>>I would hardly consider louisville a pax hub, they're barely bigger than WRWA despite being in a 'desirable' business/traffic area and the ONLY large airport in their state. I also would only consider MEM a regional hub for NW, they've been reduced considerably - do they even fly large planes out of MEM (aside from a few shuttles to other NW hubs?).<<

MEM has actually held its own. I believe they still do a A330 to AMS from there, either NW or KLM - depends on the time of year who runs it.

>>As for the 737 (where you went on from my quoted pax levels), my facts were from United configurations. United doesn't have any 700ERs or 900ERs, you your post is quite suspect. Based on your post, you should realize that the 757-300 is the largest single-aisle airplane ever produced with capacity far exceeding any 737 or A319,318,320,321 config. In fact, even a 757-200 can seat well over 200 pax from an all economy type config. And those ER's on the 737's of course have extended range (hence ER), but not at the same pax/fuel ratio of the 757.<<

Well aware that the 757-300 is the largest modern single aisle aircraft. Flew on them several times with ATA when they still had their MDW hub. The 757-200 normally flies with about 210 or so pax in an all tourist layout. Don't worry, I'm well familiar with the vast majority of layouts and aircraft out there - no need to school me.

>>United has -300 and -500, both of whom typically fly into OKC and are the oldest of UA's single-aisle fleet.<<

All of which will be gone by 2009.

>>I believe what killed the 757 from production was mostly political within Boeing (I remember attending a few of the meetings in fact....) and the fact that it did it's job 'too well', being high capacity and long range where airliners were desiring a cheaper plane to do the equiv (which 737's and A320 series does quite well by comparison).<<

The problem with the 757 is that it didn't have a well marketed family. It was designed as a replacement to the 727, and it did that well. The problem is the lower end of the seating range is able to be handled by the 737 family. Heck even the 737-900ER can easily be used to replace 757-200s now. The upper end meant that the 757 would be overlapping the 767 family. Two different product lines, but demand wasn't there for the late coming -300. Now the ever delayed 787 will replace the 767 and 757-300 niche for Boeing. It just didn't have anywhere to go and was an odd ball, but a great aircraft. Much like the MD-95/717-200. Great little plane, but a family wasn't developed or proposed to late to where the project was killed. Of course Boeing wouldn't dare let a former MDD product move into its 737 territory, which the 717-300 was going to do.