SWA today like the airline in the book, "Nuts!"?

[scoreboardII]

A few hundred disgruntled FAT CPs can sure wreak havoc...

No, but 3000 FO's can.

 

[27 driver]

SWA of today is at the same point Delta, TWA, United, AA, Pan Am, etc, where within a few years of when they all failed.

This company makes money despite itself.

Once that momentum dies, and the reality of a stagnant product, inability to adapt to the marketplace, and a completely disgruntled employee group will result in the same result that all those legacies realized: failure.

I'm glad that some from the inside can see this. From the outside looking in its not pretty. If things don't change SWA will travel the same path as all the other legacies and its not fun.

 

[wood pecker]

Yes my friends at Delta remind me of how great it was back in the day with their culture. They even bought a 767 for the airline. Now those same guys said they would not even buy a roll of TP for the airline after what has happened over the years.

 

[HowardBorden]

SWA of today is at the same point Delta, TWA, United, AA, Pan Am, etc, where within a few years of when they all failed.

This company makes money despite itself.

Once that momentum dies, and the reality of a stagnant product, inability to adapt to the marketplace, and a completely disgruntled employee group will result in the same result that all those legacies realized: failure.

It's my third airline, and although it is far from perfect and debatably traveling on an unchangeable path to mediocrity, I will still choose SWA on its worst day over the vast majority of others on their best day.

Those that have not experienced the seedy underbelly of this cutthroat industry truly do not understand how good we have it. Some of the biggest critics that actually work here have never worked anywhere else, not all of the critics of course, but a large majority.

Could it be better? Of course!

Was it once better than now? Most definitely!

Are we in the death spiral? I think not.

 

[scoreboardII]

I didn't say death spiral, just failure, failure doesn't necessarily mean bankruptcy. Failure at it's core mission, people from A to B: safely, efficiently, on-time. SWA is losing on two out of the three. SWA can recover, but they need to adapt. I'm not seeing any adapting, more like retrenchment into their old ways, but not the good old ways. Stuffing 143 seats into a 137 hull, added baggage, and not changing ramp manning one iota is an example of an old way gone wrong.

 

[General Lee]

It's my third airline, and although it is far from perfect and debatably traveling on an unchangeable path to mediocrity, I will still choose SWA on its worst day over the vast majority of others on their best day.

Those that have not experienced the seedy underbelly of this cutthroat industry truly do not understand how good we have it. Some of the biggest critics that actually work here have never worked anywhere else, not all of the critics of course, but a large majority.

Could it be better? Of course!

Was it once better than now? Most definitely!


Are we in the death spiral? I think not.

Probably not in a death spiral Howie, but definitely not the same it was prior to your "hostile" takeover of the other pilot group. Bad feelings, the ones where they felt it was "two against one" in the SLI, will remain for years and years. You can't deny that, just read some posts on here. Next, your airline and the longevity of the employees has taken the "low cost" out of the LCC model. You don't have newhires everywhere making 1st year pay for cheap. You also don't walk into a market and control the fares anymore, and you don't have a fuel hedging advantage. But other than that, it's the same as before, including 5-6 leg intra Texas days. Enjoy it Howie, I'm off to Europe again this week, one leg to a nice layover dinner with crew. Bye!


Bye Bye---General Lee

 

[waveflyer]

It's my third airline, and although it is far from perfect and debatably traveling on an unchangeable path to mediocrity, I will still choose SWA on its worst day over the vast majority of others on their best day.

Those that have not experienced the seedy underbelly of this cutthroat industry truly do not understand how good we have it. Some of the biggest critics that actually work here have never worked anywhere else, not all of the critics of course, but a large majority.

Could it be better? Of course!

Was it once better than now? Most definitely!

Are we in the death spiral? I think not.

This^^^

But we can and will do better-

And despite some poster's gleeful hoping predictions of our demise- I believe we will prosper well after next year

 

[dicko]

A few hundred disgruntled FAT CPs can sure wreak havoc...

Are you making a suggestion or a statement ? Who would they wreak havoc on ?You might want to figure out who they're pissed off with first ......

 

[fareview]

Probably not in a death spiral Howie, but definitely not the same it was prior to your "hostile" takeover of the other pilot group. Bad feelings, the ones where they felt it was "two against one" in the SLI, will remain for years and years. You can't deny that, just read some posts on here. Next, your airline and the longevity of the employees has taken the "low cost" out of the LCC model. You don't have newhires everywhere making 1st year pay for cheap. You also don't walk into a market and control the fares anymore, and you don't have a fuel hedging advantage. But other than that, it's the same as before, including 5-6 leg intra Texas days. Enjoy it Howie, I'm off to Europe again this week, one leg to a nice layover dinner with crew. Bye!


Bye Bye---General Lee

Ha! And talk over dinner about Lucille Ball & the '69 Jets!

Coz the last time I was in DKR at the pool with DAL CREW ..the youngest hostie (61) couldn't talk about anything else...after a vodka or two squeezed out her pool bag!

(True btw... Respect for the old gal, she gave it a go. ; >. )

fv

 

[General Lee]

This^^^

But we can and will do better-

And despite some poster's gleeful hoping predictions of our demise- I believe we will prosper well after next year

You are not going through a death spiral, you are losing your uniqueness as the ONLY LCC that affected the legacies. You are turning into a legacy yourself, just with no longhaul flying.


Bye Bye---General Lee