A quote from the VP of Marketing and Planning at Horizon Airlines.
Despite some initial concern about customer acceptance of the Q400 turboprop,
"from the customers' point of view, it has been very well received," Zachwieja
said. "It's roomy, with a 33-inch seat pitch, it's comfortable and it's fast.
It's the best ride in our fleet today." He also noted that the Q400 goes
head-to-head with Southwest Airlines (NYSE:LUV) in some markets that are 250 to
300 miles, and does well.
Further to that, according to a report in Flight International on the RAA Convention a few months ago, Horizon is not only doing well against LUV with the Q400, but is actually taking share from them in some of those markets.
Why? Because in those markets the breakeven Load Factor for the Q400 is somewhere aroud .79 @ $40 or so per seat (it's been a while since I read the article so the numbers might be a little off, but that's the ballpark figure).
Customers dislike Turboprops because of bad marketing and poor product. B1900 and Jestreams are good airplanes but provide a very poor product for sensitive human cargo. The Dash 8/100/200/300 is no B1900 or Jetstream and it provides a superior product(when the aircraft are at least cleaned and maintained to stop the trim rattling, anyway). The Q400 is in a different league entirely.
The Q400 provides a passenger product that far surpasses all of these aircraft and the ERJ135/145 CRJ200/700 Type, with financials that blow any of them away. On segments up to 500nm it can match any ERJ or CRJ or Boeing or Airbus, up to 1000nm it loses a bit on the block but the comfort element will certainly make up the difference if the alternative is the ERJ pencil size compartment.
Customers already gripe and moan about the tiny regional jets and how small and uncomfortable the cabin is. Nowadays, just about every passenger is concerned with the lowest fare, which is far more important to them than the type of aircraft they are on. If you fly them LGA-FLL on a B747 they'd still gripe about the airplane. Give them a Q400 LGA-FLL @ $60 one-way with a large cabin, a first-class section and performance numbers that match the RJ's with the comforts of a B737 and make a killing on the east coast, because no other airline will be able to offer a lower fare and still breakeven.
A golden opportunity is being missed here. Hell, I think I'll go to my Bank Manager and see if I can start an airline with Q400s. The first ad will be "Don't be fooled by the engines, this is the most modern and technically advanced airplane in the World". The next "Did you know that the Boeing 777 you are riding on is a propeller airplane? They just put a mask over the propeller so you don't see it."
Then "All Seats, All flights $60. New York to Florida at a price you like."
Why doesn't someone have the vision to see the difference between fatal marketing and poor product. Then, take an airplane with outstanding financials and performance, market it properly and give Southwest, JetBlue and AirTran some real competition.
Despite some initial concern about customer acceptance of the Q400 turboprop,
"from the customers' point of view, it has been very well received," Zachwieja
said. "It's roomy, with a 33-inch seat pitch, it's comfortable and it's fast.
It's the best ride in our fleet today." He also noted that the Q400 goes
head-to-head with Southwest Airlines (NYSE:LUV) in some markets that are 250 to
300 miles, and does well.
Further to that, according to a report in Flight International on the RAA Convention a few months ago, Horizon is not only doing well against LUV with the Q400, but is actually taking share from them in some of those markets.
Why? Because in those markets the breakeven Load Factor for the Q400 is somewhere aroud .79 @ $40 or so per seat (it's been a while since I read the article so the numbers might be a little off, but that's the ballpark figure).
Customers dislike Turboprops because of bad marketing and poor product. B1900 and Jestreams are good airplanes but provide a very poor product for sensitive human cargo. The Dash 8/100/200/300 is no B1900 or Jetstream and it provides a superior product(when the aircraft are at least cleaned and maintained to stop the trim rattling, anyway). The Q400 is in a different league entirely.
The Q400 provides a passenger product that far surpasses all of these aircraft and the ERJ135/145 CRJ200/700 Type, with financials that blow any of them away. On segments up to 500nm it can match any ERJ or CRJ or Boeing or Airbus, up to 1000nm it loses a bit on the block but the comfort element will certainly make up the difference if the alternative is the ERJ pencil size compartment.
Customers already gripe and moan about the tiny regional jets and how small and uncomfortable the cabin is. Nowadays, just about every passenger is concerned with the lowest fare, which is far more important to them than the type of aircraft they are on. If you fly them LGA-FLL on a B747 they'd still gripe about the airplane. Give them a Q400 LGA-FLL @ $60 one-way with a large cabin, a first-class section and performance numbers that match the RJ's with the comforts of a B737 and make a killing on the east coast, because no other airline will be able to offer a lower fare and still breakeven.
A golden opportunity is being missed here. Hell, I think I'll go to my Bank Manager and see if I can start an airline with Q400s. The first ad will be "Don't be fooled by the engines, this is the most modern and technically advanced airplane in the World". The next "Did you know that the Boeing 777 you are riding on is a propeller airplane? They just put a mask over the propeller so you don't see it."
Then "All Seats, All flights $60. New York to Florida at a price you like."
Why doesn't someone have the vision to see the difference between fatal marketing and poor product. Then, take an airplane with outstanding financials and performance, market it properly and give Southwest, JetBlue and AirTran some real competition.
It's a fact of life. To the average passenger (especially the type found looking for $60 LGA-FLL fares,) a propeller airplane is antiquated technology and they want no part of it.
