Pvd-phl

[firstamendment]

You know firstammendment - I know several LUV employees, and very few of them feel that they can "do no wrong". US has had a stranglehold on PHL for a lot of years - they could have made it really difficult for LUV to ever gain a foothold there. But when your company charges $900 for a 200 mile flight right up until the day LUV starts service, is it any wonder that your local press might make it seem like LUV can do no wrong? Had US made more of an effort to insure loyalty to the airline prior to ANY low fare carrier entering the market, you all might be grinning smugly as the SWA jets taxi past damn near empty.

SWA's systemwide load factor is something like 75%, so no, not every flight is pulling away with every seat filled. The difference is that with SWA's pricing structure, there are only about 5 fare levels to any market out of PHL. The lowest bucket is right at (maybe just slightly below) their costs per seat mile. Those seats are pretty limited. The rest of them all make the company a profit. US, in their attempts to "beat" SWA on price, is sending out plane after plane that may well have MORE seats filled, but at fares that still don't come close to covering their costs.

It's easy to resent SWA and their reception to the PHL market, but you might want to look over to your headquarters and ask them why they didn't do anything to try and blunt the impact of SWA or Airtran at PHL well BEFORE they ever considered entering the market.

If you think SWA isn't on an all out assault to bring US Airways down, then you are as backwards as the avater you have. I don't down blame them for that. Just please, stop the koolaide innocent BS. If you guys REALLY stuck with the SWA concept, you would had gone into Trenton and kicked not only U's butt, but CAL. I know you guys think we blame swa FOR EVERYTHING but their move on PHL is pretty obvious. The tuff boys in PHILLY aren't going to give you any breaks..It is exhausting to hear the constant dribble of how great swa is. Watch "Airline"..not impressive at all. You guys have nothing but ghetto trash working at MDW and I haven't seen much better in any other operation. Sad to say, America is getting just what they deserve. I could care less about the average swa employee,,it is YOUR management team who has brought on this assault.

 

[hobbes]

"If you think SWA isn't on an all out assault to bring US Airways down, then you are as backwards as the avater you have. I don't down blame them for that. Just please, stop the koolaide innocent BS."

I just love it how, when somebody doesn't see things through your skewed vision, it's because they're "drinking the Kool-Aid."
Please...Southwest out to bring USAirways down? Our meager 24 flights a day versus your 400+ in Philly? Wow...you really give us a lot of credit! We don't even fly international! 🙄

I've got news for you: Southwest doesn't need to go out on an all-out assault on USAirways. USAirway's management is doing a fine job of killing their airline on their own. Don't blame Southwest for taking advantage of an opportunity to go into an airport that's underserved and overcharged. When you look at the simple numbers, you realize that going into Philly was, more than anything, a good business decision.

By your rationale, I could say that your belief that Southwest is waging an "all out assault" on USAirways is actually proof that YOU'RE the one sucking down your management's Kool-Aid. I have the simple, factual numbers on my side to back up the reasoning behind Southwest's decision. It sounds like you're basing your information on little more than heated emotions and the words of your now-former CEO. Y'all didn't believe him about anything else, but yet you believed him about Southwest being out to "kill" USAirways? Well...I guess that the battle for survival is easier to fight when you've declared your enemy. Even if it's the wrong one.

"Watch "Airline"..not impressive at all."

Yes...I'm sure it would be so MUCH better if it were based on USAirways, right? 😀

We're not perfect. "Airline" demonstrates that all too clearly at times. But at least we're willing to hold up a mirror before ourselves and say, "Wow...we really screwed that one up!" I doubt if management at many other carriers are confident enough in their employees to take such a public risk.

"You guys have nothing but ghetto trash working at MDW and I haven't seen much better in any other operation. "

Further proof, if any were needed, that your entire post is based on little more than your overheated emotions and skewed perception. You see what you want to see, I'm sure. I'm sure if I firmly believed USAirways sucked, I would have only "see" those things that supported my belief. I'm not sure what constitutes "ghetto trash" in your mind, but the Employees I know at MDW are some of the nicest, most sincere people I know.

"Sad to say, America is getting just what they deserve."

Keep telling yourself that if it makes you feel better. Unfortunately, that isn't going to change the reality of the situation that USAirways now faces. The consumer is the driving force in the marketplace...NOT the airlines! It seems to me that if America is "getting what they deserve," then they're actually quite happy with it. What does that say about USAirways' product and customer service?

And just a disclaimer:
I have nothing against USAirways or their employees. I've met several wonderful USAirways employees, and I certainly DON'T wish the demise of their airline. The only bone I have is with the ignorance of people who want to blame all the wrong people (or airlines) for their problems, and who want to ignore the natural workings of capitalism. JMHO

 

[firstamendment]

"If you think SWA isn't on an all out assault to bring US Airways down, then you are as backwards as the avater you have. I don't down blame them for that. Just please, stop the koolaide innocent BS."

I just love it how, when somebody doesn't see things through your skewed vision, it's because they're "drinking the Kool-Aid."
Please...Southwest out to bring USAirways down? Our meager 24 flights a day versus your 400+ in Philly? Wow...you really give us a lot of credit! We don't even fly international! 🙄

I've got news for you: Southwest doesn't need to go out on an all-out assault on USAirways. USAirway's management is doing a fine job of killing their airline on their own. Don't blame Southwest for taking advantage of an opportunity to go into an airport that's underserved and overcharged. When you look at the simple numbers, you realize that going into Philly was, more than anything, a good business decision.

