in Stapleton, in a crowded country, and a crowded neighbor countries, as long as you keep an eye on weak routes.

11

Funny enough you all tell to avoid long haul.

My most succesful airlines all began with long haul and lots of interlining. My biggest problem with that tactic is that after 4 months I normally get out competed, because all the slots are gone due to medium airlines taking them. In the end I get to a point where I need to look for another hub.

12

Funny enough you all tell to avoid long haul.

My most succesful airlines all began with long haul and lots of interlining. My biggest problem with that tactic is that after 4 months I normally get out competed, because all the slots are gone due to medium airlines taking them. In the end I get to a point where I need to look for another hub.

I think this highly depends on the country you chose and the time you entered the game. In general, I believe it will be much safer to run short routes first.

13

You can run long haul very profitably (especially with new pricing scheme that reduces C class profitability oon shrot and medium haul routes and increases C and F class and cargo profitability on long haul routes) on server start, such as Riem. Prime example are all the cargo airlines making hundreds of millions now.

My main experience is with existing servers, so I would say:

- If there is a major bankruptcy, this is your prime opportunity.

- Find substantial market with major airport (8-10 bar) with at least 50% slots availabe - yes there are many.

Use this to see what countries have the largest markets: http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/IS.AIR.PSGR

- It should be a country with at least 10+ domestic airports

- Get the cheapest 737/MD80 (cheap A320s are uslaly hard to find) - you can usually get 20 or more of them

- Use good seats, great onboard service, full flight attendants

** find the sweet point of price level (+/- over default) for each seat type in Y and C, this is a make-it-or-fail-it point **

- Go for wave system, even at the expense of maintenance ratio

- Build a crticall mass fast - with 20 used 737/MD80s you can schedule over 500 slots in a matter of hours.

- If you are in a large country with substantial domestic market and no or very little competition, schedule immediately instead of 3-days delay

- Keep adding cheap planes until you have 50+ aircraft and 50-100 million in cash, then create a new subsidiary from your main holding and transfer schedule plane by plane to new aircrafts, to boost image. of course you need to interline between the two companies

- Interline on all ends of your journey whenever possible

- Check load factors of your interline parner if they are running in 90+ LF they may not have space for your pax... maybe yes and maybe no, so you would need to check back those rutes later

14

Thanks, I gave up on two hubs in the years I’ve been here: ABQ and CPH, now I’m trying my luck at SEZ - I am the only airline in the country.