Competition in the Skies: Is Delta the Problem, or the Solution?

[swamt]

700,  Yes you are correct.  JB also needs to move quickly with the new slots they received, and I am not sure if they have new A/C coming into their fleet currently.  SWA will be discontinuing even more flights as we slowly move closer to the OCT date. 
 
Robbed, you are also correct.  SWA has already announced that the canceled, reduced and closures will by reapplied at a later date once we achieve the amount of A/C required to use for the big growth coming over the next 2-5 years.  One thing SWA is doing currently is sending Aircraft Purchasers all over the world looking at and buying used aircraft.  We recently bought 10 from WJ, 2 from China Air (?), 2 from Columbia, and some more from the Yard in AZ.  I have heard at one time they want as many as possible and could get as high as 130 over the next couple years.  They are serious enough about the used market that they have hired a full time facility to fully focus on the transitions over to SWA paint and figs.  Then sometime in 2015 we will be starting even further international flights.
 
700, one more thing about JB, pretty sure they will be our best competitor at the 2 slot controlled airports.  Not sure if the SE will be as noticeable at those airports as they already have LCC's there, but pretty sure it will still have passengers increase and fares lowered with the 3 LCC's now growing there SWA, Virgin, and JB, maybe we will call it the LCC Effect up there, lol....

 

[swamt]

WT, you just simply posted what I stated above.  Nothing you posted is different than what I said except for you are trying to make it sound like SWA is pulling cuz it's increase in cost, gee wouldn't that be "non-efficient" and "non-profitable" airports?  Yup sure is.   The only thing you posted was that SWA will never return to the cities they close.  Stop WT, think about this.  SWA has already gone back into cities they have vacated before, and you are wrong.  I am not saying they will go back to all of them that they closed, as if they don't see money can be made SWA will not hang around and lose money for a long period of time, and that is just business smarts...

 

[WorldTraveler]

No airline or any other business cuts a product or service that is profitable - or even on the top end of profitable.
 
WN is cutting the cities that are the LEAST profitable. 
 
The new growth provides an excuse to cut but they would not be cutting JAN, EYW, etc if those cities were at the top of the profitability.
 
And they won't add back those types of US domestic cities... their growth is south of the border where they can stimulate the market and in large US domestic markets like LGA, DCA, and DAL.
 
I'm not sure why it is so hard for you to admit that WN isn't making the money in those small cities they or FL once did but they aren't.  And if you want to argue that FL and WN have different business models, then admit that WN never intended to serve a bunch of those cities and WN should have admitted it from the beginning.  Don't blame the cuts on those cities today on new opportunities that WN knew would be coming anyway - DAL has been a known growth opportunity for far longer than WN made an offer to buy FL.
 
If those cities were as profitable as the rest of WN's network, they would cut somewhere else and keep those cities. 
 
Those cities aren't profitable because they are too small for WN to gain a large enough piece of the pie based on WN's costs. 

 

[swamt]

On and on and on...

 

[eolesen]

Yep.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swA6lK3PNio

 

[southwind]

Actually you need to get a clue and watch what happens over the next 3 years plus.  I already know the data you speak of.  ATL will be growing once the priorities of other locations are worked out.  Watch and learn for the results over the next 3-5 years...

ZZZzzz...

 

[WorldTraveler]

WN had their opportunity to grow ATL but has chosen to walk away to pursue other opportunities.....
 
The reason why FL was able to make ATL work alongside DL was because they pumped a lot of connecting traffic thru ATL just as DL does in order to help justify large numbers of flights that appeal to the local market.
WN cannot add markets and flights and not fill them with a decent percentage of local traffic which even you acknowledge they aren't interested in doing.
art
WN bought FL, made all kinds of promises about what they would do for ATL, but instead has dismantled huge parts of FL's network.   
 
Not unlike Morris Air, DL beat WN at yet one more merger and while WN does have a presence in ATL and SLC, they are a small player - AA/US has 2/3 of the size of the local market that WN has with a whole lot less flights. 
 
WN will find "softer targets"  and those where growth opportunities are better, including where DOJ.obama.gov gives them a get out of jail card to cover over WN's strategic failures in allowing their costs to grow to within small single digit percentages of their network carrier peers and in dismantling a merger partner worse than any legacy carrier has done since AA acquired TW.
 
