Southwest expects to rebound from difficult 3rd quarter

[Remington]

Remember the commercials where the cool-aid pitcher dude comes busting thru the fence??? That was awesome.
Mega - find your friend yet?

 

[YourPilotFriend]

Insisting that his carrier has "a number of weapons to choose from," Southwest Airlines CEO Gary Kelly told reporters and analysts at the company's Dallas headquarters this week that a 15% increase in year-end earnings remains a goal for both 2006 and 2007.

They now have to battle aggressive pricing pressure as well as keep current and future customers happy by offering greater incentives to stay with SWA. This is an absolute impossible task even if the pilots were working for free under the current model. In the short term they will have to outright lie to customers, which they are doing right now.

 

[TexaSWA]

In the short term they will have to outright lie to customers, which they are doing right now.

How?--

 

[atafan]

I was just wondering when everyone will realize "we be labor" and have nothing to do with what happens at the head shed of our own carrier, let alone someone elses.

BINGO!

That all depends.

If your airline is doing well then pilots think they are special because of all the extra thing they do like cleaning trash in the cabin or smiling at the paxs and giving cool PAs.

If your airline is not doing well then it's all managements fault.

I've never worked for an airline that the pilots didn't always go above and beyond and give 110% but pilots don't hire FAs and ticket agents, pilots don't shedule aircraft, pick routes, finance aircraft, buy fuel or anything for that matter and we don't hire fancy consultants and negotiate golden parachutes.

We fly airplanes efficiently, safely and use our gray matter to keep the airline moving exceptionally well, but that is only a small piece of the puzzle.

 

[SWA/FO]

We have acquired another aircraft from the Ford Company to keep up with our plans for growth. Like the first aircraft we purchased from Ford, this 737-700 was originally delivered from Boeing in 1998 and has low cycles making it a good fit for our fleet. Ford #2 will enter our service in late December configured with only 128 passenger seats, and non-SWA standard galleys and rear lavatories, until a first quarter 2007 transition visit where afterwards, both Ford aircraft will be reconfigured to SWA standards and have few visible differences to the SWA fleet.

[SIZE=+0]However, due to service demand, Ford #2 will initially enter into service and not receive our “Spirit” exterior paint until the transition visit. It will be flying with a white upper fuselage and tail and a blue lower fuselage with the “Southwest” decal on the tail until then. [/SIZE]

Here is another plane for you doubters.... we are even buying AMERICAN. Now we gots 2 Fords in the garage.

 

[MrPink1911]

were they hot?imp:

hot chick pilots are..... HOT!!!

 

[YourPilotFriend]

How?--

Booking phantom seats, the RR program is eligible for flights that don't exist, the no blackout days are actually blackout days, DING! software, the list goes on and on. Once SWA fuel hedges started to slide slightly last year the company instituted yield management controls. These insure the most seats are filled at the highest prices. SWA is leading passengers to believe they are the best airline to fly for, when in reality, they are certainly not.

 

[Oh-ryan]

Here is another plane for you doubters.... we are even buying AMERICAN. Now we gots 2 Fords in the garage.

What's that? SWA is buying American Airlines? Shouldn't a new thread be started for this?

 

[Tejas-Jet]

Who bought your type rating in the 737?

My old legacy carrier....who has made a trip through BK

Tejas

 

[TexaSWA]

Booking phantom seats, the RR program is eligible for flights that don't exist, the no blackout days are actually blackout days, DING! software, the list goes on and on. Once SWA fuel hedges started to slide slightly last year the company instituted yield management controls. These insure the most seats are filled at the highest prices. SWA is leading passengers to believe they are the best airline to fly for, when in reality, they are certainly not.

Not sure what a "phantom" seat is, but if you mean over booking flights, EVERYONE does that. Surely you dont need that explained to you. You lost me on the rapid rewards program and the flights that dont exist. Not sure what is wrong with the DING stuff, I dont use it.

All airlines have seats at different prices, and of course, its more difficult to get the cheapest ones (restrictions, advance booking etc.)

Its not that I dont think we could use a little make over in certain areas, but there is no conspiracy.