When will SWA go to Hawaii???

[swamt]

This article title is a little misleading (as it was designed to be and worked). I have read some other articles with our CEO quoting that Hawaii is a priority, but he doesn't see it happening in 2018. With that said, an announcement could very easily be made before years end or in 2018. I do know the employees of SWA are really looking forward to serving Hawaii as well as many of our customers can't wait either, but it's starting to look like the media is trying to entice SWA to go ahead a little early...


Southwest: Aloha To Hawaii Next Year?

 

[SharoninSAT]

I'm saving up SWAG Points for a Rapid Rewards ticket!
Below is a little more on Hawaii…

Southwest Airlines says Hawaii flights are a 'priority'
05/18/2017
USA Today Online
WEB

Southwest Airlines is getting closer to adding Hawaii flights, a vacation destination travelers have been begging the nation's largest domestic airline to add for years.

Southwest CEO Gary Kelly, in Phoenix on Wednesday for Southwest's annual shareholders meeting, said flights to Hawaii are a high priority for the airline. In contrast, he said Canada flights are on the airline's radar but not a priority.

"We're deciding what our plans are for 2018 and Hawaii is important to us,'' Kelly said in a meeting with reporters after the shareholder event in downtown Phoenix.

For the first time in a few years, Kelly said, Southwest had a wide open agenda for 2018. The airline focused on new Dallas flights in 2015, added international flights in Houston in 2016 and this year is adding a new international terminal in Fort Lauderdale.

Asked if Hawaii flights could begin as early as 2018, Kelly didn't rule it out but didn't sound promising.

"I doubt it,'' he said. "We have not decided exactly what we want to do for 2018 yet.''

He said Southwest must take several steps to prepare for the launch of Hawaii service, including Federal Aviation Administration certification for flights over the Pacific, flight crew training and technology support.

"We still have a lot of work to do and we don't have a committed work plan yet on Hawaii ... but it's pretty high on the priority list,'' Kelly said.

The airline plans to use the new Boeing 737 MAX to go to Hawaii. The airline's first MAX will begin flying for the carrier in October. The airline expects to have 14 of the planes, which offer an extended flight range, by the end of the year.

The first batch of Hawaii flights would be from the West Coast, Kelly said, but did not say where. Phoenix and Las Vegas are seeking non-stop service to Hawaii on Southwest, but those cities would not be in the first batch of flights because a different Boeing 737 MAX plane not yet in the fleet would be needed on the route.

American and Hawaiian airlines offer non-stop flights between Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and Hawaii.

Discounter Allegiant Air tried Hawaii flights from Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport in the far-east Phoenix suburb Mesa but the service was short-lived.

 

[swamt]

With Allegiant backing out of Hawaii, and Virgin soon to be out of the picture (2019) which will kill the last LCC left to quit Hawaii, maybe SWA should jump in ASAP. Heck maybe in 4th Quarter this year when we start getting up to 14 new Max birds by year end. Maybe another big Oct. start of something new. Started Dallas expansion Oct 14, started international flying Oct Oct 15, expanded more international flying (Hou) in Oct 16 Maybe Hawaii will be the 2017 Oct. announcement or at least 2018 Oct announcement. Could we send about a half dozen aircraft over there to just island hop all day then back to home land then repeat. I would gladly volunteer to relo to Hawaii for some line maint.


Southwest Hopes to Bring The 'LUV' to HawaiI

 

[whatkindoffreshhell]

I'm not the smartest guy but why would WN want to serve Hawaii?

Not a big business destination and it would seem to me that many seats would be claimed by fliers redeeming points.

Plus the over-water route limits the available aircraft, right?

Thanks in advance....

 

[jimntx]

I would gladly volunteer to relo to Hawaii for some line maint.
Southwest Hopes to Bring The 'LUV' to HawaiI

I would think twice before volunteering to Hawaii unless there is a major raise attached to it. The cost of living in Hawaii is much higher than on this side of the water--particularly compared to Texas. Remember almost everything in the way of household goods and clothing needs to be imported, and housing is not at all cheap. I have a friend who lives in Honolulu. He talks often of the lack of money for "entertainment." He has a very good job with the State of Hawaii, but his paycheck goes for bare necessities and a roof over his head.

 

[jimntx]

I'm not the smartest guy but why would WN want to serve Hawaii?

