Actually you might want to refresh your RJ talking points Joe. Southwest has changed their model. They are more hub and spoke than ever before. In fact is has been hampering some of their success.

As Southwest Airlines tries to cope with its success, problems at Midway will get team's attention - Chicago Tribune

The truth is that you could serve those outlying stations with 2-3 mainline planes each day and operate the airline more efficiently and with a better ontime performance than the 6-7 RJ's a day in the market. By using larger planes you get a reduction in the number of operations, freeing up slots, gates, airspace etc. You don't have to worry about the one RJ that takes 30minute delay on the first flight of the day cascading down the line for the next 16 hours of misconnects as it falls farther behind schedule all day long.

Ridding the airline of the non-caring codeshare partner that doesn't treat the passengers very well, has loyalty to the brand and nothing to lose. The code-share group dosen't have a clue about customer service. How many time did you turn the seat belt sign off on your last trip? How many friendly PA's did you make? Most of the times that I am in the back of an RJ the FA is on her first job that gives them any authority. They use the PA as a battering ram of oral diarrhea.

Sorry Joe, but the paradigm has shifted and you may be on the outside looking in when it is all said and done. Should have been nicer to those DL guys you have bashed over the years. Karma is a beaut...or something along those lines.

L