IT WAS JUST A MATTER OF TIME !

I know, they're probably not current DL customers. But once DL loyalists start discovering things like how easy connecting is from a big jet to a big jet (no RJ's to get stuck on), and the benefit of tickets that are reusable without change fees that are higher than the value of the ticket, no first or second checked bag fees....

As the topic title says, it's just a matter of time...

And yes, I'm sure DL will find a way to compete. They always do. They didn't really need the $952M they brought in during 2010 from change fees or bag fees...

Oh, wait. They did. Without it, they would have had a ~$400M loss for 2010...

I know, not all of that would be in markets where they compete with WN, but losing out on just half the ancillary revenue would have almost wiped out their 2010 profitability.

Throw in a little erosion, and it won't be all rainbows and unicorns like some have prognosticated...
ah, yes, except you fail to note that WN is just about the only airline that doesn't charge ancillary fees.
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And of course you do realize who does, don't you? But of course FL. And you do realize that just means that WN will have to figure out not only how to bring FL's average fares up to the level of WN's - about 15% - but they also have to figure out how to generate the revenue to cover the ancillary fees that WN will lose when FL's pricing structure is replaced by WN's.
I don't suppose you have the number for how much FL would have lost without its ancillary fees... IIRC their profits have been a tad thin of late.
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Which might also explain why WN is in no hurry to wipe out the FL franchise without first figuring out how to generate a whole lot more revenue than they currently get from FL.
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And you might have missed that DL said in its most recent earnings call that DL's ancillary fee revenue was down because more and more customers are qualifying for exceptions that waive some of these fees, including baggage fees.
Yet, remarkably, DL also managed to post the best domestic RASM growth of the network carriers plus at least WN.... so apparently, DL's passenger revenue is growing enough that they are comfortable to waive baggage fees for those people who are helping DL generate the industry's highest domestic revenues.
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Oh, and have you been in Atlanta any time recently? If you have you COULD NOT escape the gazillions of Gold Amex Skymiles billboards plastered all over the city. Either Atlantans are really dense forcing DL to repeat the message so many times or there will be no one left in the state of Georgia who will be paying DL's bag fees when it's all said and done...
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So, yeah, DL probably will figure out a way to compete.... and WN will take its good sweet time sticking its toes in the water... while DL further ramps up its schedule, neutralizes whatever advantages WN MIGHT have had, and in fact provides ATL with the superior product including a FC cabin and assigned seating that Atlantans actually liked and which WN is taking away.
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which means the land of pixies might be reserved for those who dream of the day when at least one other airline has hubs that fall to the competitive forces of WN, in some small hope that if it wasn't just one AAirline, then it isn't just one bad mAAnagement team in the industry. ;)
 
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Georgia did elect Jimmy Carter and Newt Gingrich, so I wouldn't overestimate the general public's intelligence...
 
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I used to work for AMEX and I have to say the DELTA SKYMILES cardholders were the biggest WINERS in the world. Many are old school and mail a check to pay their bill, so naturally it gets delayed in the mail and they get charged a finance charge. They #### and MOAN so you check their history and see if this is a recurring event (AMEX only allows 2 missed payments for credit of interest charges) So when you tell one of those cardholders they have already had their complimentary credit for the year they SCREAM real loud. the ones that pay by phone usually pay on the due date and that posts 24hrs later and again a finance charge. All in all the DELTA Card holders either SILVER, GOLD or PLATIUM are JERKS.
 
Looks like SW will have to start charging the dreaded bag fees to offset the cost of maintaining their aircraft to FAA regs !

"The Federal Aviation Administration has proposed a $1.1 million fine against a company for alleged maintenance violations involving 44 Southwest Airlines planes."

http://www.bbb.org/blog/2011/09/faa-proposes-1-1-million-fine-for-southwest-maintenance/
 
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It wasnt directly against WN, it was against ATS. WN Paid for the services and ATS failed to accomplish them, try again.
 
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I take it SW doesn't have reps on ATS premises to ensure work is being done correctly ? Especially this type of work ?
Then you take it wrong. There are reps on ATS property and the NTSB attributed that cause to Production issues, not maintenance.
 
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Not so quick... the previous 733 incident was attributed to the chem milling, but I haven't seen anything out of the NTSB attributing cause to anything other than improper repair with the April incident.
 
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Not so quick... the previous 733 incident was attributed to the chem milling, but I haven't seen anything out of the NTSB attributing cause to anything other than improper repair with the April incident.
Well Eric, I have. I'm not going to get into a P...ing match here. Have a nice day!
 
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Yes, the riveting issue was discussed early on, and you have a few quotes in the media from two outsiders who are pointing the finger at Boeing. It's still just speculation until NTSB releases its final report.

Either way, outsourced maintenance isn't at fault. How it went thru multiple overhauls without being detected? Probably still a valid question.
 
goes to show how far the pendulum can swing in 8 years...

the latest DOT data shows that DL and Delta Conx boarded 78% of ATL passengers with FL boarding 14%.
I believe that not many were happy with FL...I use to refer to them as AirTrash. But with the coming of the greater, the lesser ceases to exist. If Delta took over FL, your view would be different than mine. Continental didn't fail when they took PeoplesExpress that was the FL of it's time.

Now, on with the spin...
 
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actually the mods would just as soon not see huge cuts and pastes....

Yes, WN's entrance to ATL is not that much different than the way it enters other markets....
maybe they will do something earth-shattering by the summer of 2012 but so far it doesn't look much different from a new station opening with FL continuing to maintain the rest of the ATL operation... with well known results.
I hope WN doesn't do well to make the nazis at Delta rejoice and say "We told you so" but actions speak louder than words.

Now for the spin...
 
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