The thing you have to realize is the only reason, and I mean the only reason SW is doing OK, is because of their fuel hedge. Period. Now I do give them credit for getting that hedge correct. We all thought they would be in trouble when their previous hedges expired. But they got it right again.
Don't underestimate the importance of that first class upgrade possibilty. It's very important to the business traveler. Now for the flip-flop crowd on SW, it doesn't matter. Jethro and Ellie May could care less. Although every now and then, we get to hear funny stories from FA's about Jethro in first not knowing what to do with the towel. Believe it or not, Jethro once tried to take a bite of the towel. Not kidding. They just don't offer towels on SW. How would Jethro know?
Plenty has been said on this forum and the hedges and if anything is true, some will never understand what part the hedges play on an airlines business plan. As we all have learned trying to hash that out is useless.
Now for the reason to choose an airline because of first class is really over rated. I can speak for my family, friends, and business associates that the reason they choose an airline to frequent is because of service, price and possibly frequency. Where I live SWA has plenty of options to get where most people are going either non-stop or one stop. Thats not always the case in many markets that SWA does not serve of course. First class is really nice. But its not worth frequenting a product that has poor service to get an occasional first class seat. And my experience is that the airline business offers poor service. With the exception of SWA.
Here is a story. One stormy friday night in a very busy Chicago Midway airport the SWA flight ran four hours late. As I am waiting in the terminal I notice the entire departure screen were flights running very late. But not ONE cancellation. I was surprised because about a year earlier I was flying on AA and in Dallas they canceled my flight I was on and put me up in a hotel. I asked a pilot I was sitting next to if they might cancel flights because of the weather. And he said that they would only if they could accommodate the passengers on other flights but that would be probably only for a maintenance reason. Otherwise he said they run the flight, sometimes very late.
As a customer, this was a huge difference. I know there are a million stories out there that might be good reasons for this or that to happen. But its about customer perspective. And that was mine.
The fact in my large circle is that if SWA goes there, most people who fly frequently use them. If they don't go there, then one of the other airlines will be a choice.
When I talk airlines with people outside of the airline business, universally you hear how people love flying SWA. But I have never heard, not even one time, how anyone loves any other airline.
