SWA wants to fly from HOU to MEX and SouthAmerica

[Flopgut]

Sounds good Flop. Why don't you guys just open up 5-6 Gates for us over at Terminal E, and we'll come right on up there. While you're at it, why don't you let TACA, AeroMexico, Air France, Emirates, BA, and KLM park over there too. After all, it isn't fair that Continental spent all of their own money building that beautiful new Terminal to keep it all to themselves now is it?

Well Dude, you're making my point and you don't even realize it.

Do you doubt that you would not be allowed to build your own Terminal E at IAH? Heck no man! The airport would be fine with it. And frankly I would too. Put your corndog next to our airplane and we'll see how it goes? But you've got to pay to play and it's a level playing field. You guys want to build something separate at a separate airport where there is no access for anybody but you. We [CAL] didn't get to knock down the old terminal, or close the gates, or deny anybody access. Not at all. In fact, CAL had to update most of the gates before they were forced to abandon them for other airlines. Build something nice for yourselves at Hobby and then put something suitably equal in place for the competition. The aforementioned TACA and AeroMexico would love to land there and sell against your tickets to Mexico.

You guys don't want to compete.

*edit* You know this post of yours Saluki is very telling. Usually when you build something like terminal E, you are required to provide adequate space for your competition. If it's not there, you put it there. Your airline has always skirted the norm at almost all of you biggest airports. It doesn't even occur to you what it is to have a level playing field, does it? When it really counted, you've always had a gimmee of some sort. For an airline that shamelessly markets itself using it's own employees as 'officials" who throw "flags" at the competition's bag fees, you sure make a great effort at not actually competeing....

 

[humveedriver]

Do the pilots at SWA decide what new service will be conducted from which airports? Or is it that pilots from other airlines expect the SWA pilots to go on strike because flying international out of Hobby is somehow taboo? And why would anyone be even remotely surprised by this attempt after SWA bought AT in part for it's international operations?

 

[Cometman]

*edit* You know this post of yours Saluki is very telling. Usually when you build something like terminal E, you are required to provide adequate space for your competition. If it's not there, you put it there. Your airline has always skirted the norm at almost all of you biggest airports. It doesn't even occur to you what it is to have a level playing field, does it? When it really counted, you've always had a gimmee of some sort. For an airline that shamelessly markets itself using it's own employees as 'officials" who throw "flags" at the competition's bag fees, you sure make a great effort at not actually competeing....

Stop crying and grow up. If the city approves it and you want to compete then you can fly from there also.

 

[SKC]

The thing that cracks me up the most about Flop is that "equal playing field" equals SWA uprooting their operation to move to IAH.

Why aren't you crying about MDW? UACO has a huge operation from ORD....but yet you aren't wailing about MDW's intl ops. Why is that? Surely it's not because a large city can support TWO airports with intl operations, is it?

Why aren't you crying about the LAX area, the NYC area, the bay area? Look at all of that "injustice". City after city being cheated by multiple airports running international operations. It's amazing they are all still in existence.

 

[Bwipilot]

The posters on this threads are idiots and crony capitalists. On one hand they cry that SWA isn't willing to compete at IAH--and then complaining that IAH can't compete with Hobby. Boo hoo! I can't make it on my own so I'm going to pay off the government to let me win.

 

[Flopgut]

After the last 12 years, all I want to do is see my airline continue to square off with SWA. I don't care what airport. I don't care which direction. I'm sick of you running away.

 

[Flopgut]

The thing that cracks me up the most about Flop is that "equal playing field" equals SWA uprooting their operation to move to IAH.

Why is that? You were there. Fairly recently. Why can't you go back? It's where everybody else is that is flying international flights. Why should the city have to step in and make a special effort for you? Answer: You can't compete if you don't get a lot of help.

Additionally, with regard to these other cities, I think we can all agree that Canada does not count. Right?

 

[Double Shot]

Mexico doesnt count either. Flop quit crying.

 

[Whataburger]

Let's see: fight someone on my terms or their terms? Easy answer.

