WN Cuts Some Long-Haul Routes

[FutureUScapt]

WN Cuts Flights in Long Haul Markets

Looks like the following routes will be cut:

BWI-LAX/OAK
PHL-LAX/OAK
MDW-SNA
PHX-CLE

Several markets will lose one nonstop flight, including:

PHL-PVD
PHX-LAX/RDU
ISP-BWI/MDW
RNO-OAK/SJC
HOU-AUS/STL

Since WN is not losing a/c, I'm sure we can expect these to be deployed elsewhere in their system, but it looks like WN wants to focus less on long-haul markets and more on mid-range routes.

 

[CO738]

WN is cutting services on trans-continental flights. The following are cut as per southwest.com:

BWI - LAX (market exit, from 2x/day)
BWI - OAK (market exit, from 1x/day)
PHL - LAX (1x/day down from 2x)
PHL - OAK (market exit from 1x/day)
PHX - CLE (market exit from 1x/day)
SNA - MDW (market exit from 1x/day)
PHX - RDU (1x/day down from 2x)
PHX - PVD (1x/day down from 2x)
ABQ - AMA (1x/day down from 2x)

The following short-hauls will lose 1 frequency/day:

HOU - AUS
HOU - STL
FLL - MCO
BWI - ISP
BWI - MDW
OAK - RNO
SJC - RNO
PHL - PVD
LAX - PHX (DL is adding LAX - PHX *SkyWest* soon)

 

[Flying Photog]

Very interesting, but I'm not finding it on southwest.com. Can you provide a link, please?

 

[SKY HIGH]

Very interesting, but I'm not finding it on southwest.com. Can you provide a link, please?

Southwest Cutting Capacity In Some Long-Haul Markets

Analyst Gary Chase with Lehman Brothers says today in a research note that Southwest Airlines appears to be cutting capacity on some of its long-haul routes -- beginning this fall.

Chase notes that Southwest has stopped selling seats on a number of longhaul markets effective in October. As Gary notes, "We can't be certain that Southwest intends to make changes, but the move would be consistent with recent company comments to address under-performing markets in upcoming schedule changes."

Gary says that Southwest has made seats on a number of longhaul markets unavailable beginning October 4th, including all nonstop flights from Baltimore to Los Angeles and Oakland, and Philadelphia to Los Angeles and Oakland. "We've identified similar activity in a number of other markets, including longhaul markets with frequency reductions (such as Phoenix to Providence, with 1 of 2 daily flights unavailable for purchase)," Chase added.

Who would could possibly benefit from such moves? Gary says that the largest beneficiaries could be US Airways or United, with some minor positives for American and Continental. However, clearly it's not known at this time where Southwest will redeploy the capacity, although one has to assume it is going to be on existing routes -- and perhaps those of a shorter-length.

 

[magsau]

Glad to see there are NO problems with the SWA business plan.....

So US and UA to benefit from this move. Man I wish they would stop beating up on us so badly that they have to remove flights that comepete directly with UA.

The big question is where is this lift going? Is Kelly going to park some of the older airplanes and reduce flying across the board. Or will SWA attempt to establish themselves somewhere else? If option 1 is employed this could lead to some serious stagnation of the SWA pilot list. With age 65 being touted as a need by SWAPA then those guys that are gear monkeys at SWA will be in a holding pattern for 5 years. I highly doubt option 2 as kelly has already indicated he was going to reduce capacity.

Waiting for the spin on this one.....

 

[Flying Photog]

Glad to see there are NO problems with the SWA business plan.....

So US and UA to benefit from this move. Man I wish they would stop beating up on us so badly that they have to remove flights that comepete directly with UA.

The big question is where is this lift going? Is Kelly going to park some of the older airplanes and reduce flying across the board. Or will SWA attempt to establish themselves somewhere else? If option 1 is employed this could lead to some serious stagnation of the SWA pilot list. With age 65 being touted as a need by SWAPA then those guys that are gear monkeys at SWA will be in a holding pattern for 5 years. I highly doubt option 2 as kelly has already indicated he was going to reduce capacity.

Waiting for the spin on this one.....

