Buchanan sounds like someone who has more koolaid drinking than perspective.

The point isn't whether they furloughed or not. The point is they would have if forces had not intervened. I personally think threatening 1221 pilots with furlough over Christmas (early I might add) as a bargaining chip is terrible.

All of this is beside the point. There is no special sauce at SWA. They rose above their station quickly due to great timing, luck, and market forces. They had an amazing founder who led them there. Now it is just another big airline going through an existential crisis.