SWA wants to fly from HOU to MEX and SouthAmerica

[SKC]

You may not have an issue with that. Does SWA management have an issue with that? A serious question because the answer is probably yes. When your kid is sick do you call your boss and say "I need to use a sick day, my child is sick." Or, do you just call in sick. If so, that is fraud. At least in the eyes most management types it is fraud. I'm not condoning it or condeming it. I'm just calling at as most airline managements would see it.

Regards,
Fr8doggie

To answer your question, every time I've called in sick, I've given the reason I'm calling in. My wife is in premature labor....I have strep...my daughter is running a 103 deg temp and my wife has a meeting she really can't miss....etc.

 

[Secret Squirrel]

You may not have an issue with that. Does SWA management have an issue with that? A serious question because the answer is probably yes. When your kid is sick do you call your boss and say "I need to use a sick day, my child is sick." Or, do you just call in sick. If so, that is fraud. At least in the eyes most management types it is fraud. I'm not condoning it or condeming it. I'm just calling at as most airline managements would see it.

Regards,
Fr8doggie

Actually, FMLA specifically includes care for a sick child. And in many cases you can use sick leave during FMLA. I guess each specific company would designate what you can or can not use sick leave for.

 

[outerlimits]

You may not have an issue with that. Does SWA management have an issue with that? A serious question because the answer is probably yes. When your kid is sick do you call your boss and say "I need to use a sick day, my child is sick." Or, do you just call in sick. If so, that is fraud. At least in the eyes most management types it is fraud. I'm not condoning it or condeming it. I'm just calling at as most airline managements would see it.

Regards,
Fr8doggie

That is a company I do not want to work for.

 

[Skyboy722]

To answer your question, every time I've called in sick, I've given the reason I'm calling in. My wife is in premature labor....I have strep...my daughter is running a 103 deg temp and my wife has a meeting she really can't miss....etc.

I never, EVER give the reason. Every word is recorded. "this is xxxxxx, calling in sick. Goodbye."

Why would you even utter one additional word?

 

[SKC]

Every word is recorded.

In many departments, recorded lines aren't a concern.

 

[Bake]

General Six, I'm TankerClown. Can't believe no one figured it out from my avatars.

 

[outerlimits]

General Six, I'm TankerClown. Can't believe no one figured it out from my avatars.

I thought I was tanker clown.

 

[Flopgut]

http://www.chron.com/default/article/Hobby-lobby-Dueling-airlines-political-3510887.php

Hobby lobby: Dueling airlines' political operations take off

Page 1 of 1
In pressing its message that international flights out of Hobby Airport will harm the local economy, United Airlines is drawing on a vast reservoir of good will built up by Continental Airlines, Houston's hometown airline until it was swallowed up by United in a merger.
Continental filled that reservoir with decades of good corporate citizenship, operatives with deep ties to City Hall and tens of thousands of dollars in donations to politicians' campaigns.
By contrast, Southwest Airlines has kept such a low profile in local political circles that the councilman whose district includes Hobby, one of Southwest's busiest locations, told a colleague last year that he did not even know how to get in touch with Southwest's governmental affairs people.
"United's got the political muscle. They've always had the political muscle," said Robert Miller, a City Hall lobbyist who is not working for either airline. "It's not in Southwest's DNA. It's in United's DNA. It's a legacy carrier that's always been involved in politics."
And at the moment, the battle for Hobby is all about politics.
Relationship business
Both sides have enlisted A-list lobbying teams. United's includes Marty Stein, who until little more than a year ago was Mayor Annise Parker's agenda director; former City Attorney Anthony Hall and Greater Houston Partnership Airports Task Force Chair Michelle Baden. Southwest has former City Councilwoman Graci Saenz, and Jeri Brooks, communications director for Parker's 2009 campaign, lobbying at City Hall. State Rep. Garnet Coleman also is advising Southwest.
Darrin Hall, Parker's deputy chief of staff, called it the largest and most intense lobbying effort he has ever seen in eight years at City Hall.
Then, there is the money. A Chronicle review of campaign contribution records dating back to 2007 turned up nearly $90,000 in donations to current council members, the mayor and the 2010 inaugural celebration by Continental's employees political action committee, and past and present Continental/United executives. Parker alone has received $52,298 since the beginning of her last term as controller.
It's not just money, explained Chris Bell, a former city councilman and former congressman.
"Politics is a relationship business and those relationships are built up over time," he said. Continental built those relationships, not with just campaign cash, but by sponsoring and buying tables at local events, supporting arts organizations, lobbying and being out in the community.
In addition, United Continental Holdings is the fifth-largest donor to U.S. Rep. Kevin Brady over his 21 years in Congress, with contributions totaling $49,000. Brady has written a letter to Parker opposing a Customs facility at Hobby, echoing United's argument that it could drain officers away from an already understaffed Bush Intercontinental.
No Southwest donations turned up in the Chronicle's review. That is because there are none to be found, executives say.
"Every fight we've been in over our 40-year history, it's popular support against contributions," said Ron Ricks, Southwest's executive vice president and chief legal and regulatory officer, while lobbying Council outside chambers this week. Southwest has appealed for popular support with its "Free Hobby" Web site that prompts visitors to contact council members with messages of support for Hobby expansion.
'Carpet bombing'
Southwest appeared to have the early momentum. Calls to council offices largely have favored Southwest. Travelers predicted the airline would bring lower fares to both Houston airports and expressed their frustrations over service as United continues merging two airlines into one. Even Parker sent out a tweet complaining about United after a long flight delay.
United also rankled civic leaders when it moved 1,500 Continental corporate headquarters jobs to Chicago.
Finally, an airport-commissioned study concluded that Hobby going global would create 10,000 jobs and inject $1.6 billion a year into the local economy.
All that disintegrated for three hours last Monday as council members blistered Airport Director Mario Diaz for what they saw as a flawed, biased study, seemingly delivering United's talking points from the dais.
There is no formal deal on the table yet, as the city and Southwest would have to negotiate an agreement for the construction of a Customs facility at Hobby.
As Hall, Parker's deputy chief of staff, put it: "United's efforts so far are a bit like carpet bombing the Mojave Desert. While impressive, there is largely no target yet as of this time."
Still, with conflicting forecasts about the economic impact of an expanded Hobby, it's not a black and white issue, Miller said. A gray area is developing, and that is where lobbying can be influential.
"It absolutely comes into play," Miller said.

