what are you afraid of?

[CaptBud330]

You know, if Southwest subscribed to the travel web sites like Orbitz, Expedia, or Travelocity, travelers would quickly see Southwest is NOT the low fare airline. It's a flawed perception of the product. I would imagine if the traveling public could actually compare, Southwest wouldn't be quite so popular.

 

[ClueByFour]

You know, if Southwest subscribed to the travel web sites like Orbitz, Expedia, or Travelocity, travelers would quickly see Southwest is NOT the low fare airline. It's a flawed perception of the product. I would imagine if the traveling public could actually compare, Southwest wouldn't be quite so popular.

Why would LUV, who is apparently selling enough tickets via their own website and reservations phone centers want to pay any of these places an extra $3-$12/ticket to sell their seats?

I'd say it's not so much a question of fear as it is one of smarts. LUV does not need to pay others to pitch their product.

You do realize that one of the stated goals of say, US, has been to drive as much traffic to it's own website as possible, to the point of ripping people off by charging an extra fee to book by phone? What is US afraid of?

 

[DCT JVL]

When I actually buy tickets, I frequently will use Orbitz then compare to SWA. Sometimes SWA is cheaper, sometimes it is not, but the fact that they don't participate with Orbitz, Travelocity, et al, doesn't mean people aren't comparing prices.

 

[KCFlyer]

You know, if Southwest subscribed to the travel web sites like Orbitz, Expedia, or Travelocity, travelers would quickly see Southwest is NOT the low fare airline. It's a flawed perception of the product. I would imagine if the traveling public could actually compare, Southwest wouldn't be quite so popular.

Indeed they wouldn't be. That's because the saavy consumer will see that US is offering fares that STILL don't make them money, so managment will have to come back for even MORE concessions from employees, lest they face a THIRD bankruptcy. Since "Southwest isn't the lowest", it seems the other airlines shouldn't be falling all over themselves to "out-LCC" the LCC's. Yet they do. I guess that allows them to have bragging rights to fares lower than Southwest's, but Southwest would rather have bragging rights about profits. Gosh Cap't...it seems to me that y'all have been saying that fares are too low...yet you're proud to take a pay cut or two to keep those bragging rights. Maybe you're just jealous.

 

[legacy-to-LCC]

part of the brilliance of wn's marketing strategy, i believe, was to cultivate an identity of "always" the lowest fare. and, it seems to work. many customers just make the assumption that wn is the cheapest and proceed with their purchase with no comparative pricing. living in nashville, i hear this story all the time. (of course, i educate these misguided people...)

 

[KCFlyer]

part of the brilliance of wn's marketing strategy, i believe, was to cultivate an identity of "always" the lowest fare. and, it seems to work. many customers just make the assumption that wn is the cheapest and proceed with their purchase with no comparative pricing. living in nashville, i hear this story all the time. (of course, i educate these misguided people...)

Answer honestly....you might educate those misguided people, but don't you wish to hell your management would opt to raise their fares as well?

 

[luver41]

You know, if Southwest subscribed to the travel web sites like Orbitz, Expedia, or Travelocity, travelers would quickly see Southwest is NOT the low fare airline. It's a flawed perception of the product. I would imagine if the traveling public could actually compare, Southwest wouldn't be quite so popular.

Check and see who created and owns Orbitz. You'll find that it was created by American, United, Delta, Northwest and a couple of other airlines. Back when Southwest was listed on Orbitz, it would route you on flights to a destination that Southwest wouldn't even sell from it's own website unless you bought the tickets individually.


Southwest may not always be cheapest, but, I'll guarantee you that if you ever have to purchase a walk up fare you'll come to love them.

 

[formeraa]

part of the brilliance of wn's marketing strategy, i believe, was to cultivate an identity of "always" the lowest fare. and, it seems to work. many customers just make the assumption that wn is the cheapest and proceed with their purchase with no comparative pricing.

