SWA Business plan Tanking..Did I miss something?

[HalinTexas]

I've also heard the assigned seating experiment in SAN has not worked out so well.

So, can any of you WN geniouses explain to me how you hope to accomplish international ops without assigned seating? I've yet to hear of any flights that do this without HSA or a foreign government knowing where everyone sits.

 

[HalinTexas]

If SWA pilots and other employees will do whatever it takes to save the company if asked, will they sacrifice their young to do it, or will it be spread evenly accross the seniority lists?

Or will they give up anything at all? Will WN continue its profitability without any changes?

I predict that SWA's future will not be static. There will be changes. Not all pleasant.

 

[Quimby]

Aaaah, I knew I would get a response like this. I never applied to SWA - UAL was my first choice when I retired and I got it. I had internal recs from some guys in my squadron and I didn't need to apply anywhere else. This was pre 9/11 - I was on the line for 4 months and I got furloughed. I actually found a great Global Express job near my house that pays me more than what a senior SWA pilot makes and yet I fly maybe 10 days per month. I get a car service to and from my home. I get to stay in 5-star resorts on RONs and I eat great food all the time on the boss who is very progressive and generous. He even lets me invest in his private equity deals - I am not concerned about my pension at all. I never, ever wanted to fly 5-6 sectors per day - AND THAT'S A FACT. I have friends at SWA and they are always exhausted. Not everyone wants to fly a CORNDOG 737 for the rest of their flying careers. I flew the 737-500/300 at UAL and it SUCKED. I am so glad I am not flying that POS for the rest of my long career - sorry that you have to and that you have no choice. Good for you - seriously, enjoy those constant 25 minute turns for the rest of your career. A friend of mine left UPS for SWA and he deeply regrets that decision and wishes he could turn back time...

If you re-read my original post you will see that I started by talking about the harsh operating environment that you guys will be entering soon with other growing LCCs invading your turf or targeting your most profitable markets. But you refuse to acknowledge it - it is better to bury your head in the sand... SWA will no longer enjoy a lack of competition and, instead, your lack of IFE and proper boarding will put you on the defensive when you compete with other LCCs with better ammenities. That is a fact. All I said was that the environment is far different from the one described in NUTS - am I wrong about that? Nope. Lack of growth (at the rates you enjoyed in the past) will not sit well with the stock analysts who are looking very closely at both revenue and net income growth. The LCC world will become a feeding frenzy because domestic growth is the name of the game and SWA has only barely talked about potential international expansion. If things were working so well domestically, why even consider international expansion? Well, DAL and CAL are doing very well by focusing on growth areas. Get it or am I typing too fast for you?

As for the stupid SWA boarding study, I am so glad that they refuse to share the data with outsiders. Yeah, or that they don't explain their study methodology. Sure, that is really credible. You may like that type of boarding but nobody I know would agree with you if the other option existed. I can't wait to hear the reasons why that type of boarding option is preferred from ANYONE ON FLIGHTINFO. Please tell me why you prefer that type of boarding if you have the same airfares, the same time frequencies and everything the same except the boarding options. Why Cattle Car preference? I want an answer instead of personal attacks - unless you can't articulate one...

General Lee's brother has spoken....

 

[B6 Tech]

Ummm... Southwest employees are probably some of the most productive and hard working employees out there. I believe they've worked DAMN hard over the years to get where they are.

Dude thats not even close to what I meant. Not singling out any employees at SWA. Just saying that the easy pickins' may be gone... You SWA guys sure are soft when it comes to a little constructive critisim huh?

 

[IronCityBlue]

One Pruential pundit unravels 35 years of success, story at 11

The only reason Southwest has been sucessful is because of that sweetheart deal Boeing gave them...no payments on aircraft for 35 years. That's soon coming to an end. Southwest = People's Express! :laugh:


But seriously, bet against SWA at your own peril. JetBlue is a premium coach LCC with great IFE and industry leading legroom. And we're absolutely terrified of Southwest. AirTran and JetBlue occasionally spar over routes, but rarely ever even think about overlapping SWA. Why is that? "Lower cost" RJ's? YGTBSM. That's like buying crack in volume to save 20%. Sure it costs less than you were paying before, but its still extremely expensive. Of course RJ's have their niche and always will (like feeding pax to a hub or the occasional cherry picking of a high yield route or prime market hub overfly) but overlapping SWA's route structure ain't that niche.

