New Airline, Request Advice

[Manhattan]

Airline ID: 37601 - East River Airways
World ID: 1217
Current world year: 13 July 1962
Current bases: KLGA - New York LaGuardia
DOC: 244,645
Forum code: Airline Mogul - See my airline
Goals: I want to create a competitive regional airline based out of KLGA and use this airline mostly as a learning experience.  I do not care so much for being top ranked.  Don't ask why, but after I form a solid base in the East (NY, PA, NJ, MA, OH, MD, VA, NC, SC), I want to establish longer range routes to cities in CO, NE, KS, MO, OK, IA, and MN.

I just started today.  I have one aircraft, the Nord, doing 7 routes out of KLGA.  It is profitable, but I don't know what to do with all of the empty slots - most of the routes are only 1 frequency. OLD INFO.  SEE UPDATE.

What should my next move be?  I think I should lease a slightly larger aircraft to fly out to OH, MD, and VA.  Don't know when this will be though.  What should I do with the extra gate space?

I have experience in airline strategy games - I played Airline Empires from its inception for a few years before it just got crazy and chaotic.  Wanted to try this out.

UPDATE 14 JULY 1962

Now have 2 aircraft, both Nords, serving 20 destinations in the NE.  Still have not tapped into Boston.

[CHR]

For the forum code, go to the View Airline page (to get there look yourself up under rankings) and it is up the top on the right side column.

Regarding slots and frequencies, it is much more profitable to run single frequencies. Don't worry if you have spare slots, they don't cost much relative to other costs for most of the game. If you create a second base near by, you can use more your extra slots, but don't run multi frequencies to fill slots. In short, don't worry about spare slots.

Next I would lease some small aircraft and fly to the airports nearest your base, don't expand to longer routes early on because they simply don't make as much money.

[Manhattan]

Will do.  I think my next purchase will be something that will go to New England destinations then.  Is it worth it to go into a large airport like Boston?  So far the largest airport I fly into (besides my hub, LGA) is Buffalo.  Otherwise my next aircraft would fly into Philadelphia, Boston, and Pittsburgh.  Maybe Toronto or Montreal as well.

[Manhattan]

UPDATED.

[pseudoswede]

Why not fly to JFK, EWR, ACY, ISP, HPN, TEB? You could pretty much fly to all of those airports in the same time you're doing LGA-PWM.

[Manhattan]

Why would anyone fly from LGA to JFK, EWR, ISP, TB?     Can you really do that in this game?  Because that is absolutely absurd in real life.  Is it even profitable?

I already have a route to ACY, by the way.

[CHR]

Basically, when planning routes, shortest is usually best - regardless of whether they are small or not. A large airport may make 2 or 3 times the profit if you are lucky.

[dan408]

Utilising airports has always worked best for me. So having two or three bases which will then allow you to fly to your rented gates multiple times allowing you to generate greater profits for your airline. Then next thing I would suggest which has already been mentioned is that you only operate 1 frequency flights between airports as the more frequently you fly that route the lower the price and the lower the profit is for that route.
Also operating out of secondary choice airports, will see less competition and still allow you to make a nice profit each month. This option is usally best used if your a small airline facing fierce competition from larger airlines at more popular airports