Southwest to build new international terminal at HOU

[scoreboardII]

As nifty as you guys thing your airline is, you no longer fly out of IAH. That's something I'm real happy about. You got booted out and I was part of it. I got a taste of it and I liked it; I want to do more of it. I tried to help what was left of my airline defend the free market in Houston, and I ended up watching while the quasi-ethical Houston mayor refused to gavel out your applause at the Council meeting and let you rub it in. So that's what I'm still pissed about.

Big cities in different countries build big airports, and then all the airlines use them. We compete directly, or we partner in some cases, but the airports are the market. You're expecting the red carpet be rolled out at their airports and don't intend to do the same for them. Do you not think Volaris, Interjet and Aero Mexico don't realize using Hobby will connect them directly to your network? One or two of them will want in on that. I hope awareness builds after the routes are announced as to how little opportunity for competition you've offered, and that before it's done you've got a half dozen airlines wanting in. you're hiding behind a mayor that isn't going to have any sway South of the border.

Yet your magical business just thumbed their noses at Houston and left for Chitago.

 

[Flopgut]

Flop,

Are you delusional? It was an embarrassment to United that your CEO didn't even show up. The only people they sent were a couple of lawyers on their lunch break. When the Mayor asked where Smisek was, they blundered around and said he had important business in SFO. He obviously didn't give a sh!t about Houston.

The whole thing was a waste of time, and you guys didn't even make the effort to show up. So why after several months do you show up here pissed off? It's over.

Former CAL employees showed up. Yeah, our current CEO didn't care to appear and we all wish he did. But I think he knew the mayor was going to approve this no matter what. The city council vote was 16-1, but later many members were indicating it was heavy handedness on the mayor's part that drove the vote. Additionally she pushed the city aviation department to support that piece of absolute fiction you guys wrote about what you were going to do for Houston.

We did a lot as the hometown airline. In fact, there is no comparison between SWA and CAL or now UAL. SWA has meant almost nothing to Houston over the last 40 years even though it was one of your first 3 cities. That's why the Chronicle poll that asked whether Hobby should go international was mostly in favor of "no". Most Houstonians are not fooled. There is no way you're going to create 10,000 jobs, or bring 1.6 billion to the Houston economy, or sell tickets to Bogota for $130. People in Houston know that's BS because you've been flying here for 4 decades and you don't do anything but send the money to Dallas. They aren't rooting against you (like I am) necessarily. They smell a rat and they know you guys wouldn't be trying to pull this if things had not changed at CAL. It's not like you were going to put the effort into Houston to surpass us. You're a penny pinching discounter that only came up with this bright idea because there was some blood in the water. So if what you claimed you would do with the terminal doesn't come to be, you can expect them to want to open it up to an airline that will, or maybe close it. It's going to be expensive to have two FIS running. Especially one just for you if you aren't living up to your promises. They sure as hell won't close IAH.

 

[SWA Bubba]

.....

We did a lot as the hometown airline. In fact, there is no comparison between SWA and CAL or now UAL. SWA has meant almost nothing to Houston over the last 40 years even though it was one of your first 3 cities. That's why the Chronicle poll that asked whether Hobby should go international was mostly in favor of "no". Most Houstonians are not fooled. There is no way you're going to create 10,000 jobs, or bring 1.6 billion to the Houston economy, or sell tickets to Bogota for $130. People in Houston know that's BS because you've been flying here for 4 decades and you don't do anything.....

Really? The "average Houstonian" didn't want the opportunity to fly international out of a choice of airports, with an actual choice of airlines? They all wanted to stay tethered to one single airline, basically charging whatever it wanted, due to no real international competition? Is THAT what you're claiming? You don't actually believe that, do you? You must have a pretty low opinion of the locals there.

C'mon, man, now's your chance for some of that real competition that you were bragging about. You offer your brand of service, the way your business model dictates, out of your chosen airport; and we'll do the same with our preferences. Then you can legitimately "kick our ass."

