Hypothetical: If you were to start an airline, what would you do?

Revenge

Revenge

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It's good to see Bonza doing seemingly well in the Australian market with their rather different business model.

It got me thinking, it could make an interesting thread for the experts here. If you were to start an airline, what would you do differentiate?

Apologies if this has been asked before, (I couldn't find it). So let's hear your airline idea!

I'll go first:

Airline name: Australis International
Concept: Low-cost narrowbody international with a premium offering, think Zipair but narrowbody. Lie flat business class seats up front in a 1-1 configuration like SQ has on 737MAX or like AA has in First on their Transcon A321's.
Fleet: A321XLR
Main Hub: OK this is a crazy idea but how about OOL? It's a well-connected, affordable airport with good facilities. Also a strong holiday destination for visitors from abroad.
Launch Destinations: HNL and BKK (yes, they are within range for the A321XLR)
Airline Partners: Hawaiian, EVA Air, Virgin Australia. HA for connections from HNL across the US to facilitate trans-Pacific traffic. EVA Air has a hub in Bangkok, with connections to several cities Europe, including LHR. This would allow a one-stop connection from Australia to Europe. VA for Australian connections.
Ancillary revenue: Frequent flyer program with banking partners. People will spend big to earn points to fly flat internationally.
 
Interesting proposal Mr @Revenge ... I was going to suggest something similar.
J is the cash-cow, is it not? Despite lower passenger numbers?
So could an airline survive by offering all-J, and even do it at a lower fare than the majors?
 
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Revenge said:
Airline name: Australis International
Concept: Low-cost narrowbody international with a premium offering, think Zipair but narrowbody. Lie flat business class seats up front in a 1-1 configuration like SQ has on 737MAX or like AA has in First on their Transcon A321's.
Click to expand...

1701343230472.png

Ready for boarding.
 
Hvr said:
I've heard that you can make a small fortune running an air line.

Apparently the secret is to start with a large fortune. ✈️
Click to expand...
The secret to becoming a millionaire. Start with a Billion dollars and then launch an airline.
 
I was going to mention but @Hvr beat me to it.

The secret to running a successful airline is to have a lot of money.
 
Forg said:
Interesting proposal Mr @Revenge ... I was going to suggest something similar.
J is the cash-cow, is it not? Despite lower passenger numbers?
So could an airline survive by offering all-J, and even do it at a lower fare than the majors?
Click to expand...

Remember OzJet, the all 'business' class airline. I had to search around to remember the name as well.
 
Hvr said:
I've heard that you can make a small fortune running an air line.

Apparently the secret is to start with a large fortune. ✈️
Click to expand...
Saved me posting this, which was my first thought.
 
Guvner said:
Lifted from a google search so can’t take credit.
Click to expand...
Oh I thought you made it! I was wondering why it was a 737 and not an A321. It looks like my idea is not very original. I guess I should have googled it before deciding on a name.
 
Not to rain on your (hypothetical) parade but EVA air being Taiwan based wouldn't fly Aus-BKK without going via Taoyuan unless there was some 5th freedom discussion right? But Aus-Taipei with a connection on EVA to Europe would make sense. Or even Starlux as another new airline?
 
HirafuHeartAttack said:
Not to rain on your (hypothetical) parade but EVA air being Taiwan based wouldn't fly Aus-BKK without going via Taoyuan unless there was some 5th freedom discussion right? But Aus-Taipei with a connection on EVA to Europe would make sense. Or even Starlux as another new airline?
Click to expand...
I think you misunderstood. The new Australian-based airline would fly to Bangkok, and coordinate schedules and ticketing with EVA Air for their flights from their Bangkok focus city to Europe (specifically the nonstop services to LHR, VIE and AMS).
 
Very interesting question, @Revenge.

My first thought was to start an ultra low-cost airline offering flights from pretty much every Australian city to Bali. But in reality, there isn't really any more available capacity for Australian airlines to service Bali/Indonesia (under the current Air Services Agreement) so that wouldn't really work.

My second thought would be to start an airline based in Perth with flights to/from all the major Australian centres which are timed to offer good connections beyond Perth to destinations like JNB, CPT, CMB, MLE, BOM, DEL, BKK, IST, ATH and other places with demand that aren't really served currently with direct flights from Perth. Perhaps with a fleet of A321XLRs with lie-flat J and Y seating (for the domestic stuff and the closer international destinations), as well as a few 787s (also with Y and lie-flat J) for the longer-haul places like JNB and IST. (Perhaps this airline could pick up a few cheap second-hand 787s from Bamboo Airways? ;) )
 

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