I am new to the game and have read a lot of posts on this forum along with watching some YouTube videos. I have created an airline in Otto: Egypt (Cairo) (Sphinx Airways) and have so far setup 3 routes CAI-HRG, CAI-SSH and CAI-LXR. I have 5 CRJ1000 NewGen and running 10 flights daily, 7 days a week to both HRG and SSH along with 4 flights to LXR. My flight times for HRG and SSH are identical but LXR has scattered times.
Now what I would like to know is do I have to try to schedule all of my Domestic flights to leave Cairo at the same time, thus creating a Domestic Wave or is a Wave only needed for International flights? My wave times for International flights will more than likely be 05:00 11:00 17:00 23:00. My Luxor flights are not as successful as my other 2 destinations and I just wondered if this was perhaps my Luxor flights are arriving in Cairo at a different time than my other 2 destinations.
Regarding your waves. If you have enough OD demand, then there's no need to use waves. Given your geographic location of CAI, you won't find any connecting passengers between LXR and HRG, as the indirect route is so much longer. Probably the same for SSH. So for these destinations, it won't make much of a difference.
Obviously, you want to have some sort of waves for other destinations, where you actually can get connecting passengers.
Since you are in a new world, take as much as possible from the domestic air market. Be strong.
Slowly, open your routes to other domestic and international destinations (usually wikipedia and flightradar24 are your best friends). Perhaps Alexandria should be your next domestic route? maybe Jeddah your first international route?
Regarding your waves. If you have enough OD demand, then there's no need to use waves. Given your geographic location of CAI, you won't find any connecting passengers between LXR and HRG, as the indirect route is so much longer. Probably the same for SSH. So for these destinations, it won't make much of a difference.
Obviously, you want to have some sort of waves for other destinations, where you actually can get connecting passengers.
Thank you for your advice.
Hi Nonleague!
Since you are in a new world, take as much as possible from the domestic air market. Be strong.
Slowly, open your routes to other domestic and international destinations (usually wikipedia and flightradar24 are your best friends). Perhaps Alexandria should be your next domestic route? maybe Jeddah your first international route?
Good luck!
Hi Tobsw! Yeah Jeddah was going to be my first International destination along with Beirut. I had a plan to completely dominate the Domestic market first, before starting my first International flight, but would this be the way to go, or perhaps should I include let's say Jeddah and Beirut after adding 4-5 daily flights to Aswan.
I was planning to increase CAI-HRG and CAI-SHH from 10 daily flights each way to 15-20 daily flights and completely dominate the market on the main 2 destinations. What are your thoughts?
I would go for waves even with domestic routes. Makes it easier when you start international routes and need (or want) waves later in the game.
Thanks highscore2, I think that's what I will start to look to do now so that I will have it all setup for those 4 wave times I mentioned earlier.
With 10 daily flights, there will always be a possible connection, so you don't need to worry too much about it. Definitely try to sync every new route though, and try to have the first wave heading one direction and second wave in the opposite direction (eg, Northwest then Southeast) to maximise connecting pax.
Due to the structure of this game type, I'd suggest the opposite to the others. I see the competitive side of short-term game worlds as a growth competition, and thus will base my response on this tactic.
You want to earn as much money as you can by minimising costs (through using efficient aircraft, 100-110% maintenance) and maximising profits (if people buy your tickets, increase the price!). You also need to focus on your profit margin, and longer routes are the foundation for this (due to less time on the ground per hour in the air). By using smaller aircraft (like the CR1/A220/SU9), you can minimise losses for a failed route, and can increase your fleet later on to larger and more efficient aircraft. Also, flying to more destinations is a good way to put feelers out for profitable routes with many connecting passengers to domestic destinations, and will help you to select which routes to increase service to and which to drop early on.
Monitor the Market Analysis vigorously to see what your competitors are doing. like the others said, check FlightRadar24 and see if there is an opportunity that zero or one competitor is flying to with full aircraft and break their monopoly, and try to set a price close to theirs. If your aircraft isn't full, drop the price immediately because you can't afford to wait!
You're playing a catching up game now, so you need to make sure every decision you make is better than theirs and you'll be fine!
It depends. Waves waste time, so you loose money. In my experience, a schedule without waves safes 10-20% time, and you can produce at 5-10% lower costs.
If you have more than 5 flights per day and route, there is always a connection, without waves. If you have difficulties to fill 5 planes a day, waves may be the solution.
It’s not the same to have a 60 or 90 minute connection as it is to have 4 or 5 hour connection. During low AGEX you will be hard pressed to fill 5 hour connections.
It's not the same to have a 60 or 90 minute connection as it is to have 4 or 5 hour connection. During low AGEX you will be hard pressed to fill 5 hour connections.
Sorry, I don't understand what you mean. Could you elaborate on this please and also what is AGEX? Thanks
Your maximum connection time is 8 hours. The more time your connecting flight takes (A to B via X) the lower your flight rating. Especially on times of low AGEX, when passenger flow is reduced, your lower flight rating (because of long connection) will egt you much fewer passengers than you would otherwise have with a tight connection.
Your maximum connection time is 8 hours. The more time your connecting flight takes (A to B via X) the lower your flight rating. Especially on times of low AGEX, when passenger flow is reduced, your lower flight rating (because of long connection) will egt you much fewer passengers than you would otherwise have with a tight connection.
It's not the same to have a 60 or 90 minute connection as it is to have 4 or 5 hour connection. During low AGEX you will be hard pressed to fill 5 hour connections.
Of course its "not the same". But without waves you save a lot of money, and can offer lower prices. And you get connecting passengers: In Europe, I have 30% connecting passengers, without any wave.
I think it really depends on the situation - don´t take waves as a religion.
Only 30%? With a good wave system you can get up to +70% of connecting passengers easily.
And of course it does influence cost, unless all airports you are flying to have the exact same distance from your hub. Or how do you schedule airport A that is 800km away and airport B that is 1,050km away? You forcibly must have a longer ground time on Airport A (or B, depending on how you plan your waves).
Again - it is very much possible to schedule with waves and have the same flight time as without waves. I am not loosing time - either I use the longer ground time for maintenance or I add another wave or whatever. This depends very much on the market but certainly, I do not loose money because of waves.
I didn't want to state a top professional's values, but something mere mortals can achieve ;)
I don't think it's actually that hard if you have a division based in a low demand hub with a completely wave system. I have one division with 95% connection and one with 90% connection.