Good morning Mr Troll. Has United never decreased flights? That's what I thought.

 

[usairways85]

Both LAX-PHL flts have been zeroed out for booking so they are likely dropping that route as well not just downgrading it to 1 daily.

 

[lowfareair]

Both LAX-PHL flts have been zeroed out for booking so they are likely dropping that route as well not just downgrading it to 1 daily.

So with that additional trans-con flight cut, it looks like the equivalent of 10 planes or so total. Wonder where they are going to be adding the 30 new roundtrip flights across their network (we probably would have heard if they were replacing planes)? PHL will likely get the departures moved elsewhere simply because of the current gate situation.

While I am disappointed in this, it does make sense as others have mentioned that yields are much stronger on short to medium-hauls. This will likely also reflect a decrease of about 3-4 miles on their average haul length.

 

[magsau]

Good morning Mr Troll. Has United never decreased flights? That's what I thought.

UAL has reduced flights plenty of times. Many airlines have reduced flights. However, this is a big first for SWA. The experiment into transcons obviously is not working and thus the path of unrestrained growth is showing signs of breaking. This is great news for the real airlines that offer transcon service. Perhaps the fact that business travelers do not want the "SWA Effect" on a transcon and prefer a first class cabin and some amenities over "Ding Dong Airlines" gimmicks.

Just hope this is only the first wave of cuts by SWA.

 

[lowfareair]

UAL has reduced flights plenty of times. Many airlines have reduced flights. However, this is a big first for SWA. The experiment into transcons obviously is not working and thus the path of unrestrained growth is showing signs of breaking. This is great news for the real airlines that offer transcon service. Perhaps the fact that business travelers do not want the "SWA Effect" on a transcon and prefer a first class cabin and some amenities over "Ding Dong Airlines" gimmicks.

Just hope this is only the first wave of cuts by SWA.

You're right! So now that WN is off of PHL-LAX/OAK(SFO), when will UA be bringing back complimentary hot meals cold meals snack boxes to those flights?

 

[phllax]

You're right! So now that WN is off of PHL-LAX/OAK(SFO), when will UA be bringing back complimentary hot meals cold meals snack boxes to those flights?

More important than meals, will UA be upping the pricing on LAX-BWI now that SW is exiting.

 

[BuffaloJoe]

So with that additional trans-con flight cut, it looks like the equivalent of 10 planes or so total. Wonder where they are going to be adding the 30 new roundtrip flights across their network (we probably would have heard if they were replacing planes)? PHL will likely get the departures moved elsewhere simply because of the current gate situation.

While I am disappointed in this, it does make sense as others have mentioned that yields are much stronger on short to medium-hauls. This will likely also reflect a decrease of about 3-4 miles on their average haul length.

Flyingman, may be getting His IAD-BWI hourly shuttle!

 

[Flying Photog]

Perhaps the fact that business travelers do not want the "SWA Effect" on a transcon and prefer a first class cabin and some amenities over "Ding Dong Airlines" gimmicks.

Just hope this is only the first wave of cuts by SWA.

Look at Southwest's Customer satisfaction rating versus United, then you can talk about what they prefer.

 

[tug_slug]

Just hope this is only the first wave of cuts by SWA.

Mags would it make you feel better if SWA were to file BK and screw the employees like UA did? Would that give you the satisfaction your looking for?

What a troll.

 

[KCFlyer]

Mags would it make you feel better if SWA were to file BK and screw the employees like UA did? Would that give you the satisfaction your looking for?

What a troll.

Short answer to your question...yes it would. He would also take a perverse satisfaction in knowing that the filing by WN would lead the way to lower wages for himself, since his company (post bankruptcy) still has a CASM of 11.43 cents...the highest of the majors..but by God...the wicked witch is dead. I think mags believes that should SWA fail, then the government (he's not really very pro government, but in this case...there are exceptions to every rule) will step in and reregulate the industry...just as it was in the glory days before he was hired by UAL...and set pricing based on costs plus a nice profit margin. Trouble is...many politicians would insist that the costs that they set be in the 8 to 9 cent range...not a good thing for a carrier with an 11.43 cent CASM...but that's beside the point.