The question is - how much more would you, and the rest of the travelling public, be prepared to pay in higher fares for the privilege of flying in an aircraft that has spent longer on the ground and less time in the air, and therefore has significantly less revenue-earning potential ?
There's the problem. Unlike most of today's younger (than me) generation, I don't focus purely on price. I always believe in a fair price for a fair deal. In my life time fares have gone from one extreme (extortionate) to the other extreme (ridiculous) and consequently standards have followed suit. Never mind no free booze/food/checked bags, sardine-like seat pitch and all that, but at the very least be on bloody time! If I take Eurowings as mentioned above, what's the point of me forking out for their €1100-1400 so-called "Business Class" fare to BHX only to suffer the same outrageous delays as the €120-250 fares at the back? Punctuality is not a standard to be ignored!