Not a big business destination and it would seem to me that many seats would be claimed by fliers redeeming points.

Plus the over-water route limits the available aircraft, right?

Thanks in advance....

Alaska and Delta both fly nonstop from SEA with the 737-900. United does it with same a/c from SFO. LAX-HNL is a piece of cake. So, capable equipment would not be an issue.

I can't speak for the other airlines and travel reward flying, but our 2 daily 767s on DFW-HNL are full everyday of the year--mostly revenue passengers. I have passengers complaining often about the difficulty of redeeming their miles for a ticket to anywhere anyone wants to go these days. I would assume that HNL is one of the first destinations to run out of seats designated for reward travel. LAX-HNL has similar loads.

OW routes mean you just have to have the life vests and life rafts on board, and the flight attendants trained in water evacuations, but since WN is already flying to the Caribbean and going more than 50 nautical miles off shore, I would bet their f/as are already trained. You just need to learn the evacuation command--"Follow me to the life rafts."

 

[swamt]

I'm not the smartest guy but why would WN want to serve Hawaii?

Not a big business destination and it would seem to me that many seats would be claimed by fliers redeeming points.

Plus the over-water route limits the available aircraft, right?

Thanks in advance....

You make good points. SWA is about a 50/50 carrier when it comes to pleasure and business travelers. There are plenty of business travelers that will still need to get to and from the Hawaii Islands and island jump while there maybe. Over the water for the length is limited to an aircraft we do not even have yet (the new Max) but we are suppose to receive up to about 15 of them by the end of this year and continue on a regular delivery schedule into and beyond next year. Also with all the current LCC's pulling out of the hawaii market it may be a great time for us to jump on it, get some great fares for going to Hawaii against all the legacies. Southwest has more than enough customers begging them to start flight to Hawaii and they already know it will do very well.

 

[swamt]

I would think twice before volunteering to Hawaii unless there is a major raise attached to it. The cost of living in Hawaii is much higher than on this side of the water--particularly compared to Texas. Remember almost everything in the way of household goods and clothing needs to be imported, and housing is not at all cheap. I have a friend who lives in Honolulu. He talks often of the lack of money for "entertainment." He has a very good job with the State of Hawaii, but his paycheck goes for bare necessities and a roof over his head.

I know. And take your advice wisely. It was nice just to be able to state that it could happen. I know my wife has already planned a trip as soon as we start and I will buy our first tickets (not go non-rev) to make our first trip to Hawaii a very enjoyable one instead of being a big worry wort if were gonna make it or not. More than likely double if not triple my current cost of living.

 

[FWAAA]

You make good points. SWA is about a 50/50 carrier when it comes to pleasure and business travelers. There are plenty of business travelers that will still need to get to and from the Hawaii Islands and island jump while there maybe. Over the water for the length is limited to an aircraft we do not even have yet (the new Max) but we are suppose to receive up to about 15 of them by the end of this year and continue on a regular delivery schedule into and beyond next year. Also with all the current LCC's pulling out of the hawaii market it may be a great time for us to jump on it, get some great fares for going to Hawaii against all the legacies. Southwest has more than enough customers begging them to start flight to Hawaii and they already know it will do very well.

Do you want Southwest to begin flying to HI because that's where WN has a competitive advantage and can make more money than by flying the planes elsewhere? Or is it because it's a "prominent" or "glamorous" destination that every serious airline should fly? If your answer is the latter, then I'd say WN has lost sight of the ball.

If the LCCs (the ones paying their employees much less than WN employees make) are pulling out of HI, then what makes anyone think that it's a gold mine waiting for WN?

DAL was a gold mine for WN once the Wright Amendment was ended, due to the unique geography of Love Field. WN has no such competitive advantage in flying to HNL or OGG. None.

Southwest's resistance to eastbound redeye flights poses a challenge. Unless WN wants planes sitting at HNL or OGG overnight, the flights from LAX or OAK would have to depart early in the morning and quickly turn around back to the mainland. Early morning departures mean very limited connecting opportunities and evening arrivals at LAX or OAK further limit the connections.

Are passengers begging WN to begin HI flights because they want to sit in Devolve seating for 6 hours at profitable fares or because they want to redeem points for "free" flights?

 

[swamt]

Do you want Southwest to begin flying to HI because that's where WN has a competitive advantage and can make more money than by flying the planes elsewhere? Or is it because it's a "prominent" or "glamorous" destination that every serious airline should fly? If your answer is the latter, then I'd say WN has lost sight of the ball.

