Ideas For Running Off Southwest In Phl

[JS]

Let's see, the other topic ended with PineyBob's suggestion that the USAirways unions orchestrate a sob compaign leafletting Southwest passengers in the terminal. Let's see what else we can come up with to run off Southwest at PHL since better service is apparently not an option:

Sic Scary Mary on them (tell her about Southwest's dangerous taxiing speeds)

Paint their aircraft a drab gray and blue at night and then fly them to CLT or wherever the next day (oops, they looked like US 737's to us!)

A twist on the old AA-Braniff fight -- buy up all the cheap tickets on WN flights and then re-book just before departure. WN will bleed red ink, and the flying public will think Southwest is trying to rip them off because the only fares offered are full coach.

Move every flight in the system to Southwest's routes out of PHL and lower the fare to $8.88 (everyday Wal-Mart prices!).

Offer 100x frequent flier miles on WN destinations

Offer standby fares of 25 cents on WN destinations

 

[robbedagain]

why not tow swa planes to the river barge for a shipment down the river!!!!!

 

[A320 Driver]

Joke right?

 

[bankernclt]

Why, so you can return to gauging the public in PHL like you do in CLT? I wish U the best, but enough with the GAUGING!

 

[tadjr]

Why, so you can return to gauging the public in PHL like you do in CLT? I wish U the best, but enough with the GAUGING!

I guess it depends on the market. I sold a Tues up/ Thur back last night for $290 rt. No Sat stay required. Just checked for next week and it comes back at $198.70 rt TPA-CLT. In some markets the fares to/from CLT have dropped already unless you are specifically talking about walkup one ways.

 

[ClueByFour]

Sound like airline pricing? It should, that's the fundamental problem.

The most profitable airline model today (Southwest) does not agree with your theory.

 

[PITbull]

First, mistake #1 in thinking anyone can runs SW out of anywhere. Not on our best day or anyones.


Learn to co-exist, and create a demand for a unique product and be consistant by meeting the customer's expectation.

 

[phllax]

I actually think the AA-Braniff idea is a great one that would work.

 

[delldude]

saw herb in drag in time or newsweek....
works for smearing repub's and dem's usually...

 

[robbedagain]

Joke right?

yes im only kidding however this was on our local nbc news yesterday-- swa ads arent prepped to what they say it should be. if anyone can elaborate on this it be great. the news was saying that the fcc was saying that the swa tv ads arent really what people would want because for example swa ads on tv for $29 one way to the boston area but doesnt make any specific places

 

[sfb]

for example swa ads on tv for $29 one way to the boston area but doesnt make any specific places

I can't speak to the content of the ads in Philadelphia, but they're running ads in Boston promoting service to PHL and they definitely mention "from Providence or Manchester". Besides, if you were to try to book on their website, you wouldn't find "Boston" as an option. The closest they get is "Boston area" on their route maps. jetBlue has been guilty of the same or worse, marketing LGB as LA/Long Beach, ONT as LA/Ontario, and OAK as SF/Oakland (though they've dropped those designations of late).

I think the AA-Braniff idea (booking lots of tickets in advance and then rebooking them), while a funny throwback to the past, would probably border on fraud/wire fraud if done in large volumes.

Piney, in both situations (the isolated gas station and the airlines), an individual or corporation(s) uses a monopoly or oligopoly position to extort a vastly inflated sum of money from a buyer who has little other alternative. Most would define that as gouging. And while monopolies are not illegal per se, the pricing they often entail can be harmful to the companies and people who depend on the product monopolized by the holder of the monopoly. Why not let the only doctor or hospital within 50 miles charge whatever they think the market can bear?

What should be of greater concern to US Airways are two issues. First, when the public views your pricing as gouging, extortionate, and/or irrational, that tends to generate a ton of ill will. Do you think that people who drive to GSO or RDU to simply connect back through CLT and save a few hundred bucks appreciate being forced by US to jump through hoops like that? Do you think that passengers in Philadelphia see the logic in tickets to LAX being less expensive than tickets to ROC or PIT? Second, monopoly pricing tends to attract competitors. And while US has had competitive tools like Dividend Miles, more flight options, fare matching, etc. to fight weaker entrants in the past, Southwest has far deeper pockets and takes a very long-term view of its business -- and they have a great reputation among the public, to boot.

While I think JS's topic starter was meant mostly in a humorous vein, I think it'll be very, very difficult to run Southwest out of PHL, at least in the short term. The only strategy that will work long-term is to effectively compete with an attractive product delivered at a comparable price (or at a modest premium). Look at the balance between WN and CO in Houston, or the co-existence of AA, UA, WN, and TZ in Chicago. The days of $500+ short-haul round-trip fares in Philly are coming to an end, and the company needs to deal with that.

 

[MrAeroMan]

I guess it depends on the market. I sold a Tues up/ Thur back last night for $290 rt. No Sat stay required. Just checked for next week and it comes back at $198.70 rt TPA-CLT. In some markets the fares to/from CLT have dropped already unless you are specifically talking about walkup one ways.

I just booked a flight out of CLT to MCO for $212.00 r/t leaving on a Sat and returning on Thurs. Gouging?? It's more like me stealing!!

 

[AlabubbaRegional]

Why, so you can return to gauging the public in PHL like you do in CLT? I wish U the best, but enough with the GAUGING!

Dear Banker n Clt.

Don't take this personally, but if we can assume you work for a bank, how can you preach to anyone about "gouging". Banks have been gouging the consumers for years!

 

[Fly]

I haven't even read all the suggestions but this is mine: How about mimicking the LCC pricing structure? I, maybe naively, believe that the service the majors offers is MUCH better than the LCC, but they are consistent and we aren't. We can't stop offering the amenities either. We have a lot to offer, let's prove it.

Now please don't beat me up over this one: We need either supervisors or selected passengers to evaluate the flight attendant service all the time. Those who consistently get bad reviews should be relieved of their duties. I cringe when I walk into a briefing and see some of the flight attendants who are going on my trip (and I'm sure it's the same at US) What happened to accountability? We are the front line and spend the most time with our customers......the LCC f/a's are pleasant and we must be also. Some flight attendants have a little trouble understanding this concept, get rid of them. If you don't want to be pleasant (come on, this isn't too difficult) then you need to leave.

 

[KCFlyer]

A twist on the old AA-Braniff fight -- buy up all the cheap tickets on WN flights and then re-book just before departure. WN will bleed red ink, and the flying public will think Southwest is trying to rip them off because the only fares offered are full coach.

Get SWA to agree to interlining and you might be on to something here. Otherwise, U would just bleed even more red ink while SWA took their money and operated a half empty flight.

One minor point, Southwest full coach in many cases less than U's current advance purchase fares. While they'd be busy paying Southwest for the cheap seats, they'd have to hope that they can make a profit matching SWA's fully refundable fares on their own flights.