DAL labor costs are "are still uncompetitive."

[Chest Rockwell]

Great, Alaska Airlines will kick your butts. (they own those route by far--from SEA and PDX to ANC)

Bye Bye--General Lee

You haven't been around much, have you?

 

[scoreboard]

Great, Alaska Airlines will kick your butts. (they own those route by far--from SEA and PDX to ANC)

Bye Bye--General Lee

Uh, no they don't. And, no they won't, when we start SEA to ANC, look for lower fares for the common man.

Alaska SEA-ANC=$449-529
SWA similar route length= $270 (LAX-MDW)

Check-out DEN to any SWA paired city, growth has been fantastic, we are getting more gates faster than planned, we can't get enough jets. Check out average fares, dramatic drop, AND everybody is carrying more passengers. Alaska owns ANC? Hardly.

 

[General Lee]

You haven't been around much, have you?

You have never flown that route, have you? We flew the 757 from SEA to ANC for a while, and then gave it up. (this is when we were doing great) UA has one flight, CAL has maybe two, mostly for cargo from SEA. I don't care how successful SWA is, there are some routes that can't be touched. SEA and PDX to ANC belong to Alaska Air. Quit beating your CHEST.


Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[General Lee]

Uh, no they don't. And, no they won't, when we start SEA to ANC, look for lower fares for the common man.

Alaska SEA-ANC=$449-529
SWA similar route length= $270 (LAX-MDW)

Check-out DEN to any SWA paired city, growth has been fantastic, we are getting more gates faster than planned, we can't get enough jets. Check out average fares, dramatic drop, AND everybody is carrying more passengers. Alaska owns ANC? Hardly.

Hmmmm. oooooookay. Never really been up there, eh? Hardly. I obviously don't fly for Alaska, but I recognize a monopoly when I see one. Really. But, go ahead and pound your chest and think you will be the savior. GO ahead.

Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[StopNTSing]

Hmmmm. oooooookay. Never really been up there, eh? Hardly. I obviously don't fly for Alaska, but I recognize a monopoly when I see one. Really. But, go ahead and pound your chest and think you will be the savior. GO ahead.

Bye Bye--General Lee

General, I think the point the others were trying to make is that SWA history would seem to indicate otherwise. Your comments are remarkably similar to those heard by the pundits before we went into DEN, PHL, etc. If (and it's a big IF) ANC is announced someday it will be because SWA mgmt also recognizes a monopoly when they see it....and have decided it's one they can break. Bet against them at your peril.

If that's chest-pounding than so be it.

 

[scoreboard]

Hmmmm. oooooookay. Never really been up there, eh? Hardly. I obviously don't fly for Alaska, but I recognize a monopoly when I see one. Really. But, go ahead and pound your chest and think you will be the savior. GO ahead.

Bye Bye--General Lee

I lived there for three years, loved it, can't wait to make it another stop. Many a close friend work for Alaska, and I wish them nothing but the best. These routes are last of the overpriced west coast, marginally serviced routes, ripe for the picking, to say they are a monopoly, proves the point. How much of a monopoly? Not enough to stop us when we are ready. It will go well with our ANC-Cancun/Hilo service. We'll be there, and I don't think I'm pounding any part of my chest, just reciting from a page out of our playbook. Were not carrying life vests and training the FA's on raft and deep water exit for LBB-DAL legs. Did I mention the Wright thingy is going away?

 

[Chest Rockwell]

You have never flown that route, have you? We flew the 757 from SEA to ANC for a while, and then gave it up. (this is when we were doing great) UA has one flight, CAL has maybe two, mostly for cargo from SEA. I don't care how successful SWA is, there are some routes that can't be touched. SEA and PDX to ANC belong to Alaska Air. Quit beating your CHEST.


Bye Bye--General Lee

No chest beating here. If it is underserved/overpriced, we will probably be there sooner or later. If it doesn't look to be profitable, I imagine that we will pass.

 

[800Dog]

Uh, no they don't. And, no they won't, when we start SEA to ANC, look for lower fares for the common man.

Alaska SEA-ANC=$449-529
SWA similar route length= $270 (LAX-MDW)

Check-out DEN to any SWA paired city, growth has been fantastic, we are getting more gates faster than planned, we can't get enough jets. Check out average fares, dramatic drop, AND everybody is carrying more passengers. Alaska owns ANC? Hardly.

