Originally Posted by
old,not bold
SNIP
So while it's very likely that you'll get the aircraft type and seat you expected, it ain't guaranteed, whatever they may tell you. You'll only know when you walk down the airbridge and see what's attached to the other end of it.
Yes, I know that. I also know that I may book a flight with one airline and then discover that it is actually operated as a code share by a company I wouldn't dream of flying with if I had a choice. But unless a company hides the fact that it has a fleet of, say, 737-MAX aircraft (or, as it might have been, DC-10s when they were having a bad time) they'll still suffer resistance at the point of booking, if it should happen that potential passengers take an aversion to a particular type. As to how much impact equipment has on passenger choice, I don't know, but airlines often put a bit of money into advertising when they get a new type, so they presumably think there's some effect. I guess it's different for long haul than for short range, low cost, airlines.