Schwanker
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- Dec 17, 2001
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[FONT="]NWA to add flights to Chicago, match Southwest's air fares
By LIZ FEDOR, Star Tribune
October 22, 2008
In an aggressive response to Southwest Airlines' decision to begin service
from the Twin Cities, Northwest Airlines said Wednesday it would expand its
flights to Chicago and match Southwest's low fares.
Northwest will offer competitive prices on Southwest's connecting routes
from Chicago. Southwest, which now carries more fliers domestically than any
other airline, connects to nearly 50 cities from Chicago's Midway airport.
"We'll have 10 or more trips to both Midway and O'Hare at competitive
prices" on airplanes that include both first-class and coach seating, said
Tim Griffin, Northwest's executive vice president of marketing and
distribution. That's an increase of four to five nonstop flights daily, with
some on bigger airplanes than are used now.
Northwest also will be competing with Southwest on connecting routes.
"We always look at the full offerings of competitors, both their nonstop
participation in our markets and their connect participation, and factor
that into prices that we will offer," Griffin said. "And we'll do so this
time."
Southwest CEO Gary Kelly said in an interview in late September, when the
airline announced expansion to the Twin Cities, that he'd offer at least 8
to 10 daily departures to Midway beginning in March.
Northwest, United and American offer nonstop service between the Twin Cities
and Chicago, but no low-fare carrier has been flying the route since AirTran
Airways dropped its service to Midway in May.
Southwest, which will operate 137-seat Boeing 737s, plans to release its
schedule and fares on Nov. 6.
Griffin said Wednesday that Northwest stands a good chance of holding on to
its customers.
"The big three criteria in customer decisionmaking are schedule, price and
frequent-flier programs," Griffin said.
Southwest spokesman Chris Mainz said Wednesday that the airline is known for
stimulating traffic and decreasing fares when it enters a market. "It's a
classic example of what the Department of Transportation has coined 'the
Southwest Effect,' and it appears that Minneapolis-St. Paul is already
seeing this phenomenon in action."
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By LIZ FEDOR, Star Tribune
October 22, 2008
In an aggressive response to Southwest Airlines' decision to begin service
from the Twin Cities, Northwest Airlines said Wednesday it would expand its
flights to Chicago and match Southwest's low fares.
Northwest will offer competitive prices on Southwest's connecting routes
from Chicago. Southwest, which now carries more fliers domestically than any
other airline, connects to nearly 50 cities from Chicago's Midway airport.
"We'll have 10 or more trips to both Midway and O'Hare at competitive
prices" on airplanes that include both first-class and coach seating, said
Tim Griffin, Northwest's executive vice president of marketing and
distribution. That's an increase of four to five nonstop flights daily, with
some on bigger airplanes than are used now.
Northwest also will be competing with Southwest on connecting routes.
"We always look at the full offerings of competitors, both their nonstop
participation in our markets and their connect participation, and factor
that into prices that we will offer," Griffin said. "And we'll do so this
time."
Southwest CEO Gary Kelly said in an interview in late September, when the
airline announced expansion to the Twin Cities, that he'd offer at least 8
to 10 daily departures to Midway beginning in March.
Northwest, United and American offer nonstop service between the Twin Cities
and Chicago, but no low-fare carrier has been flying the route since AirTran
Airways dropped its service to Midway in May.
Southwest, which will operate 137-seat Boeing 737s, plans to release its
schedule and fares on Nov. 6.
Griffin said Wednesday that Northwest stands a good chance of holding on to
its customers.
"The big three criteria in customer decisionmaking are schedule, price and
frequent-flier programs," Griffin said.
Southwest spokesman Chris Mainz said Wednesday that the airline is known for
stimulating traffic and decreasing fares when it enters a market. "It's a
classic example of what the Department of Transportation has coined 'the
Southwest Effect,' and it appears that Minneapolis-St. Paul is already
seeing this phenomenon in action."
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