Anti-wright Amendment Website

[wnbubbleboy]

Southwest Airlines Invites Public to Say Wright Amendment Is Wrong; Southwest Employees Rally Behind Anti-Wright Amendment Web Site
Thursday May 5, 5:30 pm ET


DALLAS, May 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Today, Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV - News) Employees gathered at the airline's Headquarters Building in Dallas to celebrate Southwest's latest tool in educating consumers on the importance of repealing the Wright Amendment, http://www.setlovefree.com . Southwest Airlines CEO Gary Kelly, President Colleen Barrett, and Senior Vice President Law, Airports, and Public Affairs Ron Ricks led the festivities, declaring May 5 "Set Love Free Day" for Southwest Airlines Employees.
For downloadable photos of the event, please visit: http://www.southwest.com/about_swa/press/0...ree_photos.html

For screen shots of setlovefree.com, please visit: http://www.southwest.com/about_swa/press/0...etlovefree.html

The web site will be used to educate the public on the Wright Amendment and to keep consumers informed on the airline's efforts surrounding the issue. Eventually, the web site will be used as a call to action for consumers who support repeal of the Wright Amendment.

"We have heard from a number of people who want more information about the Wright Amendment," said Susan Goodman, Southwest Airlines Director of Legislative Awareness. "Setlovefree.com will help us to educate consumers on the amendment and to update them on our efforts to get it repealed."

Within the first few hours of http://setlovefree.com going live, more than 600 users have registered on the web site's "Action E-List." This list is used to communicate updates and action alerts regarding Southwest Airlines fight to repeal the Wright Amendment.

Southwest Airlines, the nation's largest carrier in terms of domestic passengers enplaned, currently serves 60 airports in 31 states. Based in Dallas, Southwest currently operates nearly 3,000 flights a day and has 31,000+ Employees systemwide.

 

[WNjetdoc]

Bubbleboy, thanks for the link, I joined and sent out a bunch of emails....good stuff there dude.

 

[jimntx]

According to the the 10PM news here in Dallas last night, not everyone thinks that the idea or the website is the cat's pajamas. The company openly admitted in an interview that only public opinion that supports repeal of the Wright Amendment will be posted to the website.

I thought it interesting that the company seemed to have no problem getting people in Plano, Richardson, Garland, and north Dallas to give little supporting spiels. Now, people in Oaklawn who live under flight paths seemed to have a different feeling about increased traffic at Love.

Before you discount Oaklawn as "nothing but the gayborhood" be aware the gay community is being run out of Oaklawn by the high prices. The older apartment buildings and houses are being torn down and replaced by townhomes and condos in the $250,000 and up category. Those are not being bought by a bunch of "effeminate, liberal, business-hating, probably Communist fags." Those are upper middle class Republican, Chrissjun voters who don't like their dishes vibrated off the shelves by a/c passing over on approach. It's already at the point where if you are sitting in a restaurant in Oaklawn with friends, conversation has to simply stop until the a/c passes by.

 

[WNrforlife]

According to the the 10PM news here in Dallas last night, not everyone thinks that the idea or the website is the cat's pajamas. The company openly admitted in an interview that only public opinion that supports repeal of the Wright Amendment will be posted to the website.

I thought it interesting that the company seemed to have no problem getting people in Plano, Richardson, Garland, and north Dallas to give little supporting spiels. Now, people in Oaklawn who live under flight paths seemed to have a different feeling about increased traffic at Love.

Before you discount Oaklawn as "nothing but the gayborhood" be aware the gay community is being run out of Oaklawn by the high prices. The older apartment buildings and houses are being torn down and replaced by townhomes and condos in the $250,000 and up category. Those are not being bought by a bunch of "effeminate, liberal, business-hating, probably Communist fags." Those are upper middle class Republican, Chrissjun voters who don't like their dishes vibrated off the shelves by a/c passing over on approach. It's already at the point where if you are sitting in a restaurant in Oaklawn with friends, conversation has to simply stop until the a/c passes by.

