MarkD
It may make money, but that doesn't make it a good aircraft.
Having positioned on the Q400 more times than I care to remember, I found it vibey, noisy, cramped and generally unpleasant. Not to mention the number of times I was delayed or had travel cancelled due to technical problems. I have also lost count of the number of times I got called off standby to rescue the pax from a dead Q400, in the trusty 146.
Often, on those positioning flights, I was engaged in conversation by pax (as I was wearing a uniform). Most of them considered it to be an old aircraft, and tolerated rather than enjoyed it. Some wouldn't believe me when I pointed out how old the aircraft actually were. Many though the 146 parked next door was the newer aircraft.
Flybe bought into the Q400 program at a time when they simply couldn't engage any other manufacturer in meaningful talks, as a result of their dire financial state at the time. Bombardier were desperate for a customer after a disasterous launch with SAS, where the aircraft was shown to be clearly not ready for the market. How many aircraft have required "remanufacturing" after a year's service?
In many ways, the two companies represented to each other the only hopes they had of continuing (flybe as an airline, and the Q400 as a program). If flybe hadn't ordered it, it would have been cancelled.
Flybe have since "talked it up" as being a wonderful aircraft - they had to. Not only to attract customers, but to justify their decision to buy it. You can tell by the way the Q400 boys and girls have all been lobotomised with the same "best thing since sliced bread" mantra.
I wouldn't travel in the thing unless it was the only option available. I suspect that if flybe were to honestly canvass the opinions of their customers, they would find that most would prefer a jet (even a 146). But of course the "customer satisfaction surveys" were only ever going to have one outcome.
It's got a nice flight deck, is no doubt nice to fly, but from a passenger perspective... no thanks.
Now watch all the Q400 drivers wade in with a staunch defense of their baby...