The best part of American democracy is that there will be a change in Washington and no entity in the US government is above any other level, although this administration is pushing as far as they can. 
 
Competition will return to the US aviation industry.  Enjoy the little window WN has to grow by blocking competitors from even participating in that growth.  Not hard to win when others can't even touch you.
 
But be careful because when the window slams shut again, your fingers will get whacked - badly. 

 

[Kev3188]

On and on and on...

It's a recurrent theme...
 
 

ZZZzzz...

That's the sort of hubris that tanks companies.

 

[swamt]

Once again WT, it is the almighty Delta that has had to run to and hide behind the almighty gov for their existence today.  Now this is fact.

 

[WorldTraveler]

are you out of your mind?  what is DL hiding behind?  The desire to compete on an equal basis is what governments are SUPPOSED to promote for ALL competitors - and which WN has tried to avoid for years.
 
Now tell us what has/is DL hiding behind?
 
The recurrence is that you are in some self-proclaimed role of refusing reality and trying to defend what no one with even a single brain cell that understands true competition could defend.... which is probably why you find support on this forum.  

 

[swamt]

What is Delta hiding behind?  Holy shite!!  Get a clue man.  Delta ran to the gov for their BK filing.  What part of this do you not understand?   You wanna compare Delta's financials to SWA's?  SWA has been profitable for the last, and every 40 plus years.  Can Delta say the same?  NOT!  No airline can have that but SWA.

 

[WorldTraveler]

you are truly desperate but I am enjoying watching you squirm.
 
and I told you that if you want to use the BK excuse, then say it about all of the US airlines.
 
And while you are at it, tell us what WN accomplished in aviation for the 40 years or so starting with 1930. 
 
absolutely nothing
 
 
while the legacy airlines were BUILDING commercial aviation, you (WN) were doing NOTHING.
 
Perhaps the reason why the legacy airlines went thru aviation is because they actually DID SOMETHING that was costly.... WN didn't even exist.
 
SO, I'll be sure and say that you believe that AA and UA also ran to the government.
 
Now, go back to your rubber room and come back again with an even semi-logical reason why DL has run to the government for protectionism which is exactly what WN is doing with DAL.
 
There is no excuse, no parallel anywhere else for what WN has done and wants to do at DAL. 
 
Get over it, accept it, and know that the media and others in government will absolutely roast WN over what WN has turned DAL into.

 

[eolesen]

The media will roast WN?.... I'll believe it when I see it somewhere other than the AJC.

The two most influential newspapers in the region are Startlegram and the DMN. Terry Maxon's pretty well respected within the airline industry journalist community, and one of the Startlegram's founders was Amon Carter. They're not likely to take the carpetbaggers' side of a local issue.

Frankly, they're also the two outlets who know the story from start to today, and the two that the other media outlets are going to take their leads from.

If it does heat up, I can't wait to see Ed Stewart take on DL... He was the spokesman for 16 years at WN, during all of the changes and challenges to Wright, and then worked briefly at DL in 2009 before returning to Dallas in 2010. His firm was retained by Doug Parker to handle the merger, and I'm sure they'll be kept around for a while...

 

[WorldTraveler]

WN is trying to compete in the US total market.  DMN is inconsequential.
 
This is not a Texas issue any longer. 
 
Media, politicians, and Wall Street will all weigh on.
 
WN wants to close the deal and squat gates as quickly as possible to keep everyone else out. 
 
What is right will prevail.  Those who can't adapt to and survive in true competition will lose.  It's been proven time and time again.

 

[Glenn Quagmire]

And while you are at it, tell us what WN accomplished in aviation for the 40 years or so starting with 1930. 

while the legacy airlines were BUILDING commercial aviation, you (WN) were doing NOTHING.
 
Perhaps the reason why the legacy airlines went thru aviation is because they...(blah, blah, blah)

Now, go back to your rubber room.

Good advice for the spectator in the mirror.

..in my honest opinion, means not paying excessive tribute to DL's past because in reality, DL's past includes mergers with a whole lot of other Airlines.That history has value to DL employees and for aviation fans, but probably doesn't have a place alongside DL's current brand and all DL has built.Let's be honest and remember that DL's brand past also includes names like Song and Delta Express that DL isn't interested in bringing back to life.

On, and on, and on...