That issue on the 737 being vastly inferior to the A320 family...

[SomedayTrijet]

Why does Westjet then have an order for Boeing 737-700, very few 737-800. Source:  http://www.westjet.com/pdf/ourFleet/fleetpdf_en.pdf

He said most of the LCCs. Westjet is an exception. It is a fact that LCCs tends to go for bigger aircraft than before. Easyjet are ordering more A320s instead of A319s. Cebu Pacific and JetBlue has ordered A321NEO. Even Southwest has 738s on order. Allegiant has added 757s. Norwegian doesn't replace their 733s with 73Gs, but with 738s - The list goes on. WestJet is an exception.

[AirbusGuy350]

I don't feel that either aircraft is really completely inferior to another other wise one aircraft would have more the 75% of the orders in the 100-200 seat range. I do think however that the A320 is in better shape for a re-engine project because of the height off the ground and adding of winglets (which should have been earlier and will be offered as a retrofit and on new build A320's from 2012). I bet that we will see a huge amount of orders for the 737RE just as we saw for the NEO. Boeing and Airbus will still continue the monopoly they have on this sector although it will shrink with new aircraft like the CSeries and Comac C919.

I REALLY want to to see the CSeries takeoff and capture a good chunk of the market. GO BOMBARDIER!

[Virgin Serbia]

Whereas most LCCs would order the 737-700 or A319 in the past, nowadays they find the A320 and 737-800 more profitable.

Why does Westjet then have an order for Boeing 737-700, very few 737-800. Source:  http://www.westjet.com/pdf/ourFleet/fleetpdf_en.pdf

Because they are upsizing from the 737-600!

Anyways, Westjet hasn't ordered any planes since 2007 if i'm not mistaken. The trend with larger planes started when the oil prices peaked in 2008/2009, and the economic downturn ended.

[GPWestjet]

Whereas most LCCs would order the 737-700 or A319 in the past, nowadays they find the A320 and 737-800 more profitable.

Why does Westjet then have an order for Boeing 737-700, very few 737-800. Source:  http://www.westjet.com/pdf/ourFleet/fleetpdf_en.pdf

Because they are upsizing from the 737-600!

Anyways, Westjet hasn't ordered any planes since 2007 if i'm not mistaken. The trend with larger planes started when the oil prices peaked in 2008/2009, and the economic downturn ended.

But they still are keeping there 737-600, I think they might order some of the re-engines soon for replacement of there older ones, if Boeing actually launches it, as the board still needs to approve it.


List of airlines that I think will buy the 737RE:
WestJet
Southwest
Ryanair
Gol Transportes Aéreos
Qantas(Might)
Virgin Australia(Used to be Virgin Blue)
Norwegian Air Shuttle(a.k.a. Norwegian)
Flydubai(they have only Boeing 737-800s and have some on order, so possible that they could buy the re-engine variant)
Alaska Airlines
United Airlines(split order with airbus)
Delta airlines(Split with Bombardier)

[AirbusL1011]

Yes, i also think Virgin and Qantas will look into the new 737 to replace their old 'n aging 73X's.

[Virgin Serbia]

From what i've gathered from various sources, the 737RE will be inferior to the NEO. The 737 is too low to fit new large engines, therefore the RE will get a special variant of the LEAP-X with smaller compressor fans. This will increase fuel burn by 1%. Noise will also increase substantially.
Meanwhile the NEO will get as large (hence more efficient) engines as Airbus wants. The NEO will be improved over the existing A320 by getting blended winglets and a new wing/body fairing, as well as new lightweight alloys.

The 737RE is not going to be able to match that. The 737 already has the blended winglets. The engines will be inferior versions of the NEO's. Boeing can only depend on lighter alloys and the existing 1-2% superiority over the A320 to gain competitiveness.

Sadly, i think Boeing is going to be uncompetitive against the MC-21 and C-919. These are both new-builds, and should be more efficient than a re-engine of a 40 year old plane. Boeing is making the same mistake McDonnell Douglas made with the MD-90. They should make a new plane. 

But they still are keeping there 737-600, I think they might order some of the re-engines soon for replacement of there older ones, if Boeing actually launches it, as the board still needs to approve it.

