AA vs SWA

[ivauir]

Beyond that, I think the plan at SWA is to avoid DFW, expand LUV after repeal of the WA, and then work behind the scenes to encourage cabotage at DFW. The day after the repeal of the WA you will hear an outcry of uncertainty over what to do with a half empty DFW. That is when the SWA spin machine will fire up in a not so covert manner to get every long haul, government sponsored foriegn carrier into DFW. Sounds crazy? You bet! Are they above it? NO!

ROFL This is so damn funny I have to clean the coffee off of my keyboard! Lookout dude! The black helicopters are circling your house!

The key for AA (or any legacy) to survive is to quickly realize that SWA is not some good natured competitor.
There you go again ....
There is no bottom, no out of bounds or the like for SWA in its pursuit of market share. In fact, they don't want market share, they just want to kill legacy airlines, Actually our goal is profit for the shareholders They certainly don't want to fly to all the places USAir went (or provide that level of service), they just want them dead.

Good moring Today's anti SWA hate and vitriol delivered by Flopgut. When can I see the LASER

 

[Flopgut]

However, I think if you ask 9 out of 10 passengers they'd tell you that we have a much HIGHER level of service than most of our competitors - we hire kind, friendly employees who treat our passengers and each other with concern and respect.

Four out of ten of your passengers are being ferried from one meth lab to the next, or something similiar. Of course they prefer SWA to the bus or the Dodge Duster. And that is fine! Thier money spends just like everyone elses. And they are the ones that love the whole goofy, disney-jungle-adventure-boat-guide-like silliness. To others, there is nothing worse. They hate to be pawed at and subjected to the same things that amuse the easily amused. You SWA types are getting very carried away with your culture and what you think it is worth to others. The occupants of your airplane are there because it is cheap.

My favorite airline those many years ago was USAir. The brand was really solid. Consistent. Like a Broadway production in its 10th year. It was expensive. However, most folks on there knew it was the cost of doing business. They too had good jobs that paid well. Read the WSJ while waiting for sequence at PHL, with relative patience. Everything happened on every flight at the same time. The FAs were older but were clean and fragrant, unlike NWA or CAL. Now if you measure this with the SWA interpretation of service it would be called "stuffy"; Because no one was wearing a rainbow wig or shorts. Anyway, that is just me. I will point out that I am probably in the top ten percent of people who post here who have traveled airlines as a true, full fare paying customer.

I don't hate SWA. I just can't disagree more with the idea that SWA service surpasses a legacy. The mere comparison is ridiculous! It used to be that SWA employees understood this. Of course now the slightest disagreement is sacrelige. I was a pretty decent customer (spent a lot), which is more that most here can say.

If the WA is repealed there will be consideration given to some sort of cabotage by the city. It has happened before. SWA will be an enabler to this in some fashion. It will be in the form of a marketing campaign geared toward international passenger traffic at DFW or an affiliation strategy with the foriegn carrier or some similiar version. This is my thesis. Time will tell. In the words of Sir Charles: I may be wrong, but I doubt it.

 

[semperfido]

Four out of ten of your passengers are being ferried from one meth lab to the next, or something similiar. Of course they prefer SWA to the bus or the Dodge Duster. And that is fine! And they are the ones that love the whole goofy, disney-jungle-adventure-boat-guide-like silliness. To others, there is nothing worse. They hate to be pawed at and subjected to the same things that amuse the easily amused.

very amusing ...they are definitely for the masses....for those that want a quiet ride in the lap of luxury. where you only hear from the flight deck when there is a good reason-- there is your own private GV. i guess we will all have to put up with the issues you described until that powerball hits.

 

[Flopgut]

I DON'T hate SWA

.

Flopgut,

On what basis of fact do you know that this is the SWA business plan. You are correct in the market share statement. Let go of your hatred of SWA.

I just know that the gloves are off.

I base my thesis on this: If you pattern the history of SWA, Love Field, and the WA you will see where it is headed. The unwritten historical truth is this: Lady Bird Johnson had a financial interest in SWA around the time of DFW was going in. Herb used this to allow SWA to stay at Love Field. Braniff and AA did not want to leave Love, they were forced to leave. They were duped, robbed, and mislead by SWA's connections. (Braniff did try to stay and match SWA for a short time but it did not work) The reality of the WA is that it has functioned like an entitlement for SWA. It insulated SWA from other airlines and granted SWA a durable advantage that they did not earn. Throughout the political waves of change that lead to the WA Herb was able to maintain a low profile, underdog position. The WA actually helped SWA by keeping Love Field a less than legitimate hub for anyone but SWA. So this entitlement, welfare really, has gone on long enough that the recipient has been made more than whole, is in fact now, the antithesis of why the welfare was granted. Furthermore, 50% of the faction marginalized from the start is now gone (Braniff) the remainder (AA) is as weak as it will probably ever get (still quite strong), and the overall political sentiment has evolved to the point where SWA can actually point to something that provided for them uniquely, as something that now hurts them.