 

[waveflyer]

"good will built up by Continental Airlines, Houston's hometown airline until it was swallowed"

They mean Houston's hometown airline since 1983 when Lorenzo was screwing everyone in the industry and ... Uh well... Houston's hometown airline for about 10 years when Bethune was at the helm...? Maybe?

It's a good try at branding, but repeating it often doesn't make it true-
Continental was an airline that Houston paid to play in their town, that was playing with denver and LA, and now is playing with chicago-
Everybody knows what united is, but don't pretend that continental has been better- they had one good CEO and thats it.

 

[Saluki Dawg]

Two good CEO's. You forgot about Bob Six.

 

[waveflyer]

And where was the airline when Six was in control?

 

[Saluki Dawg]

Los Angeles of course.

 

[waveflyer]

There you go- Southwest has twice the history with the city of Houston that CAL has-
And HOU is one of our original cities -
I won't deny that Bethune did some good things at IAH and turned CAL and IAH into a much bigger deal than it was- but bethune is long gone-
Herb turned Hobby into a cash cow for Houston as well, and we're asking that Houston will let GK do it again at hobby.


It's not a zero sum game, and UAL is arguing pessimisticly -
If I were Houston I'd be pissed that the company that just moved to chicago is trying to hold us hostage threatening the city with more job losses

 

[Flopgut]

Wave: Trans Texas started in the 40s and became Texas International, and TI bought Continental. They were doing flights to Mexico out of Hobby before SWA even started. People in Houston know this. Don't discount what contributions a merged partner brings to an airline. You especially need to know that. You're going to learn how it's done from your Airtran co-workers.

 

[vixin]

