SWA Announces DEN Routes

[pipe]

Hey Tail Meathead, nice post. I agree with everything you said (with a few minor exceptions):

1. I'm not a turd
2. I'm not elitist. Class is class and people don't need money to be classy. Based on the language in your post, though, I'm guessing that this is a weak area for you so I'll move on
3. I didn't vote for Bush. Voted for Kerry (lesser of two evils, but still very evil)
4. I am certainly not a rich elitist. In fact I am on probation at my fourth (and hopefully my last) airline, thus I cannot particularly afford to fly. As such, I do not harbor unreasonable expectations that I should be fed, watered, and taken coast-to-coast for $39. I would prefer that the U.S. airline industry charge rational prices, thus ensuring that when I do have enough disposable income to travel at will, the service will still exist.
(by the way, I will save you the trouble of making snide comments about the 4 airlines - one bankruptcy, 1 furlough, 1 resignation to go to a more stable carrier, and the current one. Never fired, counseled, ask to leave, etc. Sorry to steal that one from you in advance)
5. I have pumped gas, loaded cargo, washed airplanes. I guess I am all of those people that you seem to think I harbor such disdain for. Wow, now that you mention it, I really hate me. I'm surrently trying to figure out how not be in the same room with me.

Pipe

 

[pipe]

I have good friends at WN. Never interviewed there - never applied. Never wanted to fly the same narrowbody domestically for 30 years. That was also part of why I left F9.

It's not personal by any means. Times just change I guess, and it isn't always for the better. WN has led a shift in US culture and attitude toward flying and I would argue that it hasn't been positive for the majority.

 

[SWA/FO]

SWA rules.

You have the "freedom" to buy any priced airline ticket you want to and on any carrier. Thats what makes this country so great (unless you live in North Texas.)

 

[pipe]

If you live in Texas, apparently you have the "freedom" to renig on a deal.

 

[elcapitan]

Well so much for the great "codeshare" agreement that ATA had with SWA.

What are they (ATA) down to 4 cities out of MDW?

Guess SWA wasn't the saviour that ATA thought it was going to be.

Sure hope George is having a good time in the hurricanes with his 150 foot fishing boat.

Southwest Announces Fares and Schedules at DEN
Gary will unveil our low fares and flight schedule to and from Denver International Airport (DEN) today at 11 a.m. MDT (noon CDT). Customers can now purchase tickets for the new service with airfares beginning as low as $59 one-way—or even lower for our Click ‘n Save and DING! Customers.
We will begin DEN service on January 3, 2006, with a total of 13 daily nonstop departures to the following cities: MDW (four daily), LAS (five daily), and PHX (four daily), and direct or connecting service to 36 other destinations. We will occupy two gates in the C Concourse and will initially have about 40 local Employees.
"These destinations are just the beginning for Southwest in Denver; we look forward to growing with the demand ...," said Gary. "... we can now connect Denver Customers into our coast-to-coast operations."
____________________________

Interesting mix (or lack of to begin with) city pairings...only 3 to start with but all are major connection points for every other city that we fly to...in essence paxs will be able to get to DEN from any SWA city with just one stopover enroute....with ski season starting up soon it will be announced (my weak projection) that DEN will beat PHL's opening as a new city in terms of load factor....hopefully the folks of DEN will find us an appealing product.
_____________________________

Incredible number of flights being added....lots of growth & hiring

Southwest Adds Flights to 44 City-pairs, Including MSY
Southwest today announced the addition of 50 new flights to 44 city-pairs across the nation, eight of which will serve MSY. The new flights will be added in two installments. "Southwest Airlines Customers are traveling at record rates, and they’re asking for more flights," said Senior Vice President Marketing Joyce Rogge. "We’re just giving our Customers what they want."
The 50 flights break down as follows:
Beginning Nov. 12, 2005
New Orleans Service:
• Two new MSY-DAL nonstops
• Two new MSY-BNA nonstops
• Two new MSY-MCO nonstops
• Two new MSY-TPA nonstops
• One additional MSY-HOU nonstop (previously announced)
Other New Service:
• One new LAS-OKC nonstop
• One new LAS-PVD nonstop
• One additional LAS-GEG nonstop (for a total of two)
• One additional LAS-STL nonstop (for a total of two)
Beginning Feb. 5, 2006
• One additional ABQ-HOU nonstop (for a total of three)
• One additional ABQ-OAK nonstop (for a total of three)
• One additional AUS-BNA nonstop (for a total of three)
• One additional AUS-SAN nonstop (for a total of two)
• One additional BHM-MCO nonstop (for a total of two)
• Two additional BUR-OAK nonstops (for a total of 16)
• One additional MDW-PHL nonstop (for a total of eight)
• One additional MDW-SMF nonstop (for a total of two)
• One additional FLL-HOU nonstop (for a total of two)
• One additional HOU-PHL nonstop (for a total of two)
• One additional HOU-TPA nonstop (for a total of two)
• One additional IND-MCI nonstop (for a total of two)
• Two additional ISP-MDW nonstops (for a total of seven)
• One additional JAX-PHL nonstop (for a total of two)
• One additional JAX-TPA nonstop (for a total of three)
• One additional MCI-SAN nonstop (for a total of two)
• One additional MCI-STL nonstop (for a total of six)
• One additional MCI-TPA nonstop (for a total of two)
• One additional LAS-PHL nonstop (for a total of two)
• One additional LAS-TUS nonstop (for a total of six)
• One additional BNA-FLL nonstop (for a total of two)
• One additional BNA-JAX nonstop (for a total of four)
• One additional BNA-LAS nonstop (for a total of four)
• One additional BNA-MCO nonstop (for a total of five)
• One additional BNA-SAT nonstop (for a total of two)
• One additional BNA-TPA nonstop (for a total of five)
• Two additional OAK-SAN nonstop (for a total of 20)
• One additional OAK-SNA nonstop (for a total of nine)
• One additional MCO-SAT nonstop (for a total of two)
• One additional PHL-PHX nonstop (for a total of two)
• One additional PHL-PIT nonstop (for a total of seven)
• One new SAN-SAT nonstop
• One additional STL-TPA nonstop (for a total of two)
• One additional TPA-FLL nonstop (for a total of nine)

