Southwest breaks ground

[nimtz]

Fear.

That's what I smell Flopp, fear. And, based on the history of your airline(s), you have every right to be fearful of how they cannot compete against an unchained SWA.

Dude you seriously need to get out more.

 

[redflyer65]

You're still not getting it. This isn't going to be about SWA only. The City plans to recruit airlines to Hobby just as enthusiastically as they do for IAH. They want all those numbers. Might have been GK's own admission (re the jobs) that sparked the change? IDK. Just because he doesn't plan to have that kind of total impact doesn't mean the City shouldn't go after it, right? This is a free market, is it not? You think the City doesn't have the right to promote their airport past what SWA's specific plans were?

See, this where you guys start to reveal what you really are. You think the whole thing is over because it's just like Love. Flying the routes and doing the work is secondary to you.

Free market is great Flop. Sounds like Hobby will work out just fine for all involved. The extra gate is for whomever. That's how it was approved.

Thanks for stating the obvious.

 

[SWA Bubba]

Answer me this: you've been in Houston for 40 years. Since day 1. What have you done that should concern anyone working at UAL? CAL restructured and then flourished in Houston and SWA didn't really slow it down. You guys need to quit worrying about other airlines and their CEOs. Run your own deal and stfu, ok?

Flop,

You know I like you, and I'm not trying to pile on here. And I think you got sucked in by "Flop-bait" that you probably would have been better off ignoring.

I highlighted your last two sentences in your post, because if you read it again, you might realize that this is exactly what I've been saying to you about this whole issue. You run your deal, and we'll run ours, and maybe we can ALL stfu, you know? Like you said above--we've been at HOU for over 40 years, and you're doing fine at IAH. Why would it be any different internationally-wise? Both airlines will "run their own deal," in the way that their business plan dictates (and as you have now joined me in pointing out), and both airlines will be okay. And maybe some of our pilots will keep their blood pressure under control.

Cheers,
Bubba

P.S. Ignore those other guys--they're just trying to get your goat and draw you into a no-win argument. They don't have your best interests in mind like me!

 

[Flopgut]

Flop,

You know I like you, and I'm not trying to pile on here. And I think you got sucked in by "Flop-bait" that you probably would have been better off ignoring

Thank you for the confirmation. Yes, I did get lured in by your coworkers and their mob mentality does make it seem "no win". Btw: How did you guys turn into this sort of group so quickly? It took UAL and AA decades to transform themselves into the a-holes they once were.

In the effort to educate the City and HAS the former CAL (plus many other types) about negative aspects if what your airline had in store for Hobby, the main effort was to make sure it didn't turn out like Love Field. Initially the City and Mayor told us "we will do whatever the hell we want". I don't know what has made a change, and I don't care to favor one reason over the other, but it seems things have changed at HAS. They now indicate there is to be as much competition at Hobby as there is at IAH. I don't know if it was GK's admission on very few jobs, or the Mayor actually realized her slanted, crazy twitter rants were ridiculous, or that she was going against policy held by two former esteemed Houston Mayors. Don't know, don't care. I assure you I'm looking forward to being the first to stfu on this issue. But not until you guys are actually competing with my airline and others is that going to happen. We want to have our product compete directly with yours. You want your product to stand alone and away from direct competition. Understand we're not agreeing Bubba. That's our fundamental difference.

 

[Flopgut]

http://www.chron.com/news/houston-t...e-was-last-straw-in-3600712.php?cmpid=twitter

SWA doesn't really look for opportunity. It just follows the ambulance.

 

[SWA Bubba]

http://www.chron.com/news/houston-t...e-was-last-straw-in-3600712.php?cmpid=twitter

SWA doesn't really look for opportunity. It just follows the ambulance.

Informative article, Flop; thanks.

