When you get the chance - check out www.ipubs.me (for security, the login info in in the computer section of DALPA forums). Two fleets are completed with more to come. It appears to be an easy way to sync an iPhone or iPad with all the latest publications needed excluding Jepps. Now, hopefully we can use them in the cockpit sometime soon.

 

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.

 

Business seat. At least it has a window.

 

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.

 

I definitely agree that they win in customer service, and DAL needs to really improve that (mostly a policy issue I think that hurts customers), but SWA's costs are steadily increasing.

cant-call-southwest-discount-airlines-wsj: Personal Finance News from Yahoo! Finance

Southwest's average ticket price has jumped 39% in the past five years, while the average ticket price for domestic trips for the industry was up 10%, according to the Department of Transportation.

If I were SWA this would concern me. Add to that the fact that their fuel hedging strategy is no longer an advantage...they had a negative quarterly earnings precisely because their hedges were too high.

Yes, I hope the management team is up to the task, but I think RA is pretty smart in this regard.

 

Customer service, customer service, customer service.... and some more customer service....

However, we need to remember that just because SW is going to be providing the uniforms for the gate and rampers on the south end of C and D, it doesn't mean that the attitudes of the workers wearing those uniforms will change!!!

 

Sailingfun,

You are spot on.

While articles are written about SWA's costs, are those writers sophisticated enough to compare similar operations? Ultra long range flying is a completely different model than shorter range domestic legs where sector costs and per trip costs mean more than CASM.

If we were to compare SWA to say, Comair, would we still enjoy a cost advantage?

 

I agree with Shiznit, SW will still have to hire from the available pool in Atlanta. Unless their kool aid is the best in the world, I doubt customer service will improve that much.

 

I agree.

But even if SWA has excellent customer service here in ATL and great advertising, that's not a bad thing. It could be the catalyst for a lot of great change here that we would benefit from. Not to mention, "why can't we get their pay?" There are a lot of savvy people at the GO, I just sometimes think there are some relics that like to push back against them and want to just stay comfortable. You can't do that anymore. At some point you've got to fight from the inside out.

Like I posted on the other website about SWA, go look at Chicago-Vegas. SWA tickets are cheaper than ours (connecting) and Uniteds but only by $100ish bucks. Spirit and Allegiant come in at half their price and that's not with more fees pending. Just half. That low hanging fruit SWA used to love is starting to get re-picked off by those two carriers.

I think prices and operations and employee relations in and out of ATL will be a headache. This is ATL, it's in a incompetent county.

 

BTW, who was rolling out for takeoff with me at 2am in ATL last night?

Can't wait to have some sort of EFBs that allow us to see radar while flying. A bunch of jets last night diverted into AGS. AGS was in the path of every storm that hit ATL and as one passed ATL it his AGS and once that passed AGS the next one was rolling into ATL.

But the whole time Alabama was in the clear. If only those guys had diverted into MGM, even if they'd been #15 it'd been better than AGS was- last night.