 

[ACT700]

A bystander's observation, if I may:

Reading the previous posts, I get the feeling that all of you SWA bashers would probably go to work there in a heartbeat, if they were to offer you a flying position!
But that's just $0.02 from a freightdog--and we know nothing, right?!

This thread is sort of like a "Regionals" thread where they all bash each other for being whores, and scabs, for working for such cheap wages.
Yet I bet each and every one of them would jump at the opportunity to fly bigger and better airplanes, for those same whorish wages, should their airline get lucky and get past scope and all that good stuff.

Ahhh, the irony...

 

[SWA/FO]

Yep, you ever think AA hasn't back out of deals?

The gates at Love come to mind....once they put Legend out of business they had no need for them and tried to weezel out of paying for them. I'm sure the list is long for AA.

 

[scoreboard]

Ooooh, your right!!

They have convinced the public, via the media, that they have things like $29 fares. I challenge anyone to go to the website right now and actually get one - it's B.S.!!!

But they do have this today, right now pal:laugh:

look here:

http://www.southwest.com/hotfares/hotfares_air.html

 

[psysicx]

I think oil has done more bad then anything else.

 

[FlyBarneyJets]

Funny...I seem to be carrying the same types of folks on the WN flights I work as I used to carry on all the United Express stuff I used to fly. Hmmm...

You guys that think low-cost means low-class patrons need to get a clue, I think.

 

[jetalc]

Just checked Frontier flight from Denver-MDW Nov 11-13th: $333.00. Fares will go down, business will be driven higher. People are looking for a better deal. I don't think they are yet willing to pay a premium to watch TV for a couple of hours. My humble biased opinion.

Oohhhh...just checked PHX-MDW-PHX on November 3rd, returning the next day:

SWA - $404
F9 - $317.91

And your ridiculous point is what again?

 

[jetalc]

Just checked Frontier flight from Denver-MDW Nov 11-13th: $333.00. Fares will go down, business will be driven higher. People are looking for a better deal. I don't think they are yet willing to pay a premium to watch TV for a couple of hours. My humble biased opinion.

Oh, and if you book it on Travelocity.com (which SWA isn't part of), you can get the RT on F9 for $278...still trying to see your point...

 

[jetalc]

Denver will LUV WN as soon as they see the fares

See above posts. SWA's fares are not as great as everybody touts them to be.

 

[Slug]

Figure it out

Jetwhatever,

Yes, F9 might charge less, but I guarantee you those WN PHX-MDW-PHX flights will be at a 98% load factor. We charge what we can to make money. I'd say our management and pricing folks have it right. Now, if the load factors were much less, I'd say our fares would come down to where the LF would go up. Its called supply and demand. Maybe F9s LFs aren't that high, or their management/pricing folks don't know what to do. Who knows.


Slug

 

[chase]

Taking a one day snapshot of a particular fare is like making snap jjudgements on person who post on forums....they aren't always as they appear to be....some get better, others are worse.

The fare that is offered today on a particular city fare is based upon many factors but the key one is how full is the flight right now....as someone put it, supply & demand....if Airline A has a lower fare today on a particular route than Airline B it may very well be that Airline B has more seats already sold than Airline A....lower prices will hopefully generate the market forces that some on here appear to dislike....if SWA can charge higher fares on a particular route then who's to blame them if the public makes that choice...the same could be said for F9, JB or AA....that's the way the system should work & let competitive forces determine what the fares should be. Airlines have given up $3.4B in wages/benefits between since 2002 but fuel increases have eaten all of those concessions & then some, $6.2B...fares have had to rise at airlines to cover that difference but those increases are only covering a portion of the fuel increases....SWA has been fortunate, lucky, wise to have hedges that diminish that thereby allowing lower fares....they could've raised their prices by 20-30% & still would be within historical averages of where they have stood in the past in relation to other carriers....they have elected to not raise their fares, a choice that is theirs alone.

As an aside....it was pointed out to me recently & I find it interesting that many oversea carriers have done hedges for quite sometime...it is a regular part of their business plan....I realize SWA isn't the only bright guy around & this confirms it...the other explanation is that it gets down to leadership & vision at the top....one must have that if one is to be successful....I believe we'll do OK in DEN, check back on the numbers in a year, I don't think anyone will be disappointed in the result & I suspect that F9 will have carried more pax over that same time also due to the SWA effect....just one person's opinion....