SWA guys - chill! I do not think for one minute that SWA will not stay successful. I do think, as do some other people, that there are a shrinking number of markets to sustain a 10% yearly growth pattern that you have had for the last 20 years. Other airlines will not be as stupid as UsAir was in BWI. Look at Chicago. You guys do fantastic with MDW and UAL and AA are successful out of ORD, but how many markets can support more focus cities?
Someone mentioned LYH. I used to fly into there with the original Piedmont (Henson). The mainline ran a jet into there from BWI to CLT via CHO and RDU but that was when yields for mainline were 30cents/mile. And that was 1 or 2 flights a day. We went in there with turboprops and flew 4 to 5 times a day nonstop to CLT and BWI and had the same yield and made lots of money. SWA could do the same but not in nonstop markets. The smaller cities like SYR, GSO, ILM that used to have jet service don't any more because you can't make money at today's yields. It costs a lot to run a station. SWA gets full use out of their cities and gates and that keeps costs low. They run more flights per gate than anyone else. It is hard to do that in the smaller markets.
SWA will still grow because there are still nodes to connect in their present system and there are some more cities that will support 8 or more flights a day. But my point was that the supply of available cities is shrinking and at some point you can't grow at a compound rate of 10% per year. Will that happen in the next 2 to 3 years? No, of course not. But if you are a new hire at SWA 3 years from now do you still think you will see a 5 year upgrade? I don't, but then I'm just a jet jock!
I always look forward to having SWA guys on my airplane. We have CASS now so you are always welcome up front again.
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