Prim40

Who the F is this guy!!!???

kingairfun

It is very difficult to disagree with this. Saving some cash is a priority even for many of the upper middle or upper class.

My only rebuttal would be that for many, Hawaii is a once in a lifetime vacation/honeymoon etc. Who wants to start their dream vacation off being miserable?

It is also a very expensive place to visit. Food, lodging, or visiting multiple islands is much more expensive than say Florida or Vegas.( And in general our tourists are a bit higher up on the totem poll than typical Florida vacationers) And due to the limited lodging options it's not like you can just find a Motel 8 for $35... A crappy airport hotel at the HNL airport runs around $180/night for example. Hawaii is not a vacation destination for the low end vacationers trying to do a budget vacation. IE: your typical Spirit passenger. (not a knock on Spirit just a generalization)

If you're taking this once in a lifetime vacation/honeymoon, you may spend the extra $$ for a flight on a more traditional airline with more perks. In Hawaiian's case, an authentic experience where the FA's can actually give you real tips or pronounce locations and names correctly. An airline that makes you feel like your vacation has started at your departure airport. (a little overly dramatic, just making a point).

On Hawaiian it's very common to hear the Hawaiian Language spoken, and spoken correctly. Sure you may get an Aloha or Mahalo on SWA, hell even Spirit, but for a real local experience it's Hawaiian or nothing.

I've traveled in the back on every airline, and although I am biased, the experience on Hawaiian is for the most part better. I know SWA is entertaining at times, for me, I'd grow tired of corny jokes ad nauseum.

Based on the pure size of SWA, they will be able to flood the market. It's whether or not they intend to really make money over here is the question. Or can they make more money in a different market? Because West Coast-Hawaii is a low yield market to begin with.

If they put a crew base out here, and base 15-20 interisland dedicated a/c here, then all bets are off.. But what many of the pilots at SWA haven't witnessed yet is our astounding lack of gate space on all islands.

I think we'll be fine, the Facebook posters of the world are all up in arms about some $30 inter-island ticket that they somehow cannot find because the sale was for maybe 2 days and they sold out quickly. And many comments have turned negative because they've noticed higher fares on SWA vs HA for the remaining seats. Nobody is saying they want to ride on SWA, they are more excited that fares on HA, AK, or UA may drop a bit.

Bottom line, flying on Hawaiian vs SWA are two completely different business models.

ZapBrannigan

Don’t forget the off key singing.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

FNGFO

Listen. I know you’re grasping st something, anything really, to try and hope this ends well for you, but a higher class travel experience to Hawaii on HAL is...laughable.

For one, it sucks in the back of all airliners on long legs. Hawaiian is no different. Yes, I’ve ridden many times.

For another, no one who has two brain cells to rub together is hoping to find an FA who can give them tips on local activities and food on a trip as expensive as an extended Hawaiian vacation.

And lastly, saving $100 each way per passenger (or whatever the cost will be) probably adds up to an hotel extra night on one of the islands.

No, people won’t pay extra to get a smidgeon of percieved service on HAL. The ones with truly disposable income to do so aren’t considering riding on any LCC.

SWA is transport for the masses, or at least they still play at it while largely charging legacy fares, and getting Joe and Susie Wal Mart to the islands is exactly what their mission is all about.

Going to see the mouse in Florida is many people’s dream vacation with their kids, and they cram themselves into a yellow 321 with infants in their laps by the bushel because that modicum of saved cash means that they can do an extra activity while in Orlando or squeeze in another night or two. Hawaii is really no different.

On the basis of half-a$$ed conjecture I’d say HAL is in a lot of trouble unless they radically change their model or partner with someone on the mainland to help feed them. SWA will run them into the ground once they get the inter island bit going with corny jokes and mispronounced Mahalo’s and all.

WHACKMASTER

Another phenomenon that I’d like explained is the culture of SWA FAs using the PA to talk to each other while PAX are on board instead of using the interphone.

The most unprofessional example I’ve witnessed was just a couple of months ago when I was DHing on a full -800. They had just opened the cabin door and over the PA the A (Lead) announces, “Susie, there’s a supervisor on the jetway waiting for you. Make sure you see her on the way out.”

Wtf?! Are they not teaching them in training what’s appropriate and not appropriate in front of PAX? Or do they not have any inkling that stuff like this is totally amateur, unprofessional, etc.?

No doubt that Hawaiian will take a ding with SWA entering the market (as will Alaska), but man.......what a different product

Super EZ E

You're 100% correct. People don't want to pay to fly. When NK packs 180+ in a A320 good luck price matching and staying business long term. Factor in when times get tough the ULCC will grow more because price point! Fact is you sure in the hell don't want SWA anywhere near the Hawaiian market if you want to stay in business. SWA will flood inter island and suck up a lot of passengers!!

Vincent Chase

What is the purpose of these two posts? Your (our) job is to take pax from point A to point B. Company pride is great. I have it, as well. But I'll be darned if I'll ever rub a pilot from another carrier's nose in my "company pride." Especially on an anonymous forum. That's just chicken$**t.

FNGFO

I’d work on your reading comprehension, because that post had nothing to do with company pride. In fact, that thought is nearly 180 degrees off from the point.

The point was to put away the notion that HAL has something so special to offer that the masses will pay extra to ride them. Or that Hawaii itself will lead to travelers splurging to get there in style. People with the disposable income to do those things aren’t shopping between HAL and SWA.

It sucks in the back of all airliners on extended flights. ALL of them. An economy seat is an economy seat, and no amount of flowers, correct local diction or knowledge is going o win against the almighty dollar. And it certainly won’t win against being able to spend another night at the Grand Wailea due to cost savings on travel. This isn’t the luxury suite on an ocean liner where the trip is part of the experience. It’s steerage. Plain and simple.

If Hawaiian had Mint style airplanes or some of the fancy AA 321T’s as their base product then I’d agree with the premise. But that’s not their product, and SWA darn well knows it. And they play for keeps.

Having said that, I’d be truly surprised if the HAL management team hasn’t been burning the midnight oil on strategies and counters since SWA made their intentions known. More than anything I’m interested to see what they do and what it leads to, because standing their ground strategically will just get them steamrolled.

Vincent Chase

I think my comprehension is just fine.

FNGFO

No. It’s not. I don’t work for SWA. You made that leap, and it was a poor one. SWA is the 800lb gorilla of the LCC world, and they just crawled into the cage with HAL. It doesn’t take a rocket surgeon to see what the likley outcome is without some pretty impressive ninjery on HAL’s part.