DOJ stipulates Love Field gates auctioned only to LCC's

[Flopgut]

So Love should only have LCCs and DFW should only have legacies? That's F'ed up Howie, but convenient for SWA.

The DOJ isn't in GK's pocket, but the government very much wants de-regulation to be a lasting success. In order to do that, SWA has got to continue to do well. Alfred Khan said SWA was the proof of the policy.

 

[HowardBorden]

So Love should only have LCCs and DFW should only have legacies? That's F'ed up Howie, but convenient for SWA.

The DOJ isn't in GK's pocket, but the government very much wants de-regulation to be a lasting success. In order to do that, SWA has got to continue to do well. Alfred Khan said SWA was the proof of the policy.

Again, read for comprehension. Not only the government wants deregulation to succeed, SO DOES THE AIRLINE INDUSTRY! My God man deregulation has been around for more than 3 1/2 decades, can you honestly believe this DOJ decision was made on the basis of making sure deregulation succeeds?

Whether you or I think thinks the decision is F'ed up or not, it has absolutely nothing to do with whether or not SWA prospers or fails. That is where you go fatally off the track. Your inability to separate how any of these decisions are made from your assertion that they are all made so SWA can prosper and others be made to fail is your downfall.

Alfred Khan said this:

"And I remember I was asked to predict, "Well, what do you think the industry will look like if you get out of the way?" And I said, "If I knew what was the most efficient configuration of routes in the airline system, then I could continue to regulate. But since I can't tell you whether it's going to be a Delta kind of operation or it's going to be more like the Eastern shuttle, which is just back and forth, or Southwest Airlines, which was then just back and forth between Houston and Dallas, it doesn't make sense to leave it to an ignorant person like me to tell airlines how they can best configure their routes." And of course we got out of the way, and there was radical transformation in the industry, which told us what was the more efficient way to do it.

So once we deregulated, even though it unleashed competition and it proved to be very, very painful to the airlines, especially in the early 1990s when they lost billions of dollars - the fact is that none of them wanted to go back to the protectionist days."

 

[Flopgut]

Deregulation has been around a long time, in fact long enough that maybe we can stop using it exclusively to tear the nuts off legacy airlines. Why not see how well Delta can do at Love Field? Especially since swa has 95% of it. The unfortunate fact is the govt is used to deregulation only going in SWA's favor.

I'm not saying we go back to regulation, I'm suggesting SWA was never really de regulated like other airlines. It masked itself as the epitome of what the end result was suppose to be. When in reality things like the Love Field debacle were schemes to prop it up. Keep in mind: if SWA had not been allowed to stay at Love, they would not be in business. Fast forward to today and SWA has monopoly control of two very strategic Texas airports and is being allowed to construct it's own FIS. It's become the epitome of what it stood against 40+ years ago.

If SWA gets these gates, are you ready to admit there is a double standard? Cause that's probably going to happen.

 

[hockeypilot44]

Only fair, after having that Wright amendment rammed down their throat for so many years.

What are you talking about? Without the Wright amendment, no airline would have moved to DFW. Southwest could have moved just like everyone else. Now that the Wright amendment is going away, it is unfair to the other airlines as they can't move back to LUV because there are no gates.

 

[scoreboardII]

So Love should only have LCCs and DFW should only have legacies? That's F'ed up Howie, but convenient for SWA.

The DOJ isn't in GK's pocket, but the government very much wants de-regulation to be a lasting success. In order to do that, SWA has got to continue to do well. Alfred Khan said SWA was the proof of the policy.

How the heck is ONLY allowing lower cost airlines like Spirit into LUV going to be better for SWA, please enlighten us.

 

[SWA Bubba]

What are you talking about? Without the Wright amendment, no airline would have moved to DFW. Southwest could have moved just like everyone else. Now that the Wright amendment is going away, it is unfair to the other airlines as they can't move back to LUV because there are no gates.

You need a history lesson.

DFW opened, and all the airlines (except Southwest) moved there by 1974. They all agreed to move there of their own accord, because the facilities were to be bigger and better, and they wanted to take avail. Southwest stayed at Love because it made sense for our operation.

The Wright Amendment didn't come along until 1979, and as a direct result of Southwest announcing interstate service after The Airline Deregulation Act of 1978 made it legal for them to do so. The WA had nothing to do with DFW and the other airlines moving there; it happened after that fact. It was a change in the law to keep Southwest from competing with the established carriers on longer routes from Dallas.

Good God; did you go to the Flopgut School of History?

Bubba

P.S. By the way, the reason there are no more gates at Love, is because American Airlines wanted it that way. Not Southwest. Complain to them, and get them to reverse their position on limiting love Field.

 

[Flopgut]

DFW opened, and all the airlines (except Southwest) moved there by 1974. They all agreed to move there of their own accord, because the facilities were to be bigger and better, and they wanted to take avail. Southwest stayed at Love because it made sense for our operation.

They moved there of their own accord because Love was suppose to be closed. SWA staying was a loophole that only barely made the legal cut. And it did not "make more sense for your operation" Bubba, it was the only way you were going to stay in business. When other airlines wanted back into Love they were stopped (again, only by the thinnest of legal margins) and SWA was protected. And we see this happening again today, all over again. SWA being spared the harsh competition in not only Dallas, but Houston as well.

 

[General Lee]

The ironic part Flop is that SWA has been known as the "low cost darling", yet today they have legacy costs due to their employees and longevity. Their fares aren't always the lowest either. Yet they still get slots at DCA and can try to keep others out of Love Field. Plus, they aren't the low cost leader anymore, which Spirit and eventually Frontier will be. Those pizzas were a great investment I guess....


Bye Bye---General Lee

 

[Freebrd]

Wow now that was an absolutely brilliant post Jenny.

 

[scoreboardII]

The ironic part Flop is that SWA has been known as the "low cost darling", yet today they have legacy costs due to their employees and longevity. Their fares aren't always the lowest either. Yet they still get slots at DCA and can try to keep others out of Love Field. Plus, they aren't the low cost leader anymore, which Spirit and eventually Frontier will be. Those pizzas were a great investment I guess....


Bye Bye---General Lee

But be sure to NOT mention we don't charge for bags, food, drinks, using a credit card, no change fees, etc, etc....

But lets compare:

Spirit flights from FLL to LAS 28 Feb rtn 8 Mar. Fares range $450-$650 RT

SWA same dates :$850-$1,100

But lets finish the story with Spirit:

Want to take one piece of luggage? $100 EACH WAY!!!!!

Your smart GL you'll only take a carry on, that will be $100 each way

You planned to golf right? $100 for that bag. each way

Need to change days? $115

Want your choice of seats? $150

Want to call Spirit and talk? $10

Drink? $10

Food? $10

So, your cheapest fare on Spirit, with one checked bag and carryon is $850, exactly what SWA gives, plus, free drinks food, change at will, etc.

This will always be SWA's advantage.

Spirit will always be able to find the feeble minded shoppers who don't think past the next mouse click.