Greater Houston Partnership in favor of Hobby expansion
Houston Business Journal

Date: Thursday, May 3, 2012, 6:37am CDT
Enlarge Image






A committee for the Greater Houston Partnership http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/...ston-partnership-in-favor-of-.html?ana=yfcpc# Greater Houston Partnership Latest from The Business Journals Mysterious mixed-use plans surface for Astroworld siteCell Medica follows cancer research wave to HoustonRice Business Plan Competition award winners cash in Follow this company </SPAN>has voted in favor of the expansion and addition of international flights at Hobby Airport.
The Partnership’s board of directors is expected to vote on final approval of the proposed resolution by sometime before May 11.
Tony Chase, chairman of the Partnership, said the organization is in favor of “two vibrant airports and the benefits that go along with it: more jobs, more travelers and a competitive advantage for our city.
Adding international flights to Hobby’s menu of air travel has been a contentious issue between airlines.
Dallas-based Southwest Airlines Co. http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/...ston-partnership-in-favor-of-.html?ana=yfcpc# Southwest Airlines Co. Latest from The Business Journals Boeing putting new winglets on 737 MaxWhen choice outflanks prime, it’s time to choose greatnessSmart choices can multiply business successes Follow this company </SPAN>(NYSE: LUV) has been lobbying the Houston City Council in favor of building a new international concourse at Hobby so it can offer flights to Latin America.
Chicago-based United Continental Holdings Inc. has argued that an expansion at Hobby Airport would hurt the local economy and cost 1,300 jobs at Bush Intercontinental Airport.
United Continental has a virtual lock on Latin American flights from Houston through its hub at Bush Intercontinental.
On May 8, the two airlines are scheduled to appear before the city council again.
Jeff Moseley, president and CEO of the Houston Greater Partnership, said the partnership has reviewed extensive data from the Houston Airport System http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/...ston-partnership-in-favor-of-.html?ana=yfcpc# Houston Airport System Latest from The Business Journals Frontier Airlines to move from Hobby to IAH in JulyAirport authority backs Southwest Airlines in battle for international flights at Hobby AirportSouthwest praises, United criticizes HAS recommendation for international flights at Hobby Follow this company </SPAN>, the City of Houston, and the dueling airlines.

 

[Flopgut]

http://www.keepiahstrong.com/

FACT CHECK


Here are some of the claims that Dallas-based Southwest Airlines is making surrounding its proposal to introduce international air service out of Hobby, and the facts you should know.



CLAIM: Dallas-based Southwest’s proposal will create more than 10,000 jobs, add $1.6 billion to the Houston economy and generate more than 1.5 million more passengers per year.

THE FACTS: As the saying goes, “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.” And that’s the case with the rushed, flawed study Dallas-based Southwest and the Houston Airport System (HAS) are using to make promises to Houston that many experts believe they won’t be able to keep. The study makes Hobby international service sound like a tremendous economic benefit to Houston and remarkably, even to IAH.

Meanwhile, other experts say the Southwest-HAS study is fatally flawed because it assumes unrealistically low fares. It relies on traffic stimulation and fare-reduction effects that are more than 20 years old, and that don’t reflect the current aviation industry. These flawed assumptions don’t take into account today’s skyrocketing fuel costs, which would substantially alter the analysis. It relies on this flawed data to justify claims that a policy change will stimulate more flying and create 10,000 jobs. That won’t happen. What will happen is serious damage to IAH, to the airlines that operate there, and to Houston.

A separate study — using more legitimate fuel- and fare-reduction data – was released on May 3, 2012, by United working in collaboration with Bill Swelbar of Massachusetts Institute of Technology's International Center for Air Transportation, and with regional economic impact analysis conducted by Dr. Barton Smith of the University of Houston. Read more about the economic impact of dividing Houston’s international air service market.



CLAIM: Dallas-based Southwest’s proposal will be good for the Houston economy and for travelers.

THE FACTS: United, other airlines and the City of Houston have made significant investments over the years to build IAH airport into a world-class international gateway. These efforts have made Houston a great place to do business and have positioned our city as an increasingly important center of commerce. Today, IAH is strong and thriving – and so is Houston. That’s no coincidence.

If implemented, this proposal would weaken IAH and weaken Houston. It would reverse a longstanding, successful aviation policy wherein IAH, as Houston’s sole international airport, was able to grow to become a vibrant economic engine, where 16 airlines now fly to 183 destinations, including 68 international destinations in 32 countries on five continents. That longstanding policy ensures the millions of passengers connecting to international flights go to one airport, helping to fill the large planes necessary for airlines to fly economically to Asia, Europe and Africa, as well as to many important business markets throughout Mexico, Central and South America.

Splitting connecting international passengers between two airports will make flying to many locations too costly. Airlines will be forced to cut flights, to eliminate destinations and, worse, to slash jobs. In addition, it will result in wasteful spending to build a new Federal Inspection Services (FIS) facility at Hobby, and further strain already scarce Customs and Border Protection (CBP) resources.

Keeping IAH strong will keep Houston strong.



CLAIM: Houston can support two international airports.

THE FACTS: Not without creating long-term damage to the Houston economy in the process. On average, more than 65 percent of the passengers on flights departing from IAH are from a city other than Houston – they are connecting through Houston. To Mexico and Latin America, the average number of connecting passengers is even higher, about 75 percent. Because these millions of passengers connecting to international flights go to one airport, carriers are able to offer international flights from Houston that the local market alone could not support. Connecting passengers help to fill the large planes necessary to fly economically to Asia, Europe and Africa, as well as to many important business markets throughout Mexico, Central and South America. Splitting connecting international passengers between two airports will cause Houston to lose important international passenger traffic as connecting flights becomes less viable economically for airlines to maintain. Houston will then compete against itself rather than other gateway cities such as Dallas-Fort Worth and Atlanta, which protect their consolidated international airports.



