Arpey on the WA in the American Way Magazine

[mdf]

FlyingHigh,

Tried the "common sense" anti-competitive argument with some of these people before. They don't seem to get it.

 

[enigma]

I read that editorial today on my commute, and my only reaction was that AA is doing nothing more than spinning the issue in their own direction. As I would expect.

In general:

The amount of misconception over this issue is appalling. The history of Love, DFW, the WA and SWA are readily available. Some of you need to do a little research before continuing to post.

It is my opinion, that the Fort Worth - Dallas metropolitan area needs more than one major airport. DFW, for all of its concrete, just doesn't have the capability to handle all of the traffic now, and the future holds even more traffic.

The citizens of North Texas need politicians who make decisions based upon long term goals and projections. At the moment, everyone is so busy protecting their turf, that they don't recognize the opportunity to increase the entire field. In the mean time, maybe DFW should think about using the west complex for point to point operators and leave the east for hub and spoke. If the DFW board expects to attract competitors, they need to focus on changing their airport into a point to point friendly facility.

enigma

 

[linecheck]

Sadly, I think both parties (SWA and AA) are spinning the issue as much as they can to their advantage.

But it still doesn't take away the fact that LUV was given the opportunity to move to DFW long ago along with all the other airlines.

That's plain and simple fact, so why SWA management would try to spin that any other way is beyond me.

 

[Flopgut]

Ok. I have looked over the setlovefree.com propaganda. Now how about a couple of you SWA types look over braniffpages.com. I personally find it a travesty that setlovefree.com does nothing to accurately portray the history of Love Field. The oposition does. Setlovefree.com completely ignores the fact that, at one time, it was free! You could go almost anywhere in the world from there. A civic decision was made to move airlines to a new airport. One did not play ball and got a special deal. To the detriment of many others.

Love Field was the home of Braniff. They did not want to leave. They were forced to leave. Literally, forced out. It contributed to the demise of the careers of over 30,000 employees. I look at it like this: It was important enough at the time to be written in a certain way. Any change to the agreement is trespassing on hallowed ground and I don't want to see that happen without due consideration for what was given up. Look at Braniffpages.com. Look at what kind of airline we gave up so we could have SWA. One might say that Braniff had more problems than just Love Field and that is partially correct. But one thing is certain--there would be no SWA, like it is now, if they had not been granted such an advantage at Love Field.

Many SWA will laugh at my perspective. Think it is silly. I could care less. Silly, is running around in your short pants telling jokes with milk and honey running down your happy little faces when, in fact, real people, no different than yourselves have to lose everything, for you.

We need an air transportation policy in this country. And we need a free market that is actually free.

 

[ivauir]

Sadly, I think both parties (SWA and AA) are spinning the issue as much as they can to their advantage.

But it still doesn't take away the fact that LUV was given the opportunity to move to DFW long ago along with all the other airlines.
We had the opportunity to go out of business? Originally we were a Texas only airline BY LAW. The move to DFW would have killed us before we started, not many people would want to drive to DFW to fly to Houston. BTW how have those "other airlines" been doing over there at DFW? Yes our manegment should definatly answer for this gross error.

That's plain and simple fact, so why SWA management would try to spin that any other way is beyond me.

It seems to me that you are deeply involved in operation "spin" yourself.

 

[ivauir]

We need an air transportation policy in this country. And we need a free market that is actually free.

Yup,
so lets start with lifting bogus anti competetive restrictinos on our air transportation system.

 

[Flopgut]

Yup,
so lets start with lifting bogus anti competetive restrictinos on our air transportation system.

Let me ask you this: Do you think part of a viable air transportation policy will use the DFW/Love example, or the Austin Bergstrom/Mueller example as a model for future infrastructure?

Do you think that a truly free market should include major airlines being allowed to merge unrestricted by the government?

Do you think either of these questions have a positive outcome for your airline?

 

[Cyclone]

flogmyputz

i think if you worked for swa your opinion would be different.

so what is right? not wright. i think your bias...and who you work for...clouds your objectivity and any brain cell that you had previously that made sense is no longer in tact...your argument is ridiculous.

i don't have a dog in this fight but i think that your company is bigger...but not right. i think that you have more politicians lined up but what you have to say makes less sense. you are worried about your job just like everybody else...but i think you guys (AA) are wrong...not wright

 

[ivauir]

Let me ask you this: Do you think part of a viable air transportation policy will use the DFW/Love example, or the Austin Bergstrom/Mueller example as a model for future infrastructure?

You'd love for me to jump in here, knowing you can spin almost anything I say to your cause. I should just let it stand at that, but I have to confess, I hate seeing a big yellow X painted on a perfectly good runway.

Do you think that a truly free market should include major airlines being allowed to merge unrestricted by the government?

No. Anti trust laws exist for very good reason.

Do you think either of these questions have a positive outcome for your airline?

If they did any with anti trust legislation we might buy AA and that would be a dark day indeed.





I'm sorry I could resist poking you a little, you've had such fun at our expense.

Honestly, I am a lot more worried about the cost of fuel than either of these questions (or the outcome of the WA debate for that matter).

 

[Flopgut]

Again people, I don't work for AA

Spin? I don't have to spin anything. You just admitted that you believe the only laws that should be changed are the ones that have a negative effect on SWA. The ones that impede any other airline are just fine with you. No need to spin that. You don't want a free market at all. You want an unfair advantage for SWA.

With regard to your AA comment: It is an amazing fact that as bad as things are going for AA, and as good as things are going for SWA, it is still more likely that they could buy you.