Why the concern about low fares for the common man? Cheap airfare is not an entitlement. How about some concern for the state of the profession? Please don't give me LUV pay and retirement is great. A career at LUV is worth significantly less than the majors were until two years ago. Cheap airfare for the common man and low career expectations for the common pilot. Hope Alaska kicks your butts.

 

[General Lee]

No chest beating here. If it is underserved/overpriced, we will probably be there sooner or later. If it doesn't look to be profitable, I imagine that we will pass.

That's great guys. How many people live in ANC anyway? 150,000? In the Summer it goes up, but not most of the year. You guys do rule the world, so maybe you will take over ANC and kick some Alaska Airlines Arse. Go for it. I can't wait to see it....... So what if Alaska Air has connections to every city in Alaska, and carries the motherload of cargo on their new all cargo 737-400s. Nah, they don't know what they are doing up there, and SWA is successful in every market, just like IAH to DAL. Good luck.


Bye Bye---General Lee

 

[Splinter]

And, the Southwest connections to Anchorage? How did they get there from SAT? Get the picture? Most of our pax connect through our hubs to places SW doesn't fly to, like Montana and Alaska. We are full most of the time.


Bye Bye--General Lee

The only thing full here is you...of you know what. Delta can't hold SWA's jock. Atlanta is a toilet, Delta treats its customers like they have headlice, and the whole concept of transporting people AND their luggage is foreign to them. Dont Expect Luggage To Arrive!

 

[Chest Rockwell]

That's great guys. How many people live in ANC anyway? 150,000? In the Summer it goes up, but not most of the year. You guys do rule the world, so maybe you will take over ANC and kick some Alaska Airlines Arse. Go for it. I can't wait to see it....... So what if Alaska Air has connections to every city in Alaska, and carries the motherload of cargo on their new all cargo 737-400s. Nah, they don't know what they are doing up there, and SWA is successful in every market, just like IAH to DAL. Good luck.


Bye Bye---General Lee

Grow up man. If it look to be profitable, SWA will likely go there. I am not knocking any other carriers service. It is not about kicking anyone elses behind, but meeting a demand for a service at a profit.

 

[crjdxr]

Bastian's comments earlier in that same paragraph (discussing the then pre-bankruptcy environment) were clearly past tense. His comments regarding labor costs were, as quoted, in the present tense. Bad slip of the tongue?

It is good that Whitehurst cleared it up.

From Whitehursts Oct 11 online chat.

Q.Yesterday an article quoted Ed Bastian as saying at the Aviation Forecast Conference that our "employee costs and labor costs are still uncompetitive". By what measure is this statement made? After all we have given it is disheartening to read quotes like this time and time again. We have nothing left to give.

Jim Whitehurst: I think that was taken out of context. He was referring to where our costs were in September 2005 when we filed for bankruptcy. Given the sacrifices you have all made since that time, costs are competitive now.

 

[General Lee]

Grow up man. If it look to be profitable, SWA will likely go there. I am not knocking any other carriers service. It is not about kicking anyone elses behind, but meeting a demand for a service at a profit.

Hey, I understand what SWA could do and what they will do. I just think it would be a lost cause, and many other airlines, including mine, have figured that out on that particular route. If SWA wants to try it, good luck. I just doubt they will succeed, and I am allowed to do that. Grow up? I can't bring up a debate on here? Is that childish? I guess it is.

Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[General Lee]

The only thing full here is you...of you know what. Delta can't hold SWA's jock. Atlanta is a toilet, Delta treats its customers like they have headlice, and the whole concept of transporting people AND their luggage is foreign to them. Dont Expect Luggage To Arrive!

Wow, that was wonderful. I need to copy that and send it to my grandparents. Oh wait, they are dead. I will still send it to them.....


Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[FlyBoeingJets]

General,

You do yourself a disservice by stooping down to a lower level.

Stay above the fray.


The reality is costs have come down at the majors. And the sweet deals the regionals (managements not employees) have had will get renegotiated to tighter or non-existant margins. This all spells more competition for the LCCs. But its not coming up all roses. The debt, or leverage, at many majors is like having an albatross around your neck. Expenses in other areas have to be lower just to make the interest payments and keep overall costs in line. The next few years will be tough.


As for whether or not SWA is Alaska bound. That is funny. More than likely it's propaganda being spread to keep real SWA moves under wraps.