Originally Posted by
Elvis90
Honestly, I'm not concerned about SWA at all. They're not a Low Cost Carrier anymore according to the WSJ, their costs are much higher than AirTran, Europe is waaay down the road, if at all, and they're looking more and more like a legacy as they try to break into "the Big Show", a phrase that BB likes to use.
Oh, and I'm a new-hire as well! But I'm willing to let the other thread die since I think we've exhausted any more ideas.
You should be very concerned about SW. Atlanta is still the economic engine that drives Delta airlines. If we don't improve our customer service they are going to do some serious butt kicking in ATL. While their costs are higher then Airtran they offer the ability to fly anywhere in the US with destinations Airtran could not match. Network is very important in overall yields. They will now offer a domestic network close to Delta and maintain a large cost advantage. Take a look at SW's costs on a stage length adjusted basis for like aircraft and you will see that Delta is going to have a problem. We will see if our management team is up to the task. Their decisions in the next few years and the overall customer service we provide will be critical to the future of Delta.