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Amainline flight is a flight operated by an airline's main operating unit, rather than by regional alliances, regional code-shares, regional subsidiaries, or wholly owned subsidiaries offering low-cost operations.Mainline carriers typically operate betweenhub airports within their network and on international or long-haul services, usingnarrow-body andwide-body aircraft. This is in contrast toregional airlines, providing feeder services to hub airports operating smallerturboprop orregional jet aircraft, orlow-cost carrier subsidiaries serving leisure markets.
In the United States, examples of mainlinepassenger airline flights include those operated byAmerican Airlines,Delta Air Lines, andUnited Airlines; but not flights operated byregional airlines likeEnvoy Air,Mesa Airlines,Piedmont Airlines, orPSA Airlines with regional jets or the services ofregional airline marketing brands such asAmerican Eagle,Delta Connection, orUnited Express aboard lower-capacity narrowbody jets and turboprop aircraft, such as those produced byEmbraer orBombardier, that do not have transcontinental range.
U.S.legacy carriers may operate branded mainline services using the same flight crews andAOC as that of their mainline operations. For example,United p.s. and American Flagship Service cater to the medium-haultranscontinental business segment. Short-haulair shuttles, such asDelta Shuttle, operate at high frequency intervals between busycity pairs. Previously, U.S. legacy carriers operated low-cost air services within their mainline operations to compete withlow-cost carriers; these operations were short-lived and included brands such asContinental Lite,Song (Delta), andTed (United). Outside the U.S., low-cost carrier subsidiary airlines are more common, with examples includingAir Canada Rouge,Jetstar (subsidiary ofQantas), andEurowings (subsidiary ofLufthansa).
An airline carrier'scollective bargaining agreement with flight crews stipulates the maximum seating capacity of regional aircraft; as such, any aircraft that exceeds this capacity must operate as a mainline flight. The converse is not the case; mainline flight crews, with propertype ratings, may operate aircraft that are smaller than typical mainline aircraft.
Notes:
1Though not part of the main "legacy airline" or "flag carrier", these particular airlines are often described as "regional airlines" by the mainline airline counterparts they are affiliated or owned by.
2These airline businesses resultant of airline liberalization in Europe, really do not have a "mainline brand", but do have unified brandings across multiple individual airline certificates forming "virtual airlines" much like theAmerican Eagle,Delta Connection, andUnited Express banner branded regional airlines in the United States.
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| Mainline Airline | Regional Marketing Brand1 | Regional Airline Affiliates2 (Independently Owned) |
|---|---|---|
| Aeromexico |
| |
| Air Canada | ||
| Alaska Airlines |
| |
| American Airlines |
| |
| Delta Air Lines |
| |
| Hawaiian Airlines |
| |
| United Airlines |
| |
| JetBlue Airways |
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| WestJet | ||
| Southwest Airlines |
|
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| Sun Country Airlines |
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| Allegiant Airlines |
|
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| Frontier Airlines |
|
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| Spirit Airlines |
|
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| Volaris |
|
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Notes:
1 Branding used for regional feeder service and commuter flights. Operated either by a regional subsidiary or under contract by an independent regional airline.
2These airlines are independent and not subsidiaries of mainline air carriers.
3 These independent airlines operate regional aircraft under codeshare agreements with a mainline carrier.
4 Independent airlines operating under a capacity purchase agreement with their mainline partner
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[1] AA and early references to mainline, regional and B-scale.
[2] Business model of new Airlines like GLO not operating their own aircraft but leasing them from other certificated air carriers, and creating their own airline brand without the actual assets of a true airline.
