SWA invades PHL

[350DRIVER]

U's last stand will probably be PHL. They have mostly abandoned PIT, and I think they'll hold on to PHL until the bitter end. No matter what SWA does, they can't change the fact that the main parallel runways are only 500 feet apart or so, and require either crossing an active for takeoff or to get to the gate. When the snow flies, the place approaches gridlock.

I believe that Airways just signed on for atleast another year to remain in PIT and they are also supposebly in negotiations with the Port Authority to extend that agreement even longer... I for one will avoid SWA at all costs possible no matter what. They have and will always cater towards a certain class of people who are solely concerned about one thing and one thing only, "c o s t ".. I have and will always pay a higher price to fly on a DAL, Airways, UAL, or other airline flight versus getting stuck on SWA.. Not much different than riding in the back of a greyhound from my one and only experience on SWA. (and that was enough to last a lifetime.) It was always funny and a tad comical when I worked for Delta in HOU and we would see the major differences between our pax and those going the SWA way. Fortunately many many others out there will continue to support the DAL, UAL, and Airways of this industry so I tend to think that they don't have too too much to be concerned about with this PHL invasion. You truly get what you pay for and I think most business people who travel weekly can easily see this and will continue to support Airways...

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[Olin]

Long Haul Filghts

Per SWA Insiders, SWA is going to use PHL for long haul flights only, such as PHL - SAN. This will help alleviate the SWA congestion in BWI and 30+ minute delays will have less of an impact on 5+ hour filghts.

 

[enigma]

... I for one will avoid SWA at all costs possible no matter what. They have and will always cater towards a certain class of people who are solely concerned about one thing and one thing only, "c o s t ".. ...

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SWA caters to a certain class alright, and that class is made up of people who want safe, on-time transportation at reasonable rates. You mentioned HOU. I can easily remember sitting in the boarding lounge at Mueller watching half of the Texas House of Representives waiting to to get to Houston. In case my sarcasm isn't obvious, the boarding lounge happen to be a SWA boarding lounge. BTW, this occured just about ever week.

enigma

 

[350DRIVER]

SWA caters to a certain class alright, and that class is made up of people who want safe, on-time transportation at reasonable rates. You mentioned HOU. I can easily remember sitting in the boarding lounge at Mueller watching half of the Texas House of Representives waiting to to get to Houston. In case my sarcasm isn't obvious, the boarding lounge happen to be a SWA boarding lounge. BTW, this occured just about ever week.

Your point being is...?? We would frequently have Johnny Bench, Evander Holyfield, etc, etc, on our DAL ATL flights .. Not really a "big deal" at all quite frankly, and you have got to be joking because at 5pm on any given friday sitting at HOU it was very clear to see the "difference" in the people goin the SWA way. Atleast it gave us DAL folks a giggle... You like SWA then Bless you and Ihope you continue to support them but I for one wouldn't be caught dead on them. The point being was the Airways loyal and faithful PHL pax defintely are not goin to jump ship to go SWA just to save money.

You do truly get what you pay for...


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[LearAv8r]

The point being was the Airways loyal and faithful PHL pax defintely are not goin to jump ship to go SWA just to save money.

I wonder if those loyal and faithful were the same ones that were in Baltimore?


or maybe they just moved to Philly-

 

[crosscut]

LearAv8r, you don’t understand: U has plenty of loyal customers, just think of all the Alabama public employees and recipients / beneficiaries of the Alabama pension fund. Too bad Philly isn’t in Alabama. Oh, and…350’s correct – they all paid 200+ million dollars for the 37% stake in U. So, in the long run they “will truly get what they paid for.”

 

[enigma]

Your point being is...??


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My point is. Your obvious implication that SWA only carries a lower class of pax than does Delta is wrong.

enigma

 

[350DRIVER]

My point is. Your obvious implication that SWA only carries a lower class of pax than does Delta is wrong.

You cannot tell me that the people that "frequent" SWA are the same type(s) of people that are DAL faithful.... I have to disagree completely with you since I saw day in and day out the "types" of people who went SWA versus our pax while I was employed by Delta... Obviously due to the cheap fares that SWA offers people who can't afford DAL are goin the "SWA way", bottom line... - I think you may be a tad amazed if you were in HOU on a friday afternoon BUT regardless if you enjoy being in the back of a cattle heard then more power to you I just prefer the extra service that I get on a DAL or UAL of the industry... Surely nothing personal against SWA.

As you have listed there are always "exceptions" to this "stereo-typing".


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[skydash]

SWA

I agree that SWA caters to a "different group",but that "trailer money" seems to be making us alot more than that "Thurston Howell" money Delta is used to.It's all the same color,we just seem to be able to hang on to ours.

 

[sf3boy]

US Air used to have 35-40 percent of the pax traffice out of BWI. Enter Southwest. Today, Southwest has 35-40 percent of the traffic out of BWI. My source is the USA Today (so it has to be true) of a few days ago. I would bet that Southwest will not go to PHL to fly around empty planes. Whatever number of flights they have, they will be full or SWA will leave town.

For those that think Southwest offers a crap product and that only the "real majors" can operate a lavish flight, I invite you to buy a ticket on Northwest Airlines. Spend a couple hundo more for the ticket, and unless the flight is over 2 hours wheels up to wheels down, first class gets what coach gets. ONE bag of pretzels and a drink of choice. Everyone on a Southwest plane has more choices and variety.

Norfwest has figured that since only 2% of first passengers actually bought a first class ticket, why give them first class service. This sounds familiar...........yes that's right, Southwest only has one class in the cabin.

Bottom line is that pax want to get somewhere and have some dough when they get there and not spend it all on the ticket. Unfortunately, the "real majors" are a little slow to figure this out.