Kittiewake: All you say sounds reasonable except the pax hating the emb. Did you know that they actually provide 2" more seat pitch than the bus? It's only downfall is the "valet service".
Also as far as killing a route, how do explain the Hanover? The word is that it's one of the best performing routes on the network, very high yields. Didn't work for a long time on a bus.
Well actually that's not true, even on the 144Y 319's we have a 30'seat pitch, the EMB's have a 29' seat pitch and a hell of a LOT less elbow room, I have operated as cabin crew on both the 'bus and EMB, so I think I'm pretty well placed to decide which is more comfortable for our pax! lol Also taking into consideration the noise of the EMB (do I really need to point out the 'accoustic curtain' at 1L or the two large whirly things at the back..engines) and also the hideously erratic temperature in the cabin, i.e. freezing at the front and tropical at the back.
The reason the LHR-HAJ route earns very good revenues is pretty easy to figure out, we have no competitors on the route even though it has reasonable business traffic and we can pretty much charge what we want as it's too thin for anybody else to take on, and if you've ever spoken to your average HAJ passenger then you'd realise they're pretty unhappy with the EMB. I not deliberately EMB bashing here, they have their place, however operating from LHR with these beasts is commercial suicide.