Luv To Buy Aloha...

[spanky]

ETOPs is within sight. Once ALOHA has been acquired, LUV will announce upgrade of future 700 orders to 900SP (special performance). They will use the 900SP's for flights to Europe from BWI & MHT! San Juan, Puerto Rico also will be added from ISP, BWI, & FLL.

 

[BlahBlahBlah]

:down:

Ain't happening dude. Nice try!

 

[AA191]

Your kidding right? This has to be to one of the most humourous postings I have seen in a long time. I mean seriously.

 

[HPearlyretiree]

Once SW has Aloha, they will commence service from Philadelphia to Sydney! With stops in Columbus, Kansas City, Albuquerque, Phoenix, Burbank, Honolulu, Kiribati, Tuvalu, Nu'ka'loofa Tonga, Pitcarin Island and Cairns. Sure, its a 36 hour flight, but think of all them peanuts!

 

[Ch. 12]

WN is also looking to buy Virgin Express and just missed the boat with Midway and Vanguard. They are obviously interested in carriers that have fleet commonality regardless of whether or not it fits their business plan.

 

[mrman]

Makes one wonder if WN want to expand rapidly in the near future, say double in size what is the best option. I don't think buying an airline is the answer, however assets may be another thing. If UA or US went bankrupt that would put a lot of 737's on the market cheap. What airlines bankruptcy would flood the market with the most cheap and new 737's.

 

[SWAFA30]

Makes one wonder if WN want to expand rapidly in the near future, say double in size what is the best option. I don't think buying an airline is the answer, however assets may be another thing. If UA or US went bankrupt that would put a lot of 737's on the market cheap. What airlines bankruptcy would flood the market with the most cheap and new 737's.

Word around the water cooler is that we are actively looking for -300s. I would imagine if we were to knock on a few doors we could find one or two at fire sale prices. We have already exercised all of our -700 options for 2004 and accelerated 5 deliveries from 05' to 04'. Could something big other than Philly be on the horizon?

 

[swflyer]

SWAFA30,

We're definitely hanging around different water coolers.

I don't think additional -300's are being "actively sought", when there are available -700's to be had.

I'm willing to be wrong, but I think it's strictly "next generation" from here on out.

IMHO

 

[SWAFA30]

Big company, lots of water coolers. Keep in mind these are the same water coolers that had half of us packing Hawaiian shirts and the other half looking at houses near the metroplex.

 

[AQ737Driver]

SOUTHWEST WILL BUY ALOHA AIRLINES AND BE MERGED TOGETHER BUY THE END OF 2004....LUV WILL DROP ISLAND AIR AND ALL SERVICE TO CENTRAL/SOUTH PACIFIC AND MOVE VANCOUVER SERVICE TO SEA..AND START NEW SERVICE TO LAX AND HAWAII... 12 737-500 WILL BE MOVED TO HAWAII FOR INTERISLAND SERVICE AND 13 737-500 WILL MOVE TO INTERTEXAS SERVICE...THE WORD IS LUV WILL MAKE THIS PUBLIC SOMETIME AROUND NOV/DEC 03......

I'm an Aloha pilot. We've heard the rumors, but we've also heard the rumors of Alaska, Continental, Branson coming in town taking 49% stake in Aloha Airgroup, so on and so forth.

Aloha has been an interisland airline for the most part up until we launched the mainland service. Now, the mainland service and SWA would be pretty compatible when you look at our destinations and tag-ons like RNO, PHX, SMF, LAS. We try to avoid congested airports like LAX/SFO. That part is pretty similar to SWA model.

However... we are not a low-cost carrier. Generally, our fares are generally (not always though) slightly higher than if you were gonna go on UAL or DAL out of LAX or SFO. Price of convenience... and so far it's been very successful. Also, unlike SWA, we have a two-class configuration in our planes, even interisland. Our -700's take 124 pax instead of SWA's 137.

In the 3rd quarter of this year, we posted 12.6 mil net profit. To SWA, it's small potatoes, but we're still a very small airline (26 airplanes) compared to SWA.
I have heard that our owners are indeed out to sell the airline, but who knows... We are profitable, and I don't know who would buy us in these times, but like I said... rumors are flying around.

 

[1-800-IFLYSWA]

Don't crush the rumor (even if it has no chance of being true).

Let me dream about that overnight in HNL.

 

[ELP_WN_Psgr]

I doubt WN would hold any aircraft overnight in Hawaii. Too expensive to house the crews. There's no Sun Valley Motor Inn in Honolulu.

 

[SWAFA30]

I doubt WN would hold any aircraft overnight in Hawaii. Too expensive to house the crews. There's no Sun Valley Motor Inn in Honolulu.

Expensive maybe, but part of the cost of doing business. They manage to scrape together the money to put us up in decent hotels throughout the rest of system. Why would Hawaii be any different? Barring that, you just make HNL a base and then flight crews would be have to make their own arrangements for housing. I think given the opportunity more than a few of us would be willing to take the paid move. In fact, there are a handful of crewmembers already commuting from the islands to crew bases on the mainland.

 

[mga707]

I doubt WN would hold any aircraft overnight in Hawaii. Too expensive to house the crews. There's no Sun Valley Motor Inn in Honolulu.

Actually, I think you may be mistaken on this one. I know there is a "no frills but decent" motel right by OGG that caters to locals on inter-island business or leisure trips. I'd be really surprised if there isn't similar lodging near HNL (and ITO as well).

That said, I'm highly skeptical that AQ's 737s will be trading in their leis for red bellies and blue crowns any time soon. Although some sort of marketing tie-in with Rapid Rewards would sure be great to wish for!

 

[Tanker]

Actually SWA puts the crews mainly in Hiltons. Marriots, Wyndhams, Westins & Sheratons. The worst is Circus Circus in LAS.