Yes, but easy and Southwest are also keeping the A319/737-700 There is no reason to get rid of a slightly profitable, hard-to-sell plane if you still make a little bit of money with it. But when time comes to replace the 737-600s, i expect Westjet to either buy a smaller more optimised plane (C-series?) or a bigger more efficient plane (737-800X, 737-700X or A319NEO/A320NEO).
Future expansion and replacement will consist of bigger planes

[GPWestjet]

looks like the Boeing 737RE is getting a little more lift.

Alaska Airlines is looking into the Boeing 737RE:http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2011/07/21/359806/alaska-shows-interest-in-re-engined-737.html

The final configuration of the Boeing 737RE is down to 4 possible sizes:http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2011/07/20/359751/final-737-re-engine-configuration-down-to-four-possible-fan.html


I also wonder if the the comparisons between aircraft fuel efficiency also include Boeing's new 2% fuel burn improvement that is starting to come out.

[Virgin Serbia]

The NEO continues it's charge:

CIT firms up 50 A320NEO
http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2011/08/10/360578/cit-firms-up-order-for-50-a320neos.html

Cebu Pacific places order for 30 firm A321NEO
http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2011/08/08/360452/cebu-pacific-signs-firm-order-for-30-a321neos.html

In the past 7 days, Lufthansa also ordered 25 A320NEO and 5 A321NEO, and Garuda ordered 10 A320NEO.


So far the 737RE only has a commitment for 100 planes '


8994 737s have been ordered to date (since 1965 - 46 years), with some 6848 delivered. The backlog is at 2146.

7562 A320s have been ordered to date (since 1984 - 27 years), with some 4728 delivered. The backlog is at 2834.

[Cipher53]

Still say that there's something we probably don't know about what's going on..

[GPWestjet]

Sorry for the quote being below and being the entire thing as I am relying from my iPod.  

Boeing has only 100 orders because the 737 RE isn't even launched yet. The board of directors still have to approve it. After the launch it there will be lots of orders.

The NEO continues it's charge:

CIT firms up 50 A320NEO
http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2011/08/10/360578/cit-firms-up-order-for-50-a320neos.html

Cebu Pacific places order for 30 firm A321NEO
http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2011/08/08/360452/cebu-pacific-signs-firm-order-for-30-a321neos.html

In the past 7 days, Lufthansa also ordered 25 A320NEO and 5 A321NEO, and Garuda ordered 10 A320NEO.


So far the 737RE only has a commitment for 100 planes '


8994 737s have been ordered to date (since 1965 - 46 years), with some 6848 delivered. The backlog is at 2146.

7562 A320s have been ordered to date (since 1984 - 27 years), with some 4728 delivered. The backlog is at 2834.

[Virgin Serbia]

Boeing has only 100 orders because the 737 RE isn't even launched yet. The board of directors still have to approve it. After the launch it there will be lots of orders.

Again, they are only commitments, not orders.

Why hasn't the board approved it yet? Because Boeing was caught sleeping. Boeing doesn't have anything on its drawing board to be approved yet. It only dawned opun Boeing that something was wrong at the Paris Air Show, 7 weeks ago. If Boeing really had a 737RE that was about to be approved, they would have approved it shortly after being humiliated at Paris, even if the design team wasn't ready yet. 

Still say that there's something we probably don't know about what's going on..

Which also means that the airlines don't know anything. Boeing can't keep something as ambitious as a new plane a secret.

The airlines know that the NEO is rolling. The longer they wait before ordering the NEO, the longer they will need to wait until they can get it. And they have serious doubts about what Boeing can deliver.

[GPWestjet]

Boeing has only 100 orders because the 737 RE isn't even launched yet. The board of directors still have to approve it. After the launch it there will be lots of orders.

Again, they are only commitments, not orders.

Why hasn't the board approved it yet? Because Boeing was caught sleeping. Boeing doesn't have anything on its drawing board to be approved yet. It only dawned opun Boeing that something was wrong at the Paris Air Show, 7 weeks ago. If Boeing really had a 737RE that was about to be approved, they would have approved it shortly after being humiliated at Paris, even if the design team wasn't ready yet. 