But you realize that it's less about Southwest than it is about Unical, right? It was about the cozy relationship between the old Continental and city leaders, how Continental bankrolled certain politicians and including more than $50k to the mayor, and bankrolling his inaugural party. How Continental got special favors from the city, including relaxing the city's code on skyline signs to allow your huge headquarters sign, and firing an aviation director who wasn't "favorable" enough to Continental. In the words of a former Houston city councilman, Continental "pretty much go whatever they wanted." In other words, Continental clearly got "special" favors from the city, which is what you keep accusing Southwest of (even though you can never offer any proof). It looks like you had it backwards, Flop.

Then when the new United/Continental moved its headquarters and 1,500 jobs out of Houston, they basically told the city that it was all about the bottom line. I don't know why you are surprised that the city then approved Southwest's expansion at HOU to create more jobs and opportunities at the city's south side. After all, as Unical proved, it's all about "the bottom line." And then in a snit, Unical cut even more jobs, unrelated ones at that, as "punishment" for the city not wanting to do any more under-the-table "favors" for Unical. Although, I guess it's natural that you'd expect special favors when you bribe the local politicians.

And as far as your analogy goes about Southwest not "look[ing] for opportunity," but rather just "follow[ing] the ambulance," I have to say that it's a pretty witty one. It made me smile. However, as usual, you have it exactly backwards. Creating international flying out of literally nothing (not even a terminal), especially when Unical has a monopoly on Houston international flying, most certainly IS "looking for opportunity." Not sure how you can fail to see that. And we didn't follow the ambulance; it was dispatched to Houston after we got here for international work. It came after Unical slit its proverbial Houston wrist whilst throwing a fit about not getting its way.

Hey, here's my own analogy, Flop. Let's see if you like it: The city may have divorced Unical (divested itself from your special relationship and uh, ... "favors"), but that's only because Unical cheated on the city first. It's no surprise that the lawyers were called in.

Bubba

 

[canyonblue]

http://www.chron.com/news/houston-t...e-was-last-straw-in-3600712.php?cmpid=twitter

SWA doesn't really look for opportunity. It just follows the ambulance.

Yeah, keep telling yourself that.

 

[FlyinGuy]

Btw: How did you guys turn into this sort of group so quickly? It took UAL and AA decades to transform themselves into the a-holes they once were.

This kind of quote really cracks me up. You get in a little tiss with a couple of internet warriors and now our whole pilot group is a bunch of a-holes. What a small world you live in sir!!

 

[Flopgut]

Informative article, Flop; thanks.

But you realize that it's less about Southwest than it is about Unical, right? It was about the cozy relationship between the old Continental and city leaders, how Continental bankrolled certain politicians and including more than $50k to the mayor, and bankrolling his inaugural party. How Continental got special favors from the city, including relaxing the city's code on skyline signs to allow your huge headquarters sign, and firing an aviation director who wasn't "favorable" enough to Continental. In the words of a former Houston city councilman, Continental "pretty much go whatever they wanted." In other words, Continental clearly got "special" favors from the city, which is what you keep accusing Southwest of (even though you can never offer any proof). It looks like you had it backwards, Flop.

Bubba

You're ignoring the part about doing a lot for Houston, which CAL did do. We got a lot because we did a lot. I don't know how you can be in a city for more than 40 years and do less than SWA has. Can you explain that one to me? SWA carries on like they are some special group... What have you done to get special treatment? You've done nothing, and Houston is allowing you to split the FIS. Unbelievable.

*Beyond all this stuff, hopefully Houston has a new mayor on Nov 5th. It's not real likely, but perhaps. I hope the former CAL employees get out and vote. Also, I believe we're going to start to hear of some other airlines that want in on Hobby. That's coming according to HAS. That's all any of us really want in the end. You shouldn't simply win on a decision in a council meeting. You ought to have to go fly and deliver and earn the win.

 

[scoreboardII]

Btw: How did you guys turn into this sort of group so quickly? It took UAL and AA decades to transform themselves into the a-holes they once were.
.

we were trained by guys like you...