Posted Apr 29, 2016, 4:44 PM
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Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Portland
Posts: 2,072
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Very cool! Sounds like Alaska / Horizon is buying these E175 jets, which basically look like a mini Boeing 737, to serve "long, thin" routes... destinations that are too far for the Q400 prop planes, but too small to fill a 737. One of the motivations is to compete with Delta in Seattle, who is aggressively expanding and trying to eat into Alaska's dominant market share. Delta has only jets, which passengers prefer, for its regional service rather than prop planes like Alaska. The bonus for PDX in all this would be more direct flights on these long/thin routes using the E175, rather than using turbo props to Seattle to make a transfer first. Alaska does use Bombardier jets for smaller flights already, but the E175 apparently has a wider, longer cabin. Sounds like Eugene is an example of a city that'll see these E175s from Seattle in place of turbo props... Alaska/Horizon will save $ on these routes with shorter flying times.
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