So we have gone from the gospel truth, to the most absurd, being realized. We can project that out to the most absurd possibility, becoming reality. SWA will seek to use the repeal of the WA, to destroy DFW.

 

[Chest Rockwell]

flopgut,

If you really believe that SWA wants to destroy DFW or AA, I cannot imagine what reality that you live in.

I believe that the WA thing is simply due to having aircraft with long-haul ability from an 8000 foot runway along with short-haul flying being in the dumps since 9/11 (SWA's short-haul was previously successful in competing with autos). As of March or April the majority of SWA's aircraft are -700s with winglets. The assets are there to fly long-haul with full airplanes. No black helicopters at Love Field.

 

[NuGuy]

My favorite airline those many years ago was USAir. The brand was really solid. Consistent. Like a Broadway production in its 10th year. It was expensive. However, most folks on there knew it was the cost of doing business. They too had good jobs that paid well. Read the WSJ while waiting for sequence at PHL, with relative patience. Everything happened on every flight at the same time. The FAs were older but were clean and fragrant, unlike NWA or CAL. Now if you measure this with the SWA interpretation of service it would be called "stuffy"; Because no one was wearing a rainbow wig or shorts. Anyway, that is just me. I will point out that I am probably in the top ten percent of people who post here who have traveled airlines as a true, full fare paying customer.

I have to agree. The USAir first class "product" was amazingly consistent and above par, even at the domestic level. Even riding as a pass rider in first, I was adressed by my last name with a "mister". The food was actually quite passable, coffee seconds were offered in a timely manner and courtesy abounded.

Everything out of PIT in those days was un-rushed but on-time. The huge crowds of flipflop wearing, budda belly sporting, sunburnt, hungover masses who apparently don't own a mirror, had yet to materialize. Sigh....

Nu

 

[Red Baron]

Flopgut,

You might as well hate Delta as well. They are now only a drop in the bucket at DFW.

Happy Flying,

RB

 

[Double Shot]

If the WA is repealed there will be consideration given to some sort of cabotage by the city. It has happened before. SWA will be an enabler to this in some fashion. It will be in the form of a marketing campaign geared toward international passenger traffic at DFW or an affiliation strategy with the foriegn carrier or some similiar version. This is my thesis. Time will tell. In the words of Sir Charles: I may be wrong, but I doubt it.[/QUOTE]

Speaking of cabotage...What about CAL and COPA. Yall buy their planes and they do more of what should be your flying even out of Florida down south. Sounds to me as if Continental supports cabotage.
Hmmm.

 

[Flopgut]

If the WA is repealed there will be consideration given to some sort of cabotage by the city. It has happened before. SWA will be an enabler to this in some fashion. It will be in the form of a marketing campaign geared toward international passenger traffic at DFW or an affiliation strategy with the foriegn carrier or some similiar version. This is my thesis. Time will tell. In the words of Sir Charles: I may be wrong, but I doubt it.

Speaking of cabotage...What about CAL and COPA. Yall buy their planes and they do more of what should be your flying even out of Florida down south. Sounds to me as if Continental supports cabotage.
Hmmm.[/QUOTE]

Yes. We (my pilot group) have our hands full; We are under siege on all sides. We would like to have your support, but we aren't holding our breath.

I would say "be glad you don't have this problem" but I'm certain you are all too happy its not you. It won't be too much of a stretch for you SWA folks to see the selfish benefit cabotage grants you. Try to contain your enthusiasm.

 

[Flopgut]

flopgut,

If you really believe that SWA wants to destroy DFW or AA, I cannot imagine what reality that you live in.

I believe that the WA thing is simply due to having aircraft with long-haul ability from an 8000 foot runway

Part of what you are saying might be true about the 700.

The reality that I live in is this: This business has its own version of Murphy's Law. If it can happen, it not only will happen, it probably has already happened. Look at the history of this business and tell me I'm not right.