Boeing not building extra a/c for best customer?

[Shrek]

I was thinking that the dreamliner and its variants could be the replacement for all the SWA 73's but this is the first time I have heard it from someone else......

 

[SizzleChest]

But by "sliding off" it triggered a new Ops Spec you all will see coming your way...

 

[TexaSWA]

I've heard there's not much profit in building those little airplanes.

BBB

You might be right, or else we'd be building them ourselves.

 

[YourPilotFriend]

Right now the 787 is more important than the 737, you will see why this is coming up in the future.

 

[GuppyWN]

The 787 is the narrowbody of the future. It's lighter, faster, farther with more payload.

I'm not predicting or flame baiting but I wouldn't be surprised at all to see the 787 take Southwest overseas/Hawaii by about 2012. I think our options/orders expire then.

Gup

 

[YourPilotFriend]

The 787 is the narrowbody of the future. It's lighter, faster, farther with more payload.

I'm not predicting or flame baiting but I wouldn't be surprised at all to see the 787 take Southwest overseas/Hawaii by about 2012. I think our options/orders expire then.

Gup

The operational savings of the 787 by fuel alone offsets the cost of adding another fleet type to the SWA model; something to think about. Although 2012 is a little soon, this airplane's order slots are being eaten up. I expect NWA to exercise its options on the rest of the 50 airplanes, and lease a significant number of those to other airlines.

 

[ASApuppy]

Southwest's buying power squeezed Boeing's profit on each airframe to around $1 million per airframe. Compare that to the $16 million for a BBJ, or the $100 million for a 747-400F. In other words, Boeing made more money in 6 widebody freighters than in all of the airplanes they made for SWA.

 

[~~~^~~~]

Boeing has an opportunity and problem with the technology from the 787 and how it is applied to a 737 replacement. The 737 has been a cash cow for Boeing. That cash is needed. But, when they replace the 737 with an airplane offering 15% to 20% better operating cost the 737 book is going to dry up in favor of the better airplane.

Boeing could be watching out for their best customer.

Would you rather be the first customer for the 2010 model 797, or the last customer for a 1960's design which has been optimized with 1970's engines?

 

[170B]

Someone (mngmnt type) shared this info during training this past summer:

Boeing will build its last 737 in 2012.

Boeing has offered to build SWA a 787 in any configuration that SWA wants.

No info on SWA's response to Boeing.

Purely, 100% unsubtsantiated rumor...

 

[LearAv8r]

Southwest's buying power squeezed Boeing's profit on each airframe to around $1 million per airframe. Compare that to the $16 million for a BBJ, or the $100 million for a 747-400F. In other words, Boeing made more money in 6 widebody freighters than in all of the airplanes they made for SWA.

While that may be true that the profit margins on the aircraft sold to SWA were not as good as other sales that they may have had, you can't forget that not all their profits are in the sales. They do manufacture parts. With over 450 Boeing a/c that SWA has I am sure that Boeing has sold many many "widgits" for some profit. There is more to the story than just initial sales.