Or not.

But this way, instead of having your CEO dictate, we get to let the consumer decide.

Bubba

 

[Flopgut]

On the contrary Bubba,I have a very high opinion of Houstonions. They didn't believe the 10,000 jobs or the 1.6 boom to the economy numbers. They don't want the expense of two operating FIS and building a 50 million dollar parking garage. Additionally they understand SWA once flew into Houston and they know enough about your history to understand you don't concede anything easily. So there must have been more to you leaving and to you thumbing your nose at the 7 empty gates IAH than you're letting on.

*edit* Here is maybe something we can agree on Bubba: I like Houston well enough that I can admit, if you can deliver 10,000 jobs and 1.6 billion to the economy (and sell a ticket to Bogota for $130) then this was the right thing to do. If SWA can't do that, then that terminal ought to be boarded up and FIS closed, and SWA needs to be told to put big boy pants on and go to IAH.

 

[SWA Bubba]

On the contrary Bubba,I have a very high opinion of Houstonions. They didn't believe the 10,000 jobs or the 1.6 boom to the economy numbers. They don't want the expense of two operating FIS and building a 50 million dollar parking garage. Additionally they understand SWA once flew into Houston and they know enough about your history to understand you don't concede anything easily. So there must have been more to you leaving and to you thumbing your nose at the 7 empty gates IAH than you're letting on.

You must have been great at dodgeball in grammar school!

You know why we "thumbed our noses" at the empty international gates at IAH. Do I have to repeat the explanation about all of our passengers being at Hobby, and forcing them to get across town to IAH to connect to international? While yours are already there? How about, just for once, YOU address that, Flop? And explain how that can be a fair competition?

And the average Houstonian isn't shouldering "the expense of [an additional] FIS and...50 million dollar parking garage." Bonds and PFCs pay for that, exactly the same as any other airport with expansion costs. But now, Houstonians will have a choice, instead of being forced to kowtow to the Unical monopoly. Again, the "American Way."

Good luck in the competition, Flopgut! I'm looking forward to it.

Bubba

 

[FlyinGuy]

Way to show that home town support and bail to Chicago!!

 

[scoreboardII]

notice the flop doesn't answer that side of the equation, which will be long remembered by HOU.

 

[Flopgut]

notice the flop doesn't answer that side of the equation, which will be long remembered by HOU.

It was a real bad deal, I wish we didn't change headquarters. I think it was a mistake. But the mayor made the wrong decision as well. I also don't think us changing headquarters elevates your operation at all (how do you think it does?). United is still, and has been for decades, one of Houston's largest employers. SWA has claimed a 10,000 job increase will result from this and I believe the city will hold you to that. I know this: former CAL Houstonians will be watching this close. If the new FIS slows down IAH FIS, if the 1.6 billion doesn't happen, or the jobs don't materialize that SWA promised, OR if South American and domestic carriers that want the same sort of access to Hobby facilities that CAL made available at IAH for competing carriers, then the mayor/city needs to answer and make changes.

 

[Flopgut]

You know why we "thumbed our noses" at the empty international gates at IAH. Do I have to repeat the explanation about all of our passengers being at Hobby, and forcing them to get across town to IAH to connect to international? While yours are already there? How about, just for once, YOU address that, Flop? And explain how that can be a fair competition?

Ok. You made a bad business decision. Using Hobby was short sighted. Why should everyone have to adjust to Southwest's bad decision? You basically admitted as much in the final language of the fix to the WA in Dallas [Secondary airport should not have international flights]. You don't have so much down there that you couldn't have easily moved the whole thing to IAH. Yeah, the 50 million [parking garage] is coming from PFCs etc, but it's money that would have gone a lot further at IAH. It's resources being squandered. What's the end play here? $200 million or so and a lot of ongoing expense to duplicate facilities already available? All so you don't have to compete directly with anybody?! ORD has UAL and AMR. That's what should have happened at IAH.

You just don't want to put the corndog next to our airplanes. Pure and simple.

