Originally Posted by
Australopithecus
The other only problem with that is the Boeing offer is the snakebitten Max. Who really wants to operate a 1965 piece of crap in 2045? Not a huuuuge fan of the Airbus, but it beats the 737 by any metric except training costs. Which would likely be offset by ground handling savings in 8-10 years. Not many pilots are giddy with excitement to go from a 320 to a 737.
The A321 NEO has no Boeing equivalent anymore (757). The current thinking on the NMA aircraft is a revamped 767-400, despite the lack of a suitable engine. Boeing bet the company with the 787, lost the bet, and were then unable to make a new narrowbody. It looks like the resulting 737 Max debacle will in turn render them unable to make any wholly new type for a very long time, if ever.
Sorry, the "only problem with that is the snakebitten Max"... I thought I was saying go for the A320 or A321 or a mix. i.e. I believe I was agreeing with you...