Originally Posted by
RJSAviator76
Just curious, were you at HAL when AQ was around?
Wait until SWA sees just how big of a cashcow interisland really is... I don't think the bean counters in Dallas realize that just yet. Once they figure it out, watch us throw -700's into the ETOPS mix and doing what Aloha did back in the day flying interisland. But unlike Aloha, which was poorly run, undercapitalized, debt-laden, flying the old clacked out -200's interisland, and having that market be literally the bulk of its existence, Southwest is a vastly different animal.
I think Hawaiian's strengths are actually in the long haul flying and I think focusing on that will keep Hawaiian going strong. If Hawaiian decided to go toe-to-toe with Southwest, that'd be a BAD, BAD, BAD move.
No. Just missed it. This isn’t my first airline either though. I AGREE with many things that you say.
At the end of the day, we are going to be forced to modify our business plan. We will either be successful, or someone will buy us. I just drive a bus, but if we keep growing our east/South Pacific routes and add more mainland destinations, that will offset a lot (not all) of the loss from inter island capacity. Now add that if SWA wants to do what Aloha did, that means a full on base of operation. MX hangar, pilot and FA base also. That’s a lot of investment just to operate back-and-forth in one state.
At the end of the day, I hope were successful standalone. Honestly, I think the worst case scenario for us is that we Get bought by one of the big four and I can go back to having my West Coast base again. That’s not my first choice, believe me but I can live with that.
The biggest concern that’s coming to my mind right now is that our new union representatives are going to need to hold the line on scope. My biggest fear short term is that the knee-jerk reaction will be to try and grow Ohana while the 717 stagnates or shrinks. No thanks.
Not panicking. Again, everything that SWA has announced impacts Alaska off the West Coast more than it does us, and we’ve got a year or so before they fill the gap that island air left behind. Sleep with one eye open, but go ahead and sleep for now.