Hmmm, doesn't Southwest refuse to service both DFW/DAL and IAH/HOU due to the costs of splitting operations, yet they are happy to serve LAX/SNA/ONT/BUR, FLL/PBI, OAK/SJC, and now BWI/IAD?
No two metro areas are exactly alike. The Washington DC area is not the same as the Houston area is not the same as the Dallas/Ft Worth area is not the same as the Chicago area is not the same as Texas' tropical and sunny Lower Rio Grande Valley ©.
I see BWI and IAD as something more like Providence and Manchester.....or Burbank and John Wayne.
I would say that the biggest problem with going to DFW is not its location, but rather that Southwest does not relish being #47 for takeoff behind a line of silver Mad Dogs that were passed by turtles, various crawling insects (but not slugs) enroute from the gate to the runway threshhold.
I think IAD is a pretty interesting idea, actually. It allows Southwest to sandwich Washington National on either side. It also allows WN to show up in government bid fares to Washington. As you know, government travel offices look at the contract carrier for various routes.
If booking to Washington, the government contract carrier will show up on flights to both DCA and IAD. To look at the contract fares in and out of BWI, the office actually has to pull up data for Baltimore.
Now here is the biggest question. When do they tie all this up with the big prize. New York City. And how? Does Southwest counter a B6 incursion in to Islip with their own service to JFK? Does Southwest somehow manage to extend their apparent truce with CO (Hobby vs IAH, and at CLE) with WN flights in and out of EWR? Or does WN give somebody a whole bunch of money to buy some space at LaGuardia?
Tune in tomorrow for "As the 10-minute turns".