CLAIM: Other metropolitan areas have experienced significant air service growth with multiple international airports.

THE FACTS: Performance in other markets such as New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington demonstrates that fractured markets remain flat while combined markets grow. In fact, studies show that, since 2008, cities with split international gateways actually lost airline service while cities with unified international gateways increased available international seats by 5 percent.



CLAIM: United is trying to limit fair competition in Houston.

THE FACTS: This isn’t about United vs. Southwest. It’s about Houston. Allowing international air service at Hobby will hurt Houston. It will mean fewer flights, lost jobs and wasted spending. And it will limit Houston’s ability to compete with other global gateways such as Dallas and Atlanta to generate economic growth and to create jobs.

Southwest once operated out of IAH and there is more than enough room for them to do so again. United and other airlines welcome Southwest – and other competitors – at IAH, where there are plenty of gates and facilities and an existing FIS facility.

United supports a competitive market in Houston. With 12 international carriers operating at IAH, Houston has a robust and competitive landscape. By contrast, Southwest has said they are unwilling to compete at IAH, and are instead asking to fly internationally from Hobby.



CLAIM: There’s no downside to Dallas-based Southwest’s proposal unless you’re United Airlines.

THE FACTS: On the contrary, international service at Hobby will have a net, materially adverse effect on the Houston economy. In fact, studies show that, since 2008, cities with split international gateways actually lost airline service while cities with consolidated international airports increased available international seats by 5 percent.

In addition to United, other international carriers at IAH also have expressed concern. In fact, earlier this year, Lufthansa wrote a letter to Mayor Parker indicating its plans to introduce the A380 to the Houston market may not be sustainable should the city accept this proposal. British Airways has also expressed concern in a joint letter with Lufthansa and United to HAS Director Mario Diaz.



CLAIM: CBP services are not limited.

THE FACTS: To staff a second international airport in Houston, CBP would have to divert resources from other locations, including IAH. CBP already has a significant agent shortage. International arriving customers regularly wait more than 60 minutes to clear customs, and occasionally wait times top 100 minutes or more. Slower lines due to fewer agents will require airlines to increase connecting times, adding to operating costs and passenger inconvenience. Stretching these scarce resources even further would damage IAH and make Houston less competitive as an international connection city.



CLAIM: Dallas-based Southwest will pay for the new FIS facility at Hobby.

THE FACTS: As Aviation Director Mario Diaz stated in a public hearing on April 16, the City of Houston would issue bonds to construct the proposed Hobby facilities. HAS stated its intent to use revenue from an increased Passenger Facility Charge to pay for the facility. This means that all passengers flying from Hobby, not just international passengers, and including those traveling on carriers other than Southwest, would be paying for the facility. Southwest’s promised $100 million investment in Houston will actually be financed by City of Houston debt to be paid back by a ticket tax on all Hobby passengers.

 

[humveedriver]

Awwww, that's so cute that the Star Alliance airlines from other countries want to weigh in on matters that don't include their product and services. SWA isn't proposing to fly to Frankfurt or London in a 737-800 from Hobby. I bet the 380 shows up at IAH no matter what the city decides.

 

[Flopgut]

I believe the article said that SWA will pay for all the facilities and it will not cost the taxpayer anything. Having said that, it appears you would be concerned because you cannot compete against SWA.

SWA is not paying for the facilities. That's a lie. Much like the 10,000 jobs, the 1.6 billion dollar boost to the economy, and the $133 airfare to Bogota.

Not sure how this is going to play out, but SWA has a lot more to lose than United. Get snubbed on this HOU terminal and you can officially raise a headstone for the "Southwest effect". (which most people know is BS anyway) If SWA wins? City of Houston is screwed. The 787, A380, 744 and even 777s are going to leave IAH. And since SWA can't deliver on any claim they've made, it won't be too long before they start to feel the backlash.

 

[C3P0]

Flog is that going to be immediate? You sound so wise, are you a check airman too?

 

[Flopgut]

Awwww, that's so cute that the Star Alliance airlines from other countries want to weigh in on matters that don't include their product and services. SWA isn't proposing to fly to Frankfurt or London in a 737-800 from Hobby. I bet the 380 shows up at IAH no matter what the city decides.

Your lack of understanding is phenomenal. OF COURSE it includes Lufthansas product! You would be welcome to go to Frankfurt, just as you are welcome to use IAH. NO ONE is trying to avoid competing with you. SWA is trying to wreck IAH so they can pick up the scraps. You guys just want a handout.