In a message dated 8/12/2003 10:25:21 AM Pacific Daylight Time, BraniffIntl@xxxxxxx writes: << The A319 means no guessing whether you'll make it westbound with full pax, fuel and baggage...that's one of the advantages Cactus has over JetBlue. The other is flying to the major airports (LAX & SFO) as opposed to OAK, ONT or LGB. But then again maybe the satellite TV on B6 makes up for going to LGB! I just don't understand HP's 3/01/04 start date for BOS to SFO service...way too much time for someone else to start the route and pre-empt the position. A320s fly all the time coast to coast, with no problem, so I don't think that is the issue. According to Airbus, the range of the plane is something like 5400 KM, and that is more than enough to do any route in the continental US. Even if there are strong winds, B6 can always use 8000 feet of the 10500 runway at LGB and say piss off to the wind. The airport is at sea level, remember? A lot of people like LGB for the same reasons as BUR. It is easy, fast, and has cheap parking. The one thing BUR has over LGB, for me anyway, is proximity. LGB, however, is currently pulling from SNA and the southbay, which it is closer to than LAX. Also, people flying to JFK and IAD are more than willing to do the extra 30 minutes to get there and have TV. Soooooooo now that AmWest is flying coast to coast with their buses, what does the future look like for their long of tooth B757s? (anyone remember the SNA-JFK Cactus had years ago?) Parker and Co may want to consider going all Bus and increasing frequencies on B757 routes to carry the extra fannies. Plus they could say hasta la vista to their B737s (some of which are ancient hushed 200s). Talk about fleet commonality and $avings! Just a thought. >> I agree here. I think the 757s are great planes, and HP showed their confidence by not picking up A321s. The 733s can get good money on the used market or keep on as efficient hub feeders for a few more years, but the 732s need to head to Marana or to some bush carrier in South America.