By your rationale, I could say that your belief that Southwest is waging an "all out assault" on USAirways is actually proof that YOU'RE the one sucking down your management's Kool-Aid. I have the simple, factual numbers on my side to back up the reasoning behind Southwest's decision. It sounds like you're basing your information on little more than heated emotions and the words of your now-former CEO. Y'all didn't believe him about anything else, but yet you believed him about Southwest being out to "kill" USAirways? Well...I guess that the battle for survival is easier to fight when you've declared your enemy. Even if it's the wrong one.

"Watch "Airline"..not impressive at all."

Yes...I'm sure it would be so MUCH better if it were based on USAirways, right? 😀

We're not perfect. "Airline" demonstrates that all too clearly at times. But at least we're willing to hold up a mirror before ourselves and say, "Wow...we really screwed that one up!" I doubt if management at many other carriers are confident enough in their employees to take such a public risk.

"You guys have nothing but ghetto trash working at MDW and I haven't seen much better in any other operation. "

Further proof, if any were needed, that your entire post is based on little more than your overheated emotions and skewed perception. You see what you want to see, I'm sure. I'm sure if I firmly believed USAirways sucked, I would have only "see" those things that supported my belief. I'm not sure what constitutes "ghetto trash" in your mind, but the Employees I know at MDW are some of the nicest, most sincere people I know.

"Sad to say, America is getting just what they deserve."

Keep telling yourself that if it makes you feel better. Unfortunately, that isn't going to change the reality of the situation that USAirways now faces. The consumer is the driving force in the marketplace...NOT the airlines! It seems to me that if America is "getting what they deserve," then they're actually quite happy with it. What does that say about USAirways' product and customer service?

And just a disclaimer:
I have nothing against USAirways or their employees. I've met several wonderful USAirways employees, and I certainly DON'T wish the demise of their airline. The only bone I have is with the ignorance of people who want to blame all the wrong people (or airlines) for their problems, and who want to ignore the natural workings of capitalism. JMHO

You know Hobbs
That is life..I never said it is BAD that SWA is assualting US..That is your guilt trip. The "majors" did it for years. Sorry, YOU ARE WRONG!!. Yes, We have screwed ourselves but your ceo stated.."there are three reasons for SWA sucess, USAir, USAir,USAir." Do you REALLY think SWA WOULDN'T take advantage of US misfortune? I could care less if they do...just stop acting as if your management cares about it's competitor. Sorry, I don't buy it. Hoe nieve!!

And please, I respect your opinions..please respect mind. I have been on the other side of the equation as other airlines who haved felled. We had no sympathy, and I highly doubt any competitor of US could give 2 s**** if we survive...yeah, yeah, I have alot of "friends" at US. Buddy, I have heard this patronizing rhetoric for years..It doesn't take here...so we will agree to disagree.

 

[mweiss]

first,

You miss the point in the "USAir USAir USAir" comment. USAir provided the opportunities to Southwest. Southwest isn't out to kill anyone, but at the same time they're sure not out to save anyone either.

Being out to kill an airline is what AA did to NJ. Drop the fares and flood the market until the competition leaves, and then jack the price back up and cut back service. That, my friend, is what "out to kill" looks like.

WN enters a market, and the prices stay the same whether there are no competitors or ten. That's just a business plan. No hard feelings.

 

[hobbes]

"I never said it is BAD that SWA is assualting US..That is your guilt trip."

Why would I have a guilt trip about it if I don't believe that SWA is out to assault USAirways? Isn't that a contradiction? And where did I state, or even imply, that I had a guilt trip about anything? Sorry, but your logic in that statement is confusing.

By the way, I don't see how the word "assaulting" can be translated as anything other than a bad thing. So forgive me if I read something into your post that perhaps wasn't there. But you have to agree..."assaulting" means that somebody is being victimized. How can that NOT be translated a bad thing? You seem to contradict yourself in your choice of words. And then to turn around and take personal swipes at Southwest, using the term "ghetto employees"...you claim not to harbor any ill will towards Southwest Employees, but your actions on this board seem to say otherwise. If it's Southwest management you're mad at, why do you take swipes at the Employees?

"We had no sympathy"

In a strict corporate context, no. It's capitalism, and airline seats are a commodity. The person who can produce at the lowest costs generally wins. Simple as that. If we were to turn down a good business opportunity like PHL, then it would be to the detriment of our own Employees' jobs. But that doesn't mean we're out to sink USAirways. As many airline analysts have noted, PHL was more a defense against jetBlue than an attack on USAirways.

In a personal context, I would suggest it's a different issue altogether. We're all too aware that if USAirways goes under, some of their employees may come work for us. Some of them already do. So I think many of us do feel personal sympathy, because we realize that USAirways biggest enemy is really within, and it comes in the form of poor management. USAirways was having big problems long before we entered PHL, and they would continue to have those problems even if we never entered PHL.

I notice that you have no criticism of the other low fare carrier that entered PHL...was it Frontier? Are they out to kill USAirways as well?

.."there are three reasons for SWA sucess, USAir, USAir,USAir."

Wow...I've never seen that quote. That's a new one on me. Would you mind stating the source on that? I'm not doubting you...I'd just like to read the whole article before I draw my conclusion.

"Buddy, I have heard this patronizing rhetoric for years..It doesn't take here...so we will agree to disagree."

And for years I've heard that the LCCs are the downfall of all the other airlines, both in terms of customers and employee wages. All the while, those same critics are ignoring the realities of the marketplace. Which one is more patronizing?

Agreed to disagree. 🙂

 

[firstamendment]

"I.."there are three reasons for SWA sucess, USAir, USAir,USAir."

Wow...I've never seen that quote. That's a new one on me. Would you mind stating the source on that? I'm not doubting you...I'd just like to read the whole article before I draw my conclusion.

"Buddy, I have heard this patronizing rhetoric for years..It doesn't take here...so we will agree to disagree."

Your ceo said that...very well known statement.

Well, I am glad you have a heart...most do not. <_<