For those wanting to get rid of first class...

[Brer boy]

There have been a couple threads here lately about getting rid of first class, (I think the idea was so people have more room). Anyway, Midwest Express was mentioned several times so I thought it was time to bring people to speed on ME. We fly ME often (it's our local airline) and I belong to their frequent flyer program. But there are two recent developments: First, they are considering doing away with their novel two-seat/extra room philosophy because.. Second point: They are bleeding money. Their stock price is getting hit bad. So when people ask for more room, no first class, etc, think out the math in economics: you will pay more, a lot more, because first class subsidizes your coach fare. If you want to pay more for room, buy first class tickets. I hope none of you are the same who prowl the Budget Board looking to save $1 on a character meal.

 

[Dan Murphy]

I go out of my way to fly MWE. Best Care in the Sky. Hope it stays that way.

 

[sgtdisney]

You have to consider the math. Consider this, an airline sells 4 first class seats on a round trip flight for 1000.00 each making a total of 4000.00 in revenue for a r/t ticket. Now, the coach seats that everyone covets sell for 200.00 round trip. (Even less lately.) Now the airline would have to sell 20 seats at 200.00 each to equal the amount that they would have generated on the First Class seats. On a single aisle aircraft like a 737 or 757, four First class seats is only 1 row. Now imagine trying to squeeze in 20 seats at 6 accross in the same space that those 4 FC seats. There is a market for first class seats, albeit a small one but it does help to cover the cost of the flight. Ideally an airplane would have have a wide pitch throughout the entire plane and wider seats at the same price as today. I seriously doubt that would happen, especially now when almost all the airlines are reporting losses.

 

[MermaidMom]

oh please don't change, Midwest Express!! It's the only airline I can acutally say I LIKE...all the other ones I tolerate and use out of necessity. I hope they stay in business. I get nervous when I'm on their flights out of Omaha that are only 1/2 to 3/4 full.

I agree with the math on First Class...keep it and let me keep my cheap airfare in coach. Even if they got rid of it they would squeeze as many seats as possible in so I don't think we'd notice any difference.

 

[Beverly Lynn]

midwest express is doing just fine. I still get my monthly employee newsletter.....they just need to expand a little more and to fly from pit to mco on them I would have to fly into Milwaukee which isn't convenient for me. they have been tossing the idea around of having more flights from pit instead of 2 a day. midwest is very good to their employees too. if htey had another hub instead of just milwaukee it might be better for them.

 

[Brer boy]

Midwest Express isn't doing just fine, and I doubt their employee newsletter would give realistic figures anyway. I go more by the local paper The Milwaukee Journal Sentinal for news about ME. Last month their largest shareholder sold all his holdings because he saw a poor earnings future for ME. Their stock is at just under $20 from a high of 36 three years ago. One of their problems? Declining business travelers, the same ones who subsidize the coach fares. You are right Beverly, when you talk about a new hub. There is a good chance they will leave Milwaukee. Thanks for putting the math in Sgt. Disney, that gives an accurate account of how it works.