[post="267087"][/post]​

Well, whether they like it or not, the Wright Amendment WILL be repealed. Southwest has too much power within Texas and the airline industry for its' demands not be met.

 

[Ch. 12]

Jim-

All very insightful as your usual quest to keep the WA. Who says that they need to add alot more flights? Just let the flights that exist actually originate or end in a city that has demand (rather than numerous DAL-ABQ flights). Or just the ticketing piece. How will that add any more planes to say "ok...now you CAN sell that ticket from DAL-ABQ-LAX"?

It is a ridiculous competition-limiting (by design) law that only supports YOUR carrier. If I were at Amon Carter, I, too, would come up with any excuse to maintain the WA but your argument doesn't even make sense in this case.

-ch12

 

[swflyer]

According to the the 10PM news here in Dallas last night, not everyone thinks that the idea or the website is the cat's pajamas.  The company openly admitted in an interview that only public opinion that supports repeal of the Wright Amendment will be posted to the website.

Jim, Jim, Jim How many pro-Love, anti-Wright public opinion quotes are on www.keepdfwstrong???

I thought it interesting that the company seemed to have no problem getting people in Plano, Richardson, Garland, and north Dallas to give little supporting spiels.  Now, people in Oaklawn who live under flight paths seemed to have a different feeling about increased traffic at Love.

Before you discount Oaklawn as "nothing but the gayborhood" be aware the gay community is being run out of Oaklawn by the high prices.  The older apartment buildings and houses are being torn down and replaced by townhomes and condos in the $250,000 and up category.  Those are not being bought by a bunch of "effeminate, liberal, business-hating, probably Communist fags."  Those are upper middle class Republican, Chrissjun voters who don't like their dishes vibrated off the shelves by a/c passing over on approach.  It's already at the point where if you are sitting in a restaurant in Oaklawn with friends, conversation has to simply stop until the a/c passes by.

[post="267087"][/post]​

This isn't as true as it once was, owing to the retirement of the -200's. The loudest aircraft at Love are the private business jets owned by "upper middle class Republican, Chrissjun voters". <_<

You say "Poe-TAY-Toe", I say "Poe-TAH-Toe". There is NO defensible reason the Wright Amendment still exists. It's original stated intent was realized before the bill was passed, the rest of the industry is deregulated, and people are seeing this bad law for what it is.

If Kevin Cox uses the word "fairness" one more time in trying to defend the Wright Amendment, I'm going to hurl. :down:

 

[Ch. 12]

Thanks for the wonderful link, swflyer. I'm sure that you will agree with me that it is such and objective website. Maybe it can make us both jump to the other, "wiser" side. Never have I seen such a wasted space in my life. There are beautiful quotes on "I think the WA should never be repealled" but with no explanation as to the rationale.

God bless America and those wonderful lobbyists that keep junk legislation like this afloat. I especially want to note that AMR's lobbyists are the best and have been able to not only keep the WA alive but to avoid anti-competitive lawsuits over and over in cases where there should have been no case to begin with.

Now...if only those lobbyists could do something productive like work on fuel prices or get us some hydrogen cars, that would be nice.

 

[wnbubbleboy]

God bless America and those wonderful lobbyists that keep junk legislation like this afloat. I especially want to note that AMR's lobbyists are the best and have been able to not only keep the WA alive but to avoid anti-competitive lawsuits over and over in cases where there should have been no case to begin with.

[post="267181"][/post]​

Here's the mind set we are dealing with as far as opposition from AA and DFW. Of course Legend isn't around any more this testimony does give you insight as to how aggressively DFW is defended by AA.

COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE

AVIATION SUBCOMMITTEE

U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES


October 20, 1999

Testimony of T. Allan McArtor, Chairman and CEO of Legend Airlines, Inc


When we first announced our plans to fly out of Love Field – consistent with federal law – Bob Crandall announced that "if the Wright Amendment is ever changed, we’ll sue everybody in America to close Love Field." The headline in the October 4, 1996 Dallas Business Journal stated, "AMR chief promises fight to the death on Love Field." Some thought that was just "Bob being Bob", however, with the history of actions he and American have taken to destroy competitors, we knew it was just the beginning. For American it has simply become a cost of doing business. Three years and millions of dollars later we are preparing to fly but still face American sponsored lawsuits, although Congress and the Department of Transportation have unequivocally stated that we had the authority to operate out of Love Field.

