There is more than just fuel and passengers that go into a long range flight. Often called the "Long Thin Routes". In comparison is the meaty end of flying with the single aisle going from one mega city to another at around 500 miles. Los Angeles to San Francisco is an example. It could be called a commuter flight leaving one air terminal in fifteen minute increments during morning hours, and returning later in the afternoon at the same pace every fifteen minutes, until evening closes. Those are South West or Alaska Airlines territory.
However, United Airline will soon have eight of the ten longest flying routes for US carriers such Delta and American airlines, who have not mastered the art of going long as well as United has accomplished.
So what is United Airlines secret for making a long thin route successful?
- The first metric up is hard work with its crew working seventeen demanding hours with its passengers.
- Next is right sizing the passenger load for the market, fuel requirements for long range flights.
- United made the 787-9 seat limit at 252 seats optimally matching its long thin routes.
- Ticket Price must be competitive but having a profit margin. It must sell all its seats to work!
- The route/market must be developed at destinations. It must have a symbiotic travel pairing.
- Bottom line, airline reputation nurtured at both ends.
This is a starting point list and not end-all marketing for which United Airlines has developed. To be successful on a risky venture having a limited passenger opportunity, especially on long thin routes, increases the risks significantly for failure. United has tasked itself for understanding every phase of travel for profit. The crew must maintain a customer efficiency over a 17 hour journey. It too gets tired and exhausted on long work shifts so it must have crew who will relay in and out during a long trip. This will achieve several goals. Having the smallest number of crew members doing more on the journey with its passengers. It may rotate the ships compliment in and out service during four hour segments. It also may rotate crew members in a layered approach. Every hour up to two crew members may retire for a four hour rest period. The layering effect would achieve a goal of less crew giving better service.
Competition comes into play on this next item. A route must have revenue generated for its profits and a lower ticket price must be balanced against the seats available. Passengers are kilograms and weight kills any fight's duration. The luggage extended food service and extra crew can cut miles out of a targeted. The United goal is selling the most tickets at the lowest price going the farthest. A computer model may give United an optimal answer for a trip complexity. If a competing airline can do it on less ticket price it would certainly would like to how it can do it.
A target for United on its 787-9 is 252 seats going long. It optimized its airplane type for the task. The seat count draws a line in the sand for weight fuel and distance. The other factor is load. An oft used term which assigns a metric for loading an airplane with passengers at both end of its routes. If an airline has two hundred and fifty-two seats going 8,500 miles it can do it comfortably when selling out every seat. The airline seeks a 100% load factor in its operation. When an airline only sells 210 seats in this case it is only a 83% of filled seats for what it can do. The load factor would be 83% over time if it averages 210 seats sold each time. United would have a metric on averaging what one passenger would weigh, luggage and supplies expended causing a fuel consumption of "X" amount per passenger going 8,500 miles during its seventeen hours of travel. The seat price is also determined by all these factors.
The fuel load would be reduced with a 83% load factor, thus reducing the fuel required for the flight. It becomes a very scientific measure when calculating wind and weather. Its harder to fly in hotter weather or with headwinds as it would burn more fuel. This becomes an inexact forecast as weather can change mid flight.
The ticket price takes all things into consideration and it becomes the make or break element in an airlines profitability. A whole separate discussion would not be enough as it would take a fat book explaining what it "all" entails. Passengers seem to always seek the cheapest price for its own purpose. Going 8,500 miles will cost more per seat than just going 500 miles. Passengers understand that distance cost relationship. Competition drives prices downward, thus making airline margins as thin as a route. A thin route is considered a route where fewer potential customers exists for its segment. United in this case must fill an airplane's 252 seats reaching optimal profitability. If the performance of its business case measures a loss at a 85% load factor, then its margin for profit stops at 214 tickets sold with its the seat prices offered. It must generate customers at both ends with robust marketing and form a culture of United customers.
Patrick Quayle, United’s vice president of international network emphasizes the details of operating efficiency.
It is important developing a destination common denominator half a world away. People in China have different expectations than people in Denver, Colorado. The plan is to cater to every culture associated with an origin or destination and this requires a ground force working within that cultural environment. A symbiotic relationship builds the route. Details with the respective cultures are what drives a successful effort at both ends. Making sure an airline is in tune with a culturally diverse population is the key to an airlines success and key to filling seats.
The competition starts with an airlines reputation and that intrinsic value can erode away with one passenger tossed off an airplane in front of cameras A top to bottom training of its employees for dealing with its varied customers, is a difficult task. Every customer is an unknown on how they will react with the airline or its other traveling passengers.
An investment on long thin routes has a little margin to mess it up with its diverse passenger base. A reputation of trust becomes an invaluable condition. Once an airline has established trust with its passengers it will be able to fill 252 seats each time.
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