Why Do People Bash Swa?

[Tejas-Jet]

I have to say their management may be better than I give them credit for.

Gee...34 years of consistent profits....through different recessions, Oil embargo, through the ATC strike, 9/11... paying out profit sharing to their employees even though they had been shut down for 3 days...employees that don't want to see their CEO gone...a financial record unequaled by any other competitor in this industry, and the management "may be" better than you give them credit for?

It obviously takes a lot to satisfy some people...

Tejas

 

[Tejas-Jet]

I am not fond of what deregualtion has done to airline customer expectations.

I like SWA people fine for the most part, just frustrated/disapointed about what the company has done.

Since deregulation, more people have flown and are still flying...at your airline too. Basically deregulation allowed each and every airline to operate wherever they wanted to...and they could charge whatever they wanted to...some had a good business plan to deal with it....and some didn't ( Braniff). Some already knew how to compete...and some had to learn...and some never got it. Competition ( in all it's forms) is good...good for the soul of a company, it's employees and most importantly, the customer.

Did you know that since the repeal of the Wright (Wrong) Amendment, the Dallas Morning News has had numerous stories about how ridership has increased at BOTH DFW and DAL, and how the fares have changed to benefit the Customer. As if this is big news? Heck, I figured this was gonna happen all along.

Also, today, one of the airlines serving DAL announced that they are pulling all their MD-80's out of the DAL market....just going to RJ's now, and reducing the number of seats in that market. Think that VP of Marketing should get a bonus this year? Betcha he does....

I really hope that you are not one of those pilots who would, rather not have college students, grandparents on fixed incomes, and military folks, travel on your airline. Merely because they bought a discounted ticket. If they did, do you want them to come back and fly on your airline?

IF you really have a problem with how much your airline charges for a ticket, call your VP of Marketing....let him know what your concerns are...tell us what he says.

Remember, competition is a good thing...if, and only if, you have a plan for it. Is there a plan you are not happy with?

Tejas

 

[Flopgut]

Since deregulation, more people have flown and are still flying...at your airline too. Basically deregulation allowed each and every airline to operate wherever they wanted to...and they could charge whatever they wanted to...some had a good business plan to deal with it....and some didn't ( Braniff). Some already knew how to compete...and some had to learn...and some never got it. Competition ( in all it's forms) is good...good for the soul of a company, it's employees and most importantly, the customer.

Did you know that since the repeal of the Wright (Wrong) Amendment, the Dallas Morning News has had numerous stories about how ridership has increased at BOTH DFW and DAL, and how the fares have changed to benefit the Customer. As if this is big news? Heck, I figured this was gonna happen all along.

Also, today, one of the airlines serving DAL announced that they are pulling all their MD-80's out of the DAL market....just going to RJ's now, and reducing the number of seats in that market. Think that VP of Marketing should get a bonus this year? Betcha he does....

I really hope that you are not one of those pilots who would, rather not have college students, grandparents on fixed incomes, and military folks, travel on your airline. Merely because they bought a discounted ticket. If they did, do you want them to come back and fly on your airline?

IF you really have a problem with how much your airline charges for a ticket, call your VP of Marketing....let him know what your concerns are...tell us what he says.

Remember, competition is a good thing...if, and only if, you have a plan for it. Is there a plan you are not happy with?

Tejas

Oh, come on! Other airlines [legacies] have some bargain ticket prices too. And, of course, everyone welcomes senior citizens and military families. It's not too much to ask a customer to put in a little effort at finding a deal. Your airline makes ALL tickets WAY too cheap. I walked by a SWA gate the other night in OAK and it smell like a barnyard! Standards at a fast food joint would be too much for these folks to get served. Sadly, they're more than welcome at the airport these days. Thanks SWA. Look, it's not wrong to have standards. And you know what's amazing? This is not the case in (for instance) South and Central America, the supposed third world. People are clean, compliant and respectful even in places like Nicaragua.

Now the deregulation thing...don't get me started. If every airline would have been able to fly exactly where they wanted to fly, SWA would not be in business. It's almost as though, some strange conspiracy has been implemented to keep SWA strong. I know that sounds nutty and I'm not 100% serious, but think about it? Without SWA, deregulation would be a total failure on all accounts.

 

[Tejas-Jet]

I walked by a SWA gate the other night in OAK and it smell like a barnyard!

What a coincidence !!! I walked by a CAL gate that same night ...and it smelled like the lavs hadn't been dumped...maybe it's an OAK thing...not an airline thing...

Tejas

 

[Tejas-Jet]

Without SWA, deregulation would be a total failure on all accounts.

As I recall, SWA was flying a few years before deregulation became law. When the deregulation arguements were happening....only 2 airlines supported the idea....SWA and UAL...seems they both had a plan...the others were dragged kicking and screaming to the dance.

Hey look...if you don't like what SWA has supposedly done to this industry, write to your congressman, you know, the one that voted in favor of the Wright (Wrong) Amendment compromise....want re-regulation of the industry? Again, write your congressman...it'll never get settled on these boards.

Tejas

 

[jtm2222]

For me it's that darned Shamoo paint scheme on one of their jets. Twenty years ago when I went to Sea World that fat bastard ate my sister and had the nerve to splash the rest of my family as he was doing it. Umm, hello Sea World and SWA... it's called a "killer whale" for a reason. Let's not make his image into stuffed animals and toys all while misleading the general public. That's how people die.

After that incident I will bash anybody or anything that celebrates that friggin whale!

That is some funny sh.t

 

[bugchaser]

The legacies have restructured their costs to compete at the break even level of SW.

That may or may not be true. However, there is nowhere for legacy costs to go but up. How long will pilot groups and others keep working for these reduced wages. When labor starts yelling for pay increases, costs will increase to higher levels. Not to mention most of the legacy carriers are in need of updating their fleets. The legacy carriers have found their low cost point, but it is not sustainable. Lower costs have to be found through efficiencies, not by screwing over your employees, the public, and whoever else will stand for it.

 

[Occam's Razor]

Just curious why some people bash SWA, List your reason.

Every airline gets bashed. Every one. All of them. The whole lot. Individually and collectively.

The simple reason is it's a chat forum. There are no minimum IQ standards to participate (See also "SWA/FO"). There is also a wide range of insults tolerated by the mods (See also "The last line I just typed")

We've all heard that a million monkeys at a million keyboards could produce the complete works of Shakespeare; now, thanks to FlightInfo, we know that ain't true.

 

[SWA/FO]

ouch....

As long as SWA's rejection criteria appears to be smoke and mirrors over substance, the rejectees will continue to stir the pot.

attitude, culture and you have to bring your A game.

 

[Flopgut]

What a coincidence !!! I walked by a CAL gate that same night ...and it smelled like the lavs hadn't been dumped...maybe it's an OAK thing...not an airline thing...

Tejas

I'll agree, OAK is pretty nasty. However, filthy lavs would be fragrant as a spring day compared to your boarding area. It was a freak show. Spare us the "we fly delightful grandparents, and fresh faced college students" BS. You know as well as I do there are as many crackheads, bums and vagrants. Some people don't need to be at the airport.

Let's call this thread what it really is. It's not a "let's defend poor little SWA airlines" thread. It's the same bunch of SWA folks who like to use any opportunity to boast, brag and chest pound about how some truely awful events that hurt most airlines, helped make theirs better. Happens over and over on here.