 

[ofacegangsta]

That has to be it. You'll never see a corndog in DIA for that very reason.

 

[DUBLINFLYER]

I am sure tHe Houston flying public would like a choice of International airports especially the people who live down south. The traffic around Houston is dense and to try and cross the city at any time (especially rush hour) is a nightmare. The city is big enough to have two international airports - one large and one small,

 

[HowardBorden]

That precedent led to some FAA rule that former Houston Mayor White used to assure Continental that all the money we [CAL] sunk into IAH would keep it a level playing field.

Never mind, just not worth it.

 

[Sacha]

I'm surprised Frank Lorenzo didn't crawl out from under his rock and publicly support Continental and decry their abandonment of Houston. After all, his love and legacy of Continental and all their dedicated employees is a Shining Chapter in Aviation history.

Idiots who don't know, or don't care about History, particularly their own, should STFU....

 

[SWA Bubba]

Ok. You made a bad business decision. Using Hobby was short sighted. Why should everyone have to adjust to Southwest's bad decision? You basically admitted as much in the final language of the fix to the WA in Dallas [Secondary airport should not have international flights]. You don't have so much down there that you couldn't have easily moved the whole thing to IAH. Yeah, the 50 million [parking garage] is coming from PFCs etc, but it's money that would have gone a lot further at IAH. It's resources being squandered. What's the end play here? $200 million or so and a lot of ongoing expense to duplicate facilities already available? All so you don't have to compete directly with anybody?! ORD has UAL and AMR. That's what should have happened at IAH.

You just don't want to put the corndog next to our airplanes. Pure and simple.

You seem to be losing it now, Flop. I suggest you try to let it go.

We didn't make any such "bad business decision." Hobby works great for us domestically, and it will work great for us internationally. We admitted nothing of the sort about Dallas and the Wright Amendment. Even though that piece of sh1t, partisan, protectionist document is finally essentially going away, you're still using it against Southwest as a punchline. Nice.

The fact is, that the WA was essentially an unconstitutional writ of attainder. Look that up, Flop. After losing in every court in the land, multiple times, American finally got their paid-for politician (Rep Jim Wright (D-Ft Worth)) to stick it in an unrelated bill, so that American could finally get their way and have an enforced monopoly. The 2006 compromise that finally rid us of this unfair yoke included that "no international from DAL" stipulation, because it was the only way to get it done. Do you think we wanted to be barred from international flying out of DAL? No. We didn't want that. But we wanted to remain shackled to only Texas' surrounding states even less. That's the only reason for that tidbit. But I'm sure you knew that as well.

As far as your moronic statement about not wanting to compete with you directly ("corndogs next to [your] airplanes"), I think Ofacegangsta said it best. Or in one word, Flop: "Denver."

Again, how about YOU fly out of airports that YOU want to, and WE'LL fly out of airports that WE want to. It's pretty simple, really. Why do you seem afraid to do that? You know, you don't see us trying to tell you how to run your business model. How come you keep trying to make us follow your model? Who does that make look worried now?

Bubba

 

[CA Calypso]

Ok. You made a bad business decision. Using Hobby was short sighted. Why should everyone have to adjust to Southwest's bad decision? You basically admitted as much in the final language of the fix to the WA in Dallas [Secondary airport should not have international flights]. You don't have so much down there that you couldn't have easily moved the whole thing to IAH. Yeah, the 50 million [parking garage] is coming from PFCs etc, but it's money that would have gone a lot further at IAH. It's resources being squandered. What's the end play here? $200 million or so and a lot of ongoing expense to duplicate facilities already available? All so you don't have to compete directly with anybody?! ORD has UAL and AMR. That's what should have happened at IAH.

You just don't want to put the corndog next to our airplanes. Pure and simple.

ORD has MDW as well. New York has three major airports. SoCal has five airports, and NorCal has three with competing service. Really, what is your point? Your posts are written with the emotion of a scorned teenage girl...