Gary Kelly announces the next SWA city is...

[mach zero]

I don't like Nancy Pelosi....BUT....let us not forget that she is THIRD in line to be leader of the free world. No matter how much you hate her (and I'm on the hate side), her flying on secure military transport is a matter of national security. I would be surprised if other House Speakers were told to fly commercial.

Just a thought.

Here's a thought...why don't all of you hijackers start another thread on politics somewhere else. This was supposed to be about SWA and KSFO but despite requests from myself and others it continues to be about Pelosi.

 

[ivauir]

What gov't aircraft can't make it from Andrews to SFO? I am pretty sure that the G-IV's and 737's can. Am I missing something?

A C-130 can make it, and hold her entourage, and a staff car. Shoot, I bet we can find a "comfort pallet" around here somewhere.

 

[Esprit]

Do you think we can get back to talking about Nancy Pelosi?

Thank you.

Esprit

 

[Ex737Driver]

more than six years after pulling out of SFO because of what the airline said were unacceptable flight delays, high costs and curbs on growth.
Finally, those issues have been resolved, Southwest Chief Executive Officer Gary Kelly said Thursday, prompting the airline to return to SFO

What planet is he living on?

 

[Spooky 2]

SFO

Southwest today announced our intent to resume service at San Francisco International Airport. While we have not released specific service details or a timeline, we are currently in discussions with the Airport, and we aim to return to the West Bay in a meaningful way in the early fall.
“San Francisco International is the only major Bay Area airport we don’t currently serve, having made a very difficult decision in 2001 to cease service there after nearly 20 years,” said Gary. “Today, SFO has improved operationally and is a more cost-efficient airport, and Southwest is a far larger airline than it was in 2001 and better able to support this type of operation.”
We initiated service at SFO in October 1982 with four nonstop flights to LAS, with direct or connecting service to cities like HOU, ELP, ABQ, and AUS. At the time we ceased service on March 4, 2001, we had 14 nonstops to SAN and PHX.
“The business reasons for leaving San Francisco in 2001 were clear,” said Gary. “Back then, facility and runway constraints meant we could not compete and be profitable, and there was no growth potential beyond the 14 flights we had at the time. Frankly, we had demand at our other California airports that we knew would be successful. It made more sense to leave.
“The Airport Commission, under the leadership of Mayor Gavin Newsom and Commission President Larry Mazzola, has made SFO a more attractive venue for true low-fare carriers like Southwest. Working closely with SFO Director John L. Martin, Southwest was excited to learn of the constructive changes at SFO, so now it makes even more sense to return.”
Today’s announcement does not affect our commitment at OAK, where we have 142 daily departures; or SJC, where we have 76 daily departures.
“Similar to the Washington, D.C., metro area where we serve BWI and IAD; or the Los Angeles area where we serve LAX, ONT, BUR, and SNA; or the Boston metro area where we serve from PVD and MHT; the Bay Area is large enough to support complementary service from three airports. We’ve never questioned that.”
Stay tuned! We will release more details of our future service to SFO in the coming months.

This is great news. Delta has been hosing down the public between SLC and SFO for the last year or so. Out of sight fares for a ride in the RJ. Nothing bigger than an RJ between SLC and SFO. Can't count the times I have gone over to OAK to catch SWA for a mere $160 walk up rate compared to DAL's $645.

 

[FlyDouglasJets]

1. Last 3 new cities announced have been UAL hubs....coincidence? Things that make one go hmmmm
3. Weather/ATC delays were problems in PHL....those have been minimized when folks said they couldn't....the same challenges exist in SFO...are they fixed? We'll see but obviously folks with a lot more information on the "big picture" than anyone of us believe it is worth the risk....we're getting more gates in PHL and I suspect there are some options for further growth in SFO if SWA needs it.

UAL has a marketing staff fresh w/ MBAs that are still popping pimples. They are fairly big push overs these days. Other than the INTL flts to Asia and a few to EU, the domestic pig is stuffed. SWA knows that. It's easy pickens and the yields @ IAD/DEN/SFO are still low-hangin' fruit.

SFO now has an improved PRM approach, arrival rate is about 20% higher these days w/ similar cig/vis.

 

[LeonPhelps]

Yeah, Ummmmm....

....so when is SWA going to ATL? And how? I mean, there are a lot of ladeeth down there that are in desthperate need for Leon!! And asth far asth Nanthee Pelothee...I would need to be at least half a bottle of courvossier down for that one!

 

[REK]

As soon as we buy Airtran.

 

[Murphy]

As soon as we buy Airtran.

now play nice

 

[chase]

The hole in the SWA system in the ATL area is a glaring weakness but iit is fixable, but some questions need to be answered. I spoke to a former pilot who flew out of ATL routinely and filled me in on some observations that makes sense, please comment with what you know.

1. The new runway is completed in ATL, the new terminal that would feed that runway is nearing completion. Originally it was designed for the RJs; now the majors want to keep the RJs closer because they feed so many paxs to the mainline.

Question: Can anyone confirm that observation and has any airlne been promised the new facility there adjacent to the new runway?

2. If the above answer is "no one has spoken for it", the answer would pretty much open up the opportunity for SWA to operate independent and autonomously out of a new facility and off a runway they could use nearly exclusively....a large leap of faith I know so please spell out the error of my logic.

If the above does occur then SWA could find itself in ATL in the near future. Airports worthy of our entry are still out there but nothing would be as enticing as to fill our current hole in our map as it would be to go into ATL with that type of insulation against the other delays at other terminals and runways. Would DAL allow that to happen without a major fight? Absolutly not....certainly the Hartsfield folks will listen very closely to the complaints of favoritism toward SWA (not really but I'm sure DaL would raise the flag regardless).

Don't know about landing fees or costs there but I would think there would be some nice incentives that both sides might like to see in order to both get something they'd like; SWA into a ATL and Hartsfield to get the largest lowcost leader in the country flying from its airfield. The growth potential would be huge....not sure what fares have been doing in ATL in the last year but Chicago latest results show that even large airports can have declines in fares to major points if they open their doors widely to SWA...the last numbers show this has happened in MDW but not in any other markets closes to that size.....Hartsfield would luv to have the same thing said of them in 18 months if SWA was to go in there, albiet under the conditions of operating from a separate terminal (new) and a runway that would be dedicated to their operations.
We'll see what happens, it will be interesting.