They do have something, the engine is down to only 4 possible engine sizes. http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2011/07/20/359751/final-737-re-engine-configuration-down-to-four-possible-fan.html

As well i have heard of 4 carriers that are interested in the 737RE

Alaska Airlines: http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2011/07/21/359806/alaska-shows-interest-in-re-engined-737.html

Southwest Airlines: http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2011/08/04/360387/southwest-ready-to-discuss-re-engined-737-with-boeing.html

Copa Airlines (from article above):

Panamanian Copa Airlines has also expressed an interest in the re-engined 737.

Westjet: http://www.centreforaviation.com/news/2011/08/08/westjet-beats-consensus-in-2q-with-247-gain-in-net-income/page1

The company is now set with its fleet plans but is obviously anxious to discuss the planned 737 re-engining programme and whether future deliveries can be converted.

The 737RE will overtake the Airbus NEO

[Virgin Serbia]

As well i have heard of 4 carriers that are interested in the 737RE

They would be stupid not to be interested in the 737RE. No airlines ignore the alternatives. Besides, Southwest has also expressed interest in the NEO.

The 737RE will overtake the Airbus NEO

I think thats extremely doubtful. The 737NG is slightly superior to the A320 Classic, but it rarely outsells the A320. And the NEO will by all accounts be a superior superior plane to the RE. The NEO will gain winglets, more efficient engines and an improved wing-body fairing. The RE just can't get as big engines (even Boeing says that), meaning a 2% disadvantage in burn. And it already has winglets, so it can't be improved there.   

[Cipher53]

Still say that there's something we probably don't know about what's going on..

Which also means that the airlines don't know anything. Boeing can't keep something as ambitious as a new plane a secret.

The airlines know that the NEO is rolling. The longer they wait before ordering the NEO, the longer they will need to wait until they can get it. And they have serious doubts about what Boeing can deliver.

If you're trying to infer that you know better than airline CEOs simply because you have Google on your side, I'd consider that logic foolish. The internet does not make you omniscient.

[GPWestjet]

Besides, Southwest has also expressed interest in the NEO.

They have had talks but nothing even close to an order, if they did it would jeopardize there low-cost model.

The 737RE will overtake the Airbus NEO

I think thats extremely doubtful. The 737NG is slightly superior to the A320 Classic, but it rarely outsells the A320. And the NEO will by all accounts be a superior superior plane to the RE. The NEO will gain winglets, more efficient engines and an improved wing-body fairing. The RE just can't get as big engines (even Boeing says that), meaning a 2% disadvantage in burn. And it already has winglets, so it can't be improved there.   

Well Boeing hasn't side anything so the best we can say is the rumors going around the internet, which according to this one, says that the 737RE will be 2% more efficient then the NEO, and have between 90%-95% commonality with today’s 737NG.

Link: http://leehamnews.wordpress.com/2011/08/10/narrowing-the-737re-design/

It appears the 737RE will largely come down to this:


An airplane that is to have “minimal” change, to use the word expressed by CEO Jim McNerney on the 2Q earnings call;
R&D cost to Boeing of 10%-15% of that of a new airplane (said James Bell, CFO, on the same earnings call). This will be $1bn-$1.5bn if the assumed cost of a new airplane is $10bn (a widely quoted number but one which is only an outsider’s Wall Street analyst estimate). This further supports the “minimal change” approach. CFM’s portion of the R&D is not known;
A 66” fan on a version of the CFM LEAP engine (from information we obtained from our sourcing), which eliminates the need to increase the height of the nose gear and cause a ripple effect of changes to other structures;
A plane that is, all-in, about 10% more efficient than today’s 737NG. By all-in, this includes direct operating costs and ownership costs. This estimate is from a network carrier fleet planner who has seen the data made available so far from Boeing. Since the 737NG already has winglets, the improvement isn’t as dramatic as the A320neo/sharklet combination.
A plane that all-in will have about a 2% advantage over the corresponding A320neo (from the same fleet planner)—not the 8% claimed by Boeing to the media; and
A plane that will have between 90%-95% commonality with today’s 737NG.


So as it looks it would be a good buy for current 737 operators, current Airbus operators will probably go with the Airbus NEO.