Is it better for airlines to run a 4 x 2 service or a 7 x 1 service on their lower yield routes?

[flee 5]

Since it is the slow news season, I thought I should bring up this topic of discussion. As we know, MH has yield problems on routes like KUL-BNE and KUL-ACK

 

This has left me wondering of MH should operate:

 

1. Daily flights once a day at the same departure and arrival times on all frequencies
2. Daily flights once a day at different departure and arrival times for some days
3. Four times a week service but with two flights on those days of service, at different time slots

Which pattern of service do you think is more appealing to travellers?

 

When I travel for holidays, I prefer to arrive in the early afternoon so that I can check in to the hotel on arrival. I also hate red eye outbound flights. For the return flight, I don't mind red eye flights provided they arrive in KUL later than 5 am.

 

When travelling on business, I don't mind arriving in the evening so that I can catch a good nite's sleep before the meetings first thing in the morning... But most business travellers prefer to arrive first thing in the morning and start the day off with their meetings. I guess its either you pay more for sleeping on the plane, or pay more for sleeping in the hotel!

 

Please offer your views...

 

Happy New Year, 2014!

[Johan Z 0]

One thing I noticed with some European airlines, especially LH is the lack of daily service to some important destinations, for example to LAX, MEX, SIN and BKK, all 5 times weekly from FRA. As LH is the major airline in German and the only German airline operating from these routes, I was quite surprised. The demand must be there, but rather than wasting money operating daily flight, they just operate on weekdays when demand is at the highest.

 

So, I am not sure with the opinion an airline should have a daily connection for business travellers.

[drfattah87 0]

my opinion, they are afraid of losing much money as these is long haul route.

if there are low loading factor, easily make the company loss.

just my thinking.

[KK Lee 5]

One thing I noticed with some European airlines, especially LH is the lack of daily service to some important destinations, for example to LAX, MEX, SIN and BKK, all 5 times weekly from FRA. As LH is the major airline in German and the only German airline operating from these routes, I was quite surprised. The demand must be there, but rather than wasting money operating daily flight, they just operate on weekdays when demand is at the highest.

 

So, I am not sure with the opinion an airline should have a daily connection for business travellers.

 

LH778 FRA-SIN, LH498 FRA-MEX and LH456 FRA-LAX are daily as per LH timetable. On FRA-BKK, LH is code share with TG.

[Johan Z 0]

I just checked LH website for next week operation, LH778 is indeed daily. LH456 is not, but one can transfer through MUC on Sun.

LH498 is not always daily, next week for example it is not operating on Mon.

 

As mentioned in other thread, KUL-FRA is not daily, but one of the profitable routes for MH.

 

I guess non-daily different time slots are not much a headache for passengers, but maybe MH ground crew, especially if the crew only work for MH.

[affendi osman 0]

Asian generally, they want new planes, widebodies, awesome IFE, decent seat pitch, generous food at a very low price.
So...IMHO, as long as it fits these criteria, the flight will survive.

[KK Lee 5]

I guess non-daily different time slots are not much a headache for passengers, but maybe MH ground crew, especially if the crew only work for MH.

Given everything else equal, if MH serves 6 days a week, MH potential pax is about 5/7 total numbers available. Likewise, if serve 5 days a week, potential pax is only 4/7 of total available. Normally, high yield pax schedule is inflexible. It is not hard to see why non daily frequency is low yield.

[Azman MN 1]

got to be daily. People have various reasons to want to travel on one day and return on another day. School holidays, work commitments, etc. For me a route would only work if you have minimum of 5 weekly. Less than that, you will lose to competition even if the competition is more expensive.