Coco you've hit the nail on the head.They can all talk about aircraft types and what is suitable for what but the new players just don't realise how the system works and it will be the old players who are familiar with the region and can adapt to change who will come out the other end. It has got nothing to do with money and might and more to do with local knowledge and contacts.
The way to survive is to be lean and mean , accept the good and the bad and just get on with surviving until the next opportunity arises.