Will SWA buy, or merge with another airline in the near future?

[Kev3188]

Don't need to; I'm asking the board's most prolific poster to set an example and make this place better for all.

Thanks for staying on topic.

 

[WNMECH]

you can ask for the thread to be locked then.there is absolutely no proof that WN will merge with anyone, esp. considering that Gary's statement specifically says that WN will focus on growing internally, with a focus on international routes.

There is no need to supply proof of anything in order to speculate about things on this board.

You are the very worst at this practice.

I have posted link after link proving the legality of the process that govern how new entrants are to be accommodated at Love Field.
You on the other hand just go on babbling and post absolutely no proof to your preposterous claims that the Wright Amendment Reform Act Does not apply to Delta.


Sorry Kev, a little off topic but I had to say it.

 

[WorldTraveler]

given that Gary's own comments are posted regarding merger activity and you have chosen to ignore them in favor of pushing rumors about an AS rumor, your ability to speak accurately about other subjects has to be called in question.

and, as much as it kills you, my statements, esp. about WN are absolutely based on facts.

and, no, Kev, I am not at all the most prolific poster. Also, easily backed up by facts.

 

[Jester]

Keep Alaska their Alaska.  I think that after the last round of mergers it's hard to see the DOJ approving any more consolidation involving the Big Four anytime soon.  Doesn't SWA have enough to focus on with international expansion and the overhaul of their information systems?

 
I think SW has some serious indigestion problems with the AirTran merger, such that any near term mergers are unlikely.  However, with Delta pressing hard into SEA with new flight activity, I think you are more likely to see a merger with AA, as in the past AA and AS have had extensive codeshare agreements.  It would be ironic have DL go after AS, and the end result would be to make AA stronger.

 

[WorldTraveler]

except the same reasons why AS isn't interested in a merger with DL apply to AA and WN as well.

AS derives significant amounts of revenue from codeshare partners that will be lost regardless of the merger partner. right now, DL is the largest interline revenue partner for AS but AS gets more than 10% of its revenue from interline partners that would be lost regardless of the carrier.


Specific to WN/AS, WN has no first class cabin. The vast majority of AS' partners are not going to accept codesharing with a carrier that has no FC cabin.

AS is a lower CASM airline than any of the big 4 and their hub in SEA makes far less strategic sense as part of a nationwide carrier's network.

for plenty of reasons, AS makes no sense as a merger partner to any of the big 4.

 

[robbedagain]

Except u do not know if AS wld take WN offer or AA or UA if it were to come to that
you need to stop acting like a know it all

 

[swamt]

 
I think SW has some serious indigestion problems with the AirTran merger, such that any near term mergers are unlikely.  However, with Delta pressing hard into SEA with new flight activity, I think you are more likely to see a merger with AA, as in the past AA and AS have had extensive codeshare agreements.  It would be ironic have DL go after AS, and the end result would be to make AA stronger.

Jester, I agree with you.  I don't "think" there will be a merger any time soon.  We have heard of AS and DL.  But I am very confident that the NMB would not allow it.  I really think SWA will focus on growing internationally and all the new cities as of late, and of course the W/A going away in Dallas.  Remember, we have 50 potential new international cities to add over the next several years.  But, not saying it will never happen, could be done later down the road, say, 3-8 years.  And all this may get put off, postponed, or get pushed earlier as to how well the international growth and added cities go...

 

[swamt]

WT is a professional at deflecting the topics of all the threads, he does this on purpose when he starts to look bad, or proven wrong.  He will then send in a request to have them locked out right after he posts his last post.  Research who is the last poster in all the threads getting locked right after his last postings and you will see.  I will say some are 700 as well, but most are WT...

 

[WorldTraveler]

that is funny considering you just argued a few pages ago in this thread that WN would buy someone and you are now admitting what I said which is that WN has more than enough growth opportunities on their own.

let's be clear once again, though, that if anyone buys AS it will be good news for DL

 

[topDawg]

I don't believe that.
If WN bought Alaska, we still would not be the largest airline in the country and there would still only be four big airlines.
If the DOJ allowed the other guys to be that big, why not allow a low cost airline to be as large?

FWIW fleet size WN is about the same size as United. ASMs and RPMs are skewed because of the international factor but WN is, I believe the largest domestic airline......letting them become even larger doesn't seem logical at all. 
 
 
and He doesn't say no because he cant say no. Anderson gets asked weekly when Delta is buying AS. Never says no to more consolidation (even though more consolidation isn't going to happen for a while) 

 

[WNMECH]

FWIW fleet size WN is about the same size as United. ASMs and RPMs are skewed because of the international factor but WN is, I believe the largest domestic airline......letting them become even larger doesn't seem logical at all. 
 
 
and He doesn't say no because he cant say no. Anderson gets asked weekly when Delta is buying AS. Never says no to more consolidation (even though more consolidation isn't going to happen for a while)

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/american-airlines-regains-leading-position-130023036.html?.tsrc=applewf

According to this story, a combined WN and Alaska would only have a 16% market share.
That would still be behind all of the top 3.


BTW, it also lists WN as a low cost airline.

 

[WNMECH]

Uh, no.First, WN is a low fare airline, not low cost.Second, there's no way you can claim they're the smallest when they're the #1 carrier in domestic enplanements. Yeah, another not quite.WN is present in what I'd guess is probably 80% of the core AS network in the Lower 48.

See the post above.

 

[WorldTraveler]

BTW, it also lists WN as a low cost airline.

because WN is still holding onto the vestiges of its history when it actually was.


perhaps you can tell us the definition of a low cost carrier and give us a quantifiable metric as to who is "in" and who is "out"

be careful.

 

[WNMECH]

because WN is still holding onto the vestiges of its history when it actually was.perhaps you can tell us the definition of a low cost carrier and give us a quantifiable metric as to who is "in" and who is "out"be careful.

The government and business community decide industry terms not me.



  

Uh, yes they are.
 
We can argue the semantics of it but I can find dozens of examples (including the DOT) where WN is considered a Low Cost Carrier.
WN's costs have risen over the past decade and the legacies have lowered costs, so some may claim they are no longer low cost.
 
I am curious as to when you consider WN ceased to be a Low Cost Airline (year), what metrics are you using and who in the government or business community agrees with your analysis?
 
 
Second, Southwest is smaller than the other 3 in every other meaningful category except the one you mention.
 
 
http://www.rita.dot.gov/bts/press_releases/bts044_14
 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World's_largest_airlines
 
https://www.rita.dot.gov/bts/sites/rita.dot.gov.bts/files/bts43_14.pdf
 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low-cost_carrier
 
http://www.icao.int/sustainability/Pages/Low-Cost-Carriers.aspx

I posted several links proving my point and can post plenty more.

How about you answer the question I posed to E, (who didn't answer it) since you don't like the way WN is labeled.

"I am curious as to when you consider WN ceased to be a Low Cost Airline (year), what metrics are you using and who in the government or business community agrees with your analysis"?

 

[eolesen]

BTW, it also lists WN as a low cost airline.

Not entirely accurate -- it lists WN as a low-cost/point-to-point carrier.

The two are mutually exclusive in my opinion, but got lumped together for this stellar piece of analysis from a blogger who doesn't even have a bio listed on that particular website (MarketRealist).