Houston Mayor OK's Hobby International for SW

[Flopgut]

You did not answer my question. Air France, Lufthansa, and emirates coming into Houston are taking Unical jobs. If this keeps Lufthansa out you should kneel down and kiss GK feet. SW will never serve FRA out of Hobby. You currently take passengers there. A 380 not coming is bad how for you?

You just don't get it. We could compete with everyone at IAH.( I can tell you are never going to understand that) We want to compete with other airlines! We wanted YOU to come to IAH. That's all we wanted. Additionally, if the City can't acknowledge that the expensive improvements and up front costs of making something like IAH a reality should be protected, then the market is permanently spoiled.

 

[Secret Squirrel]

You did not answer my question. Another company flying a 380 into IAH is bad for you how? You are the one that keeps bringing that up.

 

[Flopgut]

I'm saying that the 380 is a good thing!! It not coming is a BAD thing. You were trying to suggest I should thank GK for making it less likely the 380 come to IAH. That is an INCORRECT thought process. I want more airlines and more customers and more competition at IAH. K?

Did you not get this whole argument? We wanted more cometition, you didn't...

 

[Homer Jay]

Call me crazy but as a CAL guy based in IAH, I think this may be a good thing. Smisek has been a colossal failure and this is just one more nail in his coffin. I hope the BOD gets off it's collective a$$ and shows him the door. As far competing with SWA, I think we'll do just fine.

 

[waveflyer]

I know you are a smart guy, but you seem pretty weak. In general.

Don't make a mockery of what GK did here. It's not "amazing you had to go thru all this".... It took every bit of that effort on GK's part. And although there are still roadblocks to getting this done, GK signaled to to everyone that he's going to do whatever it takes.

This was just like a footbal game where the teams were evenly matched, but one franchise player stepped up and made it work. The guy across the line of scrimage (my assignment) did not beat me. One guy carried the day.

Weak, eh?
Hmm-
Go on with your anonymous self-
Who made a mockery of anything? I know who we have working here at SWA- and GK is the leader and strongest of a team and family of strong players.
But youre strange analogy is not my point -
It's weak that government was involved this much at all.

 

[Secret Squirrel]

Sure you do. How many United positions are gone because of that 380 going into Houston? How many united positions are gone because of that Aer Lingus deal? That is just the code share part of your problem.

 

[waveflyer]

I'm saying that the 380 is a good thing!! It not coming is a BAD thing. You were trying to suggest I should thank GK for making it less likely the 380 come to IAH. That is an INCORRECT thought process. I want more airlines and more customers and more competition at IAH. K?

Did you not get this whole argument? We wanted more cometition, you didn't...

Yeah, but you didn't want real competition. You wanted competition only on turf that you already dominate. Speaking of weak. Has it occurred to you that deciding what airports to serve is part of the airline competition?Pretty basic part of the business man. Again, ridiculous we were forced to make our case at all. Did you see SAT or AUS holding such hearings?

 

[CF34-3B1]

I think SWAPA needs to park a new Corvette Z06 in GK's drive way asap.

Gary drives a 911

 

[Whataburger]

At least he's smart enough to not buy a car that is plastic.

 

[General Lee]

Amazing that we had to go through all this for the right to build a $120M terminal that the city will now own.
Flop, the consequences you predict sound like hyperbole- a bit blown out of proportion.

And don't forget that it's that same CEO's plan to blame Southwest for your next paycut too. Question is, will you fall for it? So far, you have.

I just can't believe you guys paid for your OWN terminal. Usually you move in to one after a legacy builds a new one.... Welcome to the legacy club.


Bye Bye---General Lee

 

[IAHERJ]

I just can't believe you guys paid for your OWN terminal. Usually you move in to one after a legacy builds a new one.... Welcome to the legacy club.


Bye Bye---General Lee

That's Awesome! Thanks for the laugh!

 

[HalinTexas]

I can't believe this has happened so readily, and that SW is gonna spend that kind of money to make it happen. $120M is more than SWA used to gut, er get, ATA, by far.

I'm sure the city is now interested based on the fact that UniTedintal has moved its HQ to Chicago, and service is IAH is getting limited. Nothing new coming in. The trick is to bring in those that O/D from/to the northern burbs. This definitely good for HOU (future charter airline operations to the 5th gate?) and probably the city as a whole, particularly on the south side.

This will be fun to watch. From afar.

 

[737tanker]

I just can't believe you guys paid for your OWN terminal. Usually you move in to one after a legacy builds a new one.... Welcome to the legacy club.

SWA built their own terminal in STL and ISP. They also built the addition to their terminal in PHL. So what they are doing in HOU is nothing new.

 

[Max Powers]

Gary drives a 911

Does he really??? LMAO that explains a lot.

 

[humveedriver]

Hat's off to Gary kelly. He did it.

For purposes of this argument, I acknowledge it's a big win for SW and a huge loss for CAL/UAL. However, I'm pretty sure the City is eventually going to feel let down. The widebodies and the 787 are pbly headed to the Coasts. The next company like Exxon, that chooses to centrally locate somewhere, will choose somewhere other than Houston. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if Exxon calls it off the Woodlands headquarters right now. The City will try to attract more non-US carriers to IAH, so, that will suck.

I think you are down playing the significance of Houston as important trade city due to its geographical location. The Port of Houston is the busiest US port for foreign tonnage, second busiest US port overall and 13th busiest in the world. Aviation makes trade faster and more convenient. But I don't think the world economy revolves around it. I don't think SWA taking spring breakers to Cancun is going to have that much of a global impact on Houston's importance to the country and it's foreign trade partners.