If the LCCs (the ones paying their employees much less than WN employees make) are pulling out of HI, then what makes anyone think that it's a gold mine waiting for WN?

DAL was a gold mine for WN once the Wright Amendment was ended, due to the unique geography of Love Field. WN has no such competitive advantage in flying to HNL or OGG. None.

Southwest's resistance to eastbound redeye flights poses a challenge. Unless WN wants planes sitting at HNL or OGG overnight, the flights from LAX or OAK would have to depart early in the morning and quickly turn around back to the mainland. Early morning departures mean very limited connecting opportunities and evening arrivals at LAX or OAK further limit the connections.

Are passengers begging WN to begin HI flights because they want to sit in Devolve seating for 6 hours at profitable fares or because they want to redeem points for "free" flights?

I want SWA to fly to Hawaii for 2 reasons. First and foremost so SWA can have a competitive advantage and yes make lots of $$$$$$$$$ (Profits). And a very very close to being #1 with all our employees and enough customers to be profitable, to fly to The Hawaii islands for our benefit of enjoying Hawaii on a regular schedule, meaning a lot. SWA has never loss sight of the ball. They already know how lucrative the hawaii market will be for SWA and it's employees. SWA will not start flights to Hawaii without spending millions on research and surveys and investigations to see if it would be profitable enough to even consider the routes. They always do that.
As far as cost to the company, as you suggest that our employees make more than all the other airlines flying to Hawaii, pretty sure SWA will throw some of our regular employees in there especially customer service, but some will also be contracted out at first. Pretty sure the maint will be also. So the cost will not be as high as you may think for SWA.
Dal has been a gold mine to SWA long long before the end of the W/A, and that's a fact. Dal has been profitable since 3rd year at Dal. It just exploded since the end of the W/A 10 fold. I just hate the fact that SWA was not able to get the international restrictions removed with it, but, never say never, maybe one day we will see that red belly bird take off over at DFW, you never know...

 

[jimntx]

Over the water for the length is limited to an aircraft we do not even have yet (the new Max) but we are suppose to receive up to about 15 of them by the end of this year and continue on a regular delivery schedule into and beyond next year.

Does WN not have some 737-900's? Alaska, Delta, and United are all serving Hawaii from the West Coast with the -900. And, I'm not talking about the MAX-9.

 

[swamt]

Does WN not have some 737-900's? Alaska, Delta, and United are all serving Hawaii from the West Coast with the -900. And, I'm not talking about the MAX-9.

No 900's. Just 300's (these will be gone by Oct 17) 700's, 800's, Max 8 coming in Oct/Sep. I remember SWA tossing the 900 around but ended up going with the Max 8.

The Motley Fool is keeping it alive in the media though. This article below doesn't think SWA will hit Hawaii until as late as 2020. I will throw my 2 cents out there and say I believe SWA will be doing Hawaii before 2020.

BusinessThe Motley Fool
Southwest Airlines Gets Serious About Hawaii -- The Motley Fool

 

[swamt]

Gotta LUV the heading of this one huh? Even though Kelly has stated in many other articles (although not this one) that SWA is only focusing on Hawaii as a priority, he also states that it probably won't even happen in 2018, and it would more likely be 2019 or even as far off as 2020. Me personally thinks we should jump this year in Oct. while the other LCC's have all pulled out. The only one left is Virgin who will go away in 2019 all together. 14 Max's by years end, wouldn't be too hard to do except for the certs over water. Training flight crews may have already started, but would be no big deal. Ok let's keep it alive, maybe it will come sooner than 2020 I hope...

Southwest Airline plans to have non-stop Flights to Hawaii

 

[swamt]

Is this a huge tease or what? Does it mean anything?? Or is it yet another move by the media to get SWA to move ASAP into Hawaii??? Hmmmmm, only time will tell:

Bank of Hawaii Boosts Stake in Southwest Airlines Company (LUV)

 

[NewHampshire Black Bears]

I had a WN STATION MANAGER tell me that Kelly was 'looking' at 2 AIRLINES.

1. COPA (Panama). That makes sense for central america,

A N D,

2. Hawaiian Air. This station mgr said he was shocked to hear about HA, but it came out of Kelly's own mouth. Stay tuned !