Kind of like Wal-mart (...always the LOW price...)! Often, health and beauty items are actually cheaper at Target!

 

[KCFlyer]

Southwest may not always be cheapest, but, I'll guarantee you that if you ever have to purchase a walk up fare you'll come to love them.

Correct me if I am wrong, but doesn't Southwest sell a greater number of walk up fares than any other airline?

 

[ramper_in_las]

You know, if Southwest subscribed to the travel web sites like Orbitz, Expedia, or Travelocity, travelers would quickly see Southwest is NOT the low fare airline. It's a flawed perception of the product. I would imagine if the traveling public could actually compare, Southwest wouldn't be quite so popular.

Your assuming a tech saavy internet surfer doesn't have the wherewithal to shop for lower fares. I beg to differ and in turn makes southwest.com the number one airline internet website year after year.

Southwest Airlines' Rapid Rewards Takes Top Honors at Frequent Flyer Awards Ceremony


Program earns Best Award Redemption, Best Customer Service, and Best Bonus Promotion honors.

Dallas, TX (PRWEB) May 3, 2005 -- For seven straight years in a row, Southwest Airlines was honored with first place for Best Award Redemption at InsideFlyer magazine's 17th annual Freddie Awards ceremony last week in New York City. The airline has won this honor each of the seven years that the magazine has awarded it. Along with the Best Award Redemption, Southwest received first place awards for Best Customer Service and Best Bonus Promotion.

source:PR Web Direct

 

[swflyer]

Check and see who created and owns Orbitz. You'll find that it was created by American, United, Delta, Northwest and a couple of other airlines. Back when Southwest was listed on Orbitz, it would route you on flights to a destination that Southwest wouldn't even sell from it's own website unless you bought the tickets individually.
Southwest may not always be cheapest, but, I'll guarantee you that if you ever have to purchase a walk up fare you'll come to love them.

Luver41 beat me to it.

Orbitz was selling itineraries that didn't exist, creating a Customer service nightmare for SWA. SWA sent Orbitz a 'cease and desist'.

For the record, I use Orbitz frequently, for itineraries that SWA doesn't serve, to use seat maps for other carriers and cars. Enjoy using the site.

 

[KCFlyer]

Luver41 beat me to it.

Orbitz was selling itineraries that didn't exist, creating a Customer service nightmare for SWA. SWA sent Orbitz a 'cease and desist'.

For the record, I use Orbitz frequently, for itineraries that SWA doesn't serve, to use seat maps for other carriers and cars. Enjoy using the site.

To be fair...Orbitz did the same thing to other airlines. Delta quit flying MCI-DFW, but Orbitz would let you book a ticket via ATL or SLC!

 

[Tanker]

To be fair...Orbitz did the same thing to other airlines. Delta quit flying MCI-DFW, but Orbitz would let you book a ticket via ATL or SLC!

However what some of the booking that Orbitz was doing was not only booking routes that SWA didn't offer service on but doing bookings that were in violation of the Wright Amendment

 

[HighFlyerMiami]

Consistent service, friendly workers, fair prices - hmmm, I can't imagine why so many people continue to book Southwest despite the lower fares (sometimes) found on other carriers' websites or on the online travel agent sites. I often choose to book Southwest even when they charge a little bit more than another carrier. Don't assume that folks aren't savvy enough to do the comparisons. And don't discount brand loyalty when it comes to Southwest, or JetBlue for that matter.

 

[Rhino]

No kidding. This holiday (Dec 27-30), I booked my family (non-rev was not an option for 3 pax) to BWI in order to attend my sister's wedding in Northern Virginia. I'd have paid $300 more for the convenience of IAD/DCA.

Tried IAD/DCA and FLYi/UAL/US. Guess what? BWI on SWA was so much cheaper (>$400) that it paid for the rental car + hotel. SWA is not ALWAYS cheaper, but it's cheaper, by far, most of the time.

Just ask the folks who fly SWA. It's not the biggest domestic carrier because it costs more.