As for the cattle car boarding issue, some people like it, some don't. When and if enough pax actually change their buying habbits as a result of that one issue, I'm sure SWA can quickly change that method of boarding. I don't see this as a huge issue at all.

Bottom line is they are lean, mean, smartly run and they move airplanes like nobody's business. What was the point of this thread again?

 

[SWA/FO]

So, can any of you WN geniouses explain to me how you hope to accomplish international ops without assigned seating? I've yet to hear of any flights that do this without HSA or a foreign government knowing where everyone sits.

I got the answer for you.......... "we will go to assigned seating when we start flying international. or we will let ATA do it with their assigned seating."

I predict that SWA's future will not be static. There will be changes. Not all pleasant.

I guess, you're not going to try a 4th time? From the tone of your posts, I'd say NOT. I predict......... no decision board for you.

 

[328dude]

Perhaps he got a better offer or maybe he changed his mind. Do you know him? Why go back to the bottom of the list at UAL (which has no noticeable strategy and continues to lose money) when you can fly for a "cherry" flight department that sounds pretty cool. Your accusatory tone makes you sound like a paranoid dork....

Johnsonrod=On Your Six. Wow, two logins. Nice. Good luck with that.

 

[HalinTexas]

I got the answer for you.......... "we will go to assigned seating when we start flying international. or we will let ATA do it with their assigned seating."



I guess, you're not going to try a 4th time? From the tone of your posts, I'd say NOT. I predict......... no decision board for you.

Now, was this necessary? I guess for you it is. You represent SWA well.

SWA has made it clear they don't want me. I'm not worthy. I also know, was warned actually, that SWA PD/PR read this and ATA's "private" web board. I've been blackballed.

Comments like yours are not unique. ATA has heard them from your own union, directly, as well as from other pilots while we jumpseat on you. Neighborly.

I'm not saying that all SWA employees are like you, but I've witnessed enough to know that history is repeating itself at SWA, slowly, but surely. You can cut the arrogance and self-righteousness with a knife. Almost as easily AA's. I remember UAL and DAL thinking the same thing. I remember CAL was considered a dirtball airline 15 years ago, but now they're one of the best out there. Time will tell. Will you be ready?

 

[SWA/FO]

Now, was this necessary? I guess for you it is. You represent SWA well.

I guess, I should have typed it differently..... "from your posts it appears you no longer want to work at SWA, so I guess you will not be going to the decision board"

You can cut the arrogance and self-righteousness with a knife

Yeah, I know we are just like UAL and DAL. Exactly.

 

[Howard Hughes]

Now, was this necessary? I guess for you it is. You represent SWA well.

SWA has made it clear they don't want me. I'm not worthy. I also know, was warned actually, that SWA PD/PR read this and ATA's "private" web board. I've been blackballed.

Comments like yours are not unique. ATA has heard them from your own union, directly, as well as from other pilots while we jumpseat on you. Neighborly.

I'm not saying that all SWA employees are like you, but I've witnessed enough to know that history is repeating itself at SWA, slowly, but surely. You can cut the arrogance and self-righteousness with a knife. Almost as easily AA's. I remember UAL and DAL thinking the same thing. I remember CAL was considered a dirtball airline 15 years ago, but now they're one of the best out there. Time will tell. Will you be ready?

For those who hang in there long enough destiny has a way of manifesting itself. Good Luck Halin. You seem like a good guy to fly with. I tend to agree with you RE attitudes of some of the SWA gang on here. Eerily reminscent of United guys/girls back in the late nineties when they were top dog. What are the chances someone can have success and be humble about it in this business? Based upon what we have seen here, not very good. Unfortunately or fortunately depending on how you look at it, pride and arrogance eventually cut the legs out from underneath those who display it, given some time.