A mainline 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 between hub airports within their network and on international or long-haul services, using narrow-body and wide-body aircraft. This is in contrast to regional airlines, providing feeder services to hub airports operating smaller turboprop or regional jet aircraft, or low-cost carrier subsidiaries serving leisure markets.
In the United States, examples of mainline passenger airline flights include those operated by American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines; but not flights operated by regional airlines like Envoy Air, Mesa Airlines, Piedmont Airlines, or PSA Airlines with regional jets or the services of regional airline marketing brands such as American Eagle, Delta Connection, or United Express aboard lower-capacity narrowbody jets and turboprop aircraft, such as those produced by Embraer or Bombardier, that do not have transcontinental range.
U.S. legacy carriers may operate branded mainline services using the same flight crews and AOC as that of their mainline operations. For example, United p.s. and American Flagship Service cater to the medium-haul transcontinental business segment. Short-haul air shuttles, such as Delta Shuttle, operate at high frequency intervals between busy city pairs. Previously, U.S. legacy carriers operated low-cost air services within their mainline operations to compete with low-cost carriers; these operations were short-lived and included brands such as Continental Lite, Song (Delta), and Ted (United). Outside the U.S., low-cost carrier subsidiary airlines are more common, with examples including Air Canada Rouge, Jetstar (subsidiary of Qantas), and Eurowings (subsidiary of Lufthansa).
An airline carrier's collective 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 proper type ratings, may operate aircraft that are smaller than typical mainline aircraft.
Mainline subsidiary carriers and airline within an airline brands Mainline AirCarrierBanner marketing & brands(Air divisions operating as)Larger-medium longer rangejet airliner subsidiary brandsSmaller-regional shorter rangeairliner subsidiariesFlag – Legacy – MajorAir CanadaAir Canada ExpressAir Canada RougeAir FranceKLM (Air France-KLM)Air France HopKLM Cityhopper Transavia Transavia FranceAir India(Air India Limited)Air India ExpressAlaska Airlines(Alaska Air Group)Alaska Horizon Alaska SkyWestHorizon AirAll Nippon AirwaysAir Japan ANA Wings1 PeachAmerican Airlines(American Airlines Group)American EagleEnvoy Air PSA Airlines Piedmont AirlinesDelta Air LinesDelta Connection Delta ShuttleEndeavor AirEgyptAirAir CairoEl AlSun d'Or UpGaruda IndonesiaExplore Explore JetCitilinkAeromexico(Grupo Aeromexico) Aeromexico ConnectAeromexico ConnectAer LingusBritish AirwaysIberia Airlines(International Airlines Group)Aer Lingus Regional BA CityFlyer LevelIberia Express VuelingBA CityFlyer BA EuroflyerJapan AirlinesJetstar JapanJapan Transocean Air1J-Air Japan Air Commuter Ryukyu Air CommuterKenya AirwaysJambojetKorean Air Lines(Hanjin Group)Jin AirAsiana Airlines(Kumho Asiana Group)Air Busan Air SeoulLATAM BrasilLATAM Chile(LATAM Airlines Group)LATAM (Colombia) LATAM (Ecuador) LATAM (Perú)LATAM Express LATAM ParaguayLOT Polish AirlinesAustrian Airlines Brussels AirlinesLufthansaSwiss International Air Lines (Lufthansa Air Group)Eurowings Lufthansa RegionalDiscover Airlines Edelweiss Air Eurowings SunExpressAir Dolomiti Lufthansa CityLinePhilippine Airlines(PAL Holdings Inc.)PAL Express Royal Air MarocRoyal Air Maroc ExpressScandinavian Airlines(SAS Group)d/b/a Scandinavian, CityJetSingapore AirlinesScootThai Airways(Thai Ministry of Finance)Nok AirCzech Airlines(Travel Service)SmartWingsQantasJetstar Japan QantasLinkJetstar Eastern Australia Airlines National Jet Systems Network Aviation Sunstate AirlinesVietnam AirlinesAir Cambodia Pacific AirlinesVietnam Air Services CompanyUnited Airlines(United Airlines Holdings)United Express United p.s.Discount - ULCC VirtualsCebu PacificCebgoJetBlueJetBlue MintJetstar Asia(Westbrook Holdings)Jetstar JapanNorwegian's Airline Group2(Norwegian Air Shuttle)Norwegian Norwegian Air ShuttleTUI's Airline Group2(TUI Group)TUI flyCorsair International TUI fly Belgium TUI fly Deutschland TUI fly Netherlands TUI fly Nordic TUI AirwaysVirgin Australia(Virgin Australia Holdings)Virgin AustraliaVirgin Australia Regional Airlines1WestJetWestJet Encore
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 the American Eagle, Delta Connection, and United Express banner branded regional airlines in the United States.
North American mainline carrier's regional affiliates
MainlineAirlineRegional Marketing Brand 1Regional Airline Affiliates2(Independently Owned)Flag carriersAeromexicoAeromexico ConnectNo regional affiliateAir CanadaAir Canada ExpressExploits Valley Air Services4 Jazz4Legacy carriersAlaska AirlinesAlaska Horizon Alaska SkyWestSkyWest Airlines4American AirlinesAmerican EagleSee: American EagleDelta Air LinesDelta ConnectionSee: Delta ConnectionHawaiian Airlines'Ohana by HawaiianEmpire AirlinesUnited AirlinesUnited ExpressSee: United Express Scheduled Network /Major carriers JetBlue Airways No regional brandCape Air3WestJetWestJet EncorePacific Coastal AirlinesLow-costSouthwest Airlines No regional brandNo regional affiliateSun Country AirlinesNo regional brandNo regional affiliateULCC’sAllegiant AirlinesNo regional brandNo regional affiliate Frontier Airlines No regional brandNo regional affiliateSpirit AirlinesNo regional brandNo regional affiliateVolarisNo regional brandNo regional affiliate 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
See also Flag carrier
Notes
References
AA and early references to mainline, regional and B-scale.
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.