SOUTHWEST Adding BIG at PIT! Who didn't know that

[Be Careful What You Wish For.]

This should be merged w/ the Allegheny thread.

Who didn't know that?

 

[PHX PHLyer]

Southwest announced their latest service expansions and reductions for May. This is the first big, encompassing announcement since US's large withdrawal from PIT. People predicted big things from WN in PIT...some even suggesting 60+ new flights.

Latest expansion for WN in PIT......???????

1 extra daily flight to TPA

 

[Be Careful What You Wish For.]

Southwest announced their latest service expansions and reductions for May. This is the first big, encompassing announcement since US's large withdrawal from PIT. People predicted big things from WN in PIT...some even suggesting 60+ new flights.

Latest expansion for WN in PIT......???????

1 extra daily flight to TPA

Those probably are some very high fares going to Florida.

 

[BuffaloJoe]

Those probably are some very high fares going to Florida.

PHL gets 2 PHL-DEN flights. In April they gets STL, AUS and SAT service too. Is this the DL gates they are utilizing for these flights?

4 Carriers in the PHL-DEN Market US, F9, UA and now WN. Looks like WN is going after Frontier.

 

[BoeingBoy]

Considering that WN has reduced their growth plans significantly since US' latest cuts in PIT were announced - their May schedule represents a reduction of 17 round trip flights - the fact that PIT gained a flight says something.

Jim

 

[PHX PHLyer]

Considering that WN has reduced their growth plans significantly since US' latest cuts in PIT were announced - their May schedule represents a reduction of 17 round trip flights - the fact that PIT gained a flight says something.

Jim

It *may* say something about WN in PIT....but it certainly doesn't say much about PIT itself (sorry to the locals and the diehards). Considering the reductions there in the past 4 years...and especially the last few months....1 extra WN flight is like salt in the wound.

 

[LoneStarMike]

He says that Southwest execs. have told them PIT has been the fastest growing new market for WN of any other market for WN ever.....

Well either he misunderstood or WN lied.

Southwest Adds 18 DIA Flights

Southwest Airlines will add 18 new departures from Denver and six additional cities, marking its largest expansion here since arriving two years ago.

The new destinations: Philadelphia; Raleigh, N.C.; Los Angeles; St. Louis; San Jose, Calif.; and San Antonio. As part of the expansion, the company will add one additional flight between Denver and Austin, Texas, Albuquerque and Chicago.

[SNIP]

When it starts the latest round of new service in May, Southwest will have 79 daily departures in Denver to 23 cities — a nearly sixfold increase from when it launched here in January 2006.

WN opened DEN after PIT and with the new schedule changes will have 3 times the number of daily departures at DEN than they have at PIT.

DEN is clearly the "fastest growing new market for WN of any other market for WN ever" and not PIT. Sorry.

Mike

 

[BoeingBoy]

Considering the reductions there in the past 4 years...and especially the last few months....1 extra WN flight is like salt in the wound.

No - your "can't do wrong" US and it's continued reductions are salt in the wound. Which airline kept saying they didn't expect more reductions after each new announcement of reductions?

Who has added more PIT flights than WN "in the past 4 years"? If that's "salt in the wound", PIT could use some more of that.

Jim

 

[PHL BULL]

No - your "can't do wrong" US and it's continued reductions are salt in the wound. Which airline kept saying they didn't expect more reductions after each new announcement of reductions?

Who has added more PIT flights than WN "in the past 4 years"? If that's "salt in the wound", PIT could use some more of that.

Jim

WN says it won't expand untill it can make $1 billion per year from new sources says the philadelphia inquirer jan 9, 2008 www.philly.com

 

[BoeingBoy]

Would that be this one:

"Southwest Airlines Co., the U.S. carrier that is slowing its growth rate for just the second time in its 35-year history, must generate $1 billion in annual revenue from new sources before it adds flights at a quicker pace, chief executive officer Gary Kelly said yesterday."

Or this one:

"We noted earlier today that Southwest CEO Gary Kelly repeated what he's been saying recently: The airline won't be growing as fast this year as it traditionally has."

Either way the headline is a little misleading - at least for now.

Jim

 

[cynic]

No - your "can't do wrong" US and it's continued reductions are salt in the wound. Which airline kept saying they didn't expect more reductions after each new announcement of reductions?

Who has added more PIT flights than WN "in the past 4 years"? If that's "salt in the wound", PIT could use some more of that.

Jim

Added all those flights and they're still behind US AFTER all the cuts.

 

[burghlaw1]

Added all those flights and they're still behind US AFTER all the cuts.

I expect that US will continue to cut flights at PIT, particularly on routes where it competes with others. MCO and TPA come to mind. Personally, I predict US will continue "right sizing" until the only flights left are those to its hubs, BOS, LGA and DCA.

Second, how PIT travelers view these reductions is all a matter of perception. US cuts will alienate travelers so long as US send conflicting messages concerning its intentions here, and management continues to blame the PIT market for its inability to compete. Attitudes, along the lines that PIT should consider itself lucky with what service US provides, certainly don't help, either. Meanwhile, the competition offers similar or better service on new and larger planes.

Finally, no carrier is growing its service domestically right now with oil hoverning around $100/barrell, and the country potentially headed for recession. I suspect that WN's decision to grow in Denver is based on its belief that UA costs continue to be too high and, therefore, it will not be able to compete. And, in any event, the growth in Denver came at the expense of reductions in other cities (not PIT). Any growth in PIT will likely have to wait until the next upturn in the cycle.