Not really. This was the argument Airbus previously gave to justify their continuing losses on the program. The reality is much simpler - smaller jets to more p

Not really. This was the argument Airbus previously gave to justify their continuing losses on the program. The reality is much simpler - smaller jets to more places (no matter if it's hub to hub or hub to spoke or point to point) fragments the market, and makes it impossible to concentrate enough demand to consistently fill a A380 at a specific price point. This trend is really clear in the aviation business. The 757 and 767 really killed four or three engine engine trans-Atlantic (the single most important international route system), while the 787 killed four engines across the pacific. The smallest plane, with the most reasonable CASM (cost per available seat mile) at the highest frequency wins.