Those efforts started as soon as we sought DOT authority. To operate as an airline, you need DOT authority. In Legend’s case, parties subsidized and affiliated with American Airlines filed comments to slow the process down although we ultimately did receive our DOT certificate. During this three-year period, American and its allies have used the legendary "Chicken Little" defense – claiming that the sky is falling. Laughably, they have claimed that American, DFW, the City of Ft. Worth, and the entire north Texas economy would collapse if Legend was allowed to operate at Love Field in accordance with federal law. (The same federal law that has allowed Southwest to operate at Love Field.)

At the same time that American Airlines has a series of paid economists testify that DFW is in "dire danger of defaulting on a billion dollars of bonds," this is the DFW that has won an award for its marketing program touting it as the most promising, healthy, dynamic, and profitable airport in the country (and bragging about its new bond financing to the tune of $2.5 billion). This "hired gun" approach is another weapon in the campaign to thwart new entrant airlines and eliminate competition.

 

[goingboeing]

Well, whether they like it or not, the Wright Amendment WILL be repealed. Southwest has too much power within Texas and the airline industry for its' demands not be met.

[post="267102"][/post]​

I hope that AA has the b_ _ _s to move its hub to STL if the Texas politicians repeal the Wright Admendment.[[Take 25,000 jobs with them to STL]

 

[KCFlyer]

I hope that AA has the b_ _ _s to move its hub to STL if the Texas politicians repeal the Wright Admendment.[[Take 25,000 jobs with them to STL]

[post="267659"][/post]​

I'm sure that the employees would thrill at the thought of moving from a state with no state income tax to a state where they'd be paying a 6% state income tax. Just like a 6% cut in pay.

 

[whlinder]

Out of curiosity, what would the goverment do to WN if they decided to sell tickets DAL-BWI in violation of the amendment? What would the punishment be?

 

[Ch. 12]

Out of curiosity, what would the goverment do to WN if they decided to sell tickets DAL-BWI in violation of the amendment? What would the punishment be?

[post="267734"][/post]​

I do not know the penalties but can tell you this: It would be much more harsh than the penalty (or lack thereof) of selling loss-leader fares in markets such as, oh, MCI-DFW just to run an airline out of the market (and then subsequently drastically increasing those prices). I hear that penalty is $0.

 

[RowUnderDCA]

But if congress starts tinkering with legislation, what might they end up with? Might they give the City the chance to surrender the 139 certificate or close the airport, options that might have been on the table before? It would seem a plausible option. However, I don't know whether the city of Dallas volunteered to keep DAL open to commercial service before the Wright amendment or not.

 

[ELP_WN_Psgr]

However, I don't know whether the city of Dallas volunteered to keep DAL open to commercial service before the Wright amendment or not.

It doesn't matter if the city of Dallas tries to close it to commercial service or not.....the 5th Circuit Court (later affiermed by Diana Ross & the Supremes Court) ruled that Southwest Airlines can continue to serve Love Field for so long as Love Field remains open as an airport.

 

[mrman]

But if congress starts tinkering with legislation, what might they end up with?  Might they give the City the chance to surrender the 139 certificate or close the airport, options that might have been on the table before?  It would seem a plausible option.  However, I don't know whether the city of Dallas volunteered to keep DAL open to commercial service before the Wright amendment or not.

[post="267748"][/post]​

There is no way the city would close Luv. WN headquaters is there. The property tax base of planes systemwide is at LUV. Houston, Austin or San Antone would gladley build WN a new headquaters, training, facilities etc for the tax base

Not to mention Dalfort, Ledged property, Cargo airline facilities, Champion Air facilities