Luv To Buy Aloha...

[wwtraveler99]

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......

 

[AAG2000]

Source?

 

[hobbes]

Hmmm...I have some doubts as to this. I personally sat in a presentation from Parker where he told us that although SWA may purchase airplanes from another airline, we'd never acquire another airline in its entirety. He said the Morris acquisition was too hard on our Employees, and he wouldn't want to put them through that again. And he pointed out that Morris was an airline that ASKED Southwest to aquire them, and that it was still difficult.

In addition, he said that when you aquire another airline, you also aquire their employees, none of whom went through the SWA hiring process (which admittedly looks a little different from other airlines), as well as all their problems (equipment, debt, etc.).

He said that SWA doesn't want to inherit another airline's mistakes.

So while we may acquire some of Aloha's planes if they were to go belly-up, I personally can't see us purchasing the whole of Aloha.

Was your source the friend of a friend who worked at Southwest Headquarters?

 

[Ch. 12]

So while we may acquire some of Aloha's planes if they were to go belly-up, I personally can't see us purchasing the whole of Aloha.

Are we all getting confused with HA which is the airline that is in BK? When was there mention of Aloha going belly up?

 

[AAG2000]

I think Aloha would be a much more likely acquisition target for Southwest than Hawaiian, but I still wouldn't hold my breath.

The idea itself actually makes a lot of sense in some ways. The fleets match up perfectly, and over the past few years AQ has linked its interisland network nicely with several WN cities on the mainland (BUR, OAK, RNO, SNA, and LAS). Both the mainland-to-Hawaii and interisland markets are dominated by leisure traffic, and thus are very well suited to WN's cost structure. Furthermore, there has been discussion in the past about whether WN, which has been steadily adding longer and longer flights to its network, might consider adding service Hawaii. This would be a pretty quick way to do that.

However, there are also plenty of obstacles. As was mentioned, WN does not like (or need) to go through the trauma associated with acquiring another airline. Also, operating 737s to Hawaii poses operational issues. I'm not sure if WN's fleet is even overwater-equipped, let alone ready for ETOPS (although I'm sure there are others here who know more about that). It's true that AQ is already certified, but that might require operating the transpacific and interisland flights as a separate division, which also goes against the WN philosophy of simplicity and fleet-wide standardization.

So, while the idea is not entirely illogical, and certainly makes more sense than some of the oddball rumors we have heard on this and other message boards (HP buying 747s again, AS flying to London, and so on), I still don't see it happening anytime soon. But in this industry, who knows...

 

[wwtraveler99]

SOUTHWEST IS IN THE WORKS OF GETTING THEIR 737-700 OVERWATER-EQUIPPED AND ETOPS...NOT JUST 4 HAWAII BUT TO SHAVE OFF TIME FROM THE WEST COAST & TEXAS TO FL. INSTED OF HUGGING THE COAST FOR EXAMPLE MSY-FLL...

 

[AAG2000]

Interesting. I believe JetBlue's fleet is overwater-equipped so they can fly better routings between Florida and the Northeast, so that might make sense for WN to do the same, but as far as I know ETOPS would only be necessary for Hawaii.

 

[hobbes]

Ch. 12,

I was speaking in strictly the hypothetical sense. That's why I said, "if they were to." Sorry for the confusion and poor wording on my part.

And there's too many ways in which this rumor doesn't make sense. I guess I'll believe it if I see it. And that's a big "if." I'd still like to know wwtraveler's source on this, or if it's just a creative hallucination.

I could see us maybe flying to Hawaii one day, but purchasing Aloha? Nah. Too many problems and issues that we don't need right now.

 

[SWAFA30]

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......

SOUTHWEST IS IN THE WORKS OF GETTING THEIR 737-700 OVERWATER-EQUIPPED AND ETOPS...NOT JUST 4 HAWAII BUT TO SHAVE OFF TIME FROM THE WEST COAST & TEXAS TO FL. INSTED OF HUGGING THE COAST FOR EXAMPLE MSY-FLL...

wwtraveler99,

You sound pretty sure of yourself. If you are certain, you've got the inside scoop....state your source.

 

[wrx]

More power to you all if SWA does buy Aloha! That would mean great ZED fares to and from the mainland if I can't get on AA!

 

[coolflyingfool]

On my last flight with SWA (10/2) I had asked a pilot about the winglets and he said the first a/c had just gone to Boeing for the conversion. He also stated that SWA was probably going to be upgrading the thrust rating on the 737-700s only from the -22 engine thrust rating to the -24 rating. If SWA is doing all of this on their own, and I haven't been able to confirm the engine thrust part, I would say the SWA will be doing Hawai'i on their own in the future. I don't beieve at this time that SWA will buy AQ. I have been wrong before and I will be wrong again. Just my 2 cents out loud........ B)

 

[wwtraveler99]

I don't believe SWA will buy AQ either. I have heard about the overwater equipment. Of course when SWA adds something to their aircraft the rumor begin to fly. I am sure there are many employees who would like to see SWA serve HNL and the other islands. I just don't think this will happen anytime in the near future.

As far as the engine rating being upgraded, it needs to be. There are many times now that flight have to fuel stop. Some of these are flight you would not expect to see a fuel stop on, such as LAX-MDW.

Just for the record so nobody thinks I am changing my mind on this topic I just have to say someone else who has my password started this thread. Looks like I will have to make a change so this person does not post false information under my flag.

 

[KCFlyer]

I doubt SWA will be going to Hawaii...why get into a market that already has a bunch of money losing fares operating? Could it be that any engine upgrades might have more to do with summer operations out of PHX?

 

[Ch. 12]

Just for the record so nobody thinks I am changing my mind on this topic I just have to say someone else who has my password started this thread. Looks like I will have to make a change so this person does not post false information under my flag.

At least one of you uses all caps so we can distinguish one from the other!

 

[Elivs Lives]

SOUNDS LIKE THE NEW HAMPSHIRE/BLACK BEAR TO ME. I'VE NEVER SEEN HIM POST ANYTHING THAT WASN'T ALL CAPS AND DIDN'T HAVE A BUNCH OF ,,,,,,,, COMMAS IN IT!!!!!!!! YOU DON"T CONSORT WITH THAT RASCAL, DO YOU TRAVELER???????


AFL/CIO RULZ!!

AA RULZ!!

MORE LEGROOM IN COACH RULZ!!!

Elvis, Out.