The 2.5 Freqeuncy rule

[Commercial Air Services]

Hi I'm new here and slightly confused as to the 2.5 frequency rule. Please excuse my ignorance.

So the rule is I'm only allowed 2.5 frequencies on any given route right? Is that only per aircraft or 2.5 per route? Is it possible to have two aircraft each doing 2.5 frequencies on the same route. Or for another example, on a long 15 hour flight per say, the aircraft can only do a 0.5 frequency, may I then go and add another four aircraft on that route each doing a 0.5 frequency bringing the total frequencies up to 2.5?

[1993matias]

Hi there and welcome to the forums.

The rule is to avoid misuse of aircraft, as 0.5 routes are slightly more profitable per flight hour than other frequencies. You shouldn't worry too much about the rule though, because aircraft can no more fly more than two .5 routes per base each.
You should note that the .5 rule covers all routes with a half frequency (e.g. 0.5, 1.5, 5.5, 12.5) - just to be clear and free of misunderstandings here.

I hope this answered your question

[Commercial Air Services]

  Hahaha! Okay no... now I'm even more confused.

Lets try something else in the form of three questions that will put my mind at ease even should I not get it:

What is the 2.5 Frequency rule and how exactly does it work?

Is the rule applicable per route or per aircraft?

Lastly... is it possible for me to inadvertently brake the rule and be fined or penalized or am I restricted by drop down menus etc. ensuring no braking of the rule ever occurs?

I'm sorry its just an odd concept to wrap my head around... especially if you take in account some of the major routes like JFK - LAX, LHR - CDG etc. that all have tens if not hundreds of frequencies a day, sometimes even by the same aircraft. For instance Mango Airlines or Kulula flying between Durban, Cape Town & Johannesburg in South Africa see the same aircraft doing as much as four frequencies a day on a route? Especially the low cost airlines with their short turn around times. If their is demand for more why not?

[1993matias]

Hahaha! Okay no... now I'm even more confused.

Lets try something else in the form of three questions that will put my mind at ease even should I not get it:

What is the 2.5 Frequency rule and how exactly does it work?

  A maximum of 2 *.5 frequency flights are allowed in a route.

Is the rule applicable per route or per aircraft?

This specific rule applies to routes, but the built-in limitation is to avoid unrealistic usage of aircraft (i.e. same aircraft flying A->B, A->C, A->D ... etc. on the same day with no return flight).

Lastly... is it possible for me to inadvertently brake the rule and be fined or penalized or am I restricted by drop down menus etc. ensuring no braking of the rule ever occurs?

If you are caught breaking the rule, you will get a penalty, but we haven't had one of these cases for a long time.

I'm sorry its just an odd concept to wrap my head around... especially if you take in account some of the major routes like JFK - LAX, LHR - CDG etc. that all have tens if not hundreds of frequencies a day, sometimes even by the same aircraft. For instance Mango Airlines or Kulula flying between Durban, Cape Town & Johannesburg in South Africa see the same aircraft doing as much as four frequencies a day on a route? Especially the low cost airlines with their short turn around times. If their is demand for more why not?

Don't worry, AM is not the easiest game out there. Imagine a month with 24 days? Anyway, the restriction of .5 routes means you are not allowed to fly more than two 0.5/1.5/2.5/3.5 etc. per route. This does not include 1,2,3,4,5 etc, so feel free to fly routes with frequencies you find pleasing.

But now I think more about it, you shouldn't really worry about this rule, as it states "two *.5 frequency flights per route" - as long as you only operate one aircraft per route, this shouldn't be a problem.

I hope this clarified the issue. Sorry if it's still incomprehensible, it is very early in the morning here

[Commercial Air Services]

That will do  Thanks a bunch.