Flop congrats on kicking our a$$ in IAH. Continental got every thing else right in bankruptcy court right?

 

[Bake]

I'm sure us pilots are going to work out this Hobby thing here on flight info. So far, it's a tie.

 

[Flopgut]

Mexico doesnt count either.

I need to rephrase that. North doesn't matter. South sure does...

Let's see: fight someone on my terms or their terms? Easy answer.

Flop congrats on kicking our a$$ in IAH. Continental got every thing else right in bankruptcy court right?

You know what my friend? I'll try to see your point about bk if you will try to understand my point about these anticompetitive airport deals that are slanted to SWA? They are both outside the level playing field and they need to stop. Both [all] airlines are guilty in this regard. Can you and I agree on that?

I'm outta here for Spring Break with the kids. We're headed to the woods, so no internet.

 

[scoreboardII]

After the last 12 years, all I want to do is see my airline continue to square off with SWA. I don't care what airport. I don't care which direction. I'm sick of you running away.

Running away?

So you are OK with sluggin it out with your concessionary contract?

Your'e losing it.

Who bought whom again? UAL or COnti?

 

[General Lee]

Running away?

So you are OK with sluggin it out with your concessionary contract?

Your'e losing it.

Who bought whom again? UAL or COnti?

Does it matter? They are making 6 times the profit SWA is now. We all want them to get a better contract, but they are turning into a monster. I see it in far away places too, like Narita. They have 40 Whales (744s) and more than 60 777s, and all of that international revenue can be used to go after the rest of us. If they wanted to waste money going after you in HOU, I bet they could afford it, and it wouldn't get you back to the profitable quarters that you are used to. Let's hope they do get a better contract, which will allow them to slow down on their expansion.


Bye Bye---General Lee

 

[scoreboardII]

Here's the bottom line, airtravel intra-US cannot be subsidized by airtravel outside the country, at best it only subsidizes the intl routes that actually are flown, not help in making money on say a DAL-LAX or ATL-SEA.

The legacies have tried to do this for decades against the LCC's, they've lost more money than all of aviation has made since Wilbur said "clear prop".

Another legacy problem is the work less for more pay attitude instead of work more for more pay, that is a socialistic failure in the making, as evident by every brankruptcy.

The only issue right now is SWA is at the tipping point every legacy was at when they made the decision to step outside CONUS. There will be higher costs, lower returns till they find the sweet spot, and they'll find it with lower cost, lower fares, and higher RASM.

 

[Flopgut]

So you are OK with sluggin it out with your concessionary contract?

Look, I want a BIG raise. The only reason I go to work is to get that raise or strike this crap-hole. But my concessionary contract doesn't pay that much less than yours compared to what you guys made for the first 20 years. If you have to compete against that sort of disparity, well, you earned it.

Here's the bottom line, airtravel intra-US cannot be subsidized by airtravel outside the country, at best it only subsidizes the intl routes that actually are flown, not help in making money on say a DAL-LAX or ATL-SEA.

The legacies have tried to do this for decades against the LCC's, they've lost more money than all of aviation has made since Wilbur said "clear prop".

Another legacy problem is the work less for more pay attitude instead of work more for more pay, that is a socialistic failure in the making, as evident by every brankruptcy.

The only issue right now is SWA is at the tipping point every legacy was at when they made the decision to step outside CONUS. There will be higher costs, lower returns till they find the sweet spot, and they'll find it with lower cost, lower fares, and higher RASM.

You don't understand much about legacy airlines and you really aren't getting the bigger picture here. SWA is the single real success story out of de-regulation. (Even according to the guy who wrote it) But those of us who understand the history know it was the monopoly at Love Field, not de-regulation, that kept SWA alive. So now it's time for SWA to fly outside the Country and they want [what amounts to] another airport monopoly?!?! Is there NO difference between what the SWA with 3 planes and no money, and the SWA with 600 planes and billions of dollars needs to be successful?! Apart from an airport monopoly, SWA can't flourish? So other than bk every legacy and ruin thousands of workers lives, what did de-regulation accomplish?!