av8r4aa

Yes its a great idea for sure!

Have SWA spend all their money trying to convince everyone
they need "special treatment"
Keep spending your cash SWA , remembering it aint
gonna last forever.
Meanwhile AA will suck up all those premium fares at DFW
to all the cities SWA won't go to from north Texas.

I say "won't " because if SWA wanted to fly they would already be based at DFW.

The door is and ALWAYS has been open for SWA to compete at DFW.

If SWA TRULY wanted to get into "long haul" from DFW
area
they would send a few planes to DFW slap up a sign, have
your silly television crew film everybody having fun fun fun.

But that will never happen!
SWA does not want a fair fight. they want to exploit their Love field Monopoly
by skirting the law.

Your boss is not stupid....... it is far cheaper to try to
change the law than actually "get into the race"

SWA has no interest in flying long haul from DFW.
They just want to harvest the decades old passengers from AA.

As I have said before the law is the law.

I will personally roll out the red carpet for you at DFW.
Just let me know when that will be.


HA HA HA

Fly4Beer

Assuming most pilots reading this forum are college educated individuals, I would expect most to realize that both SWA and AA are Texas based airlines. That means Texas jobs are at risk. Anyone who thinks that pols will let the Wright Amendment go away anytime before AA starts to make money needs to pull their head out of their crock! I am sure SWA will change their tune about DFW once a few more airlines like jetBlue announce service in/out of DFW. Plus don't forget that AA still hold the rights to 10 or so gates at Love field.

4th Level

Interesting point. The irony of course is the fact that the repeal of the WA would only increase competition out of DAL since anyone would be free to fly anywhere. I believe the only "monopoly" that would be threatened, is the one 14 miles to the Northwest.

corl737

Just as Love Field has always been open for AA to compete intra-state with SWA! (AMR still pays $350,000/year to Love Field to retain their leases on 3 gates!)

Seriously, though, take a few minutes and read this study by the Boyd Group. While the link I'm providing is through SWA's "SetLoveFree" website, the actual study is not really supportive of either SWA's or AA's cases. It does, however, highlight the view that both sides of the issue have probably grossly overstated the effects retaining or repealing the Wright Amendment may cause.

http://www.setlovefree.com/reports.html
(Click on the "Michael Boyd Study" to download the 52-page pdf file.)

In particular, I found the description of Love Field's diminishing access to the total DFW metroplex market very interesting. As the metroplex continues to predominately grow west and northwest, Love is becoming less and less the attractive option for travelers. (As a SWA employee this aspect concerns me. However, as an SWA employee I also have confidence that Gary Kelly et al are carefully balancing the costs of moving to DFW vs. the marginalizing of Love Field.)

... until the law is determined to no longer be effective and is changed.

From the testimony of Sen. John McCain to the House of Representatives, Subcommittee on Aviation, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Thursday, February 9, 1995, regarding the perimeter rule that limits the distance an air carrier may fly from Washington National Airport (DCA):

" The second issue I would like to focus my remarks on, Mr. Chairman, very briefly—the perimeter rule as imposed in 1968 as a way of helping Dulles Airport, which at that time was viewed as a white elephant. The perimeter rule—650 miles in distance. Then there was an extension of that perimeter rule; and the history is very clear that it was done by the former Speaker of the House, Jim Wright. And that perimeter rule was extended to 1,250 miles, which, coincidentally, happens to coincide with the western edge of the tarmac at Dallas-Forth Worth Airport."

av8r4aa

My 2 cents.

I know BOTH sides of the ring are slinging as much
mud the other way as possible.

SWA wants to "move freely" through the USA. I can see that
the W.A. is a real thorn in their side. If I was a SWA flyer I would scream
unfair as loud as I could. Honestly it a dated rule. I think after
the mud dried off the walls both sides would probably say
"WOW that wasn't so bad was it?'

But I am on the other side so I need to fight for my team.
(and my job)

Both AA and SWA have very valid points, I think SWA would probably
make out better in the long run.
Anytime you loose customers to another carrier there is some
money lost. AA has a good grip at DFW, I do not follow the price war on a daily basis.
But the people I talk to in the back seem to be happy with their purchase
price. I base this as a full airplane and people still at the gate.

SWA has a wonderfull product to sell. Anybody that gets their paycheck
from them ought to be very gratefull for what they have. Just look around at the Airline war zone across the country.
AA is also a wonderfull company. I am still proud to put on my uniform and go to work. I am concerned with our "collective" airline future.
That is ALL CARRIERS.
It is really a crap shoot as to where your Company will be in Twenty years.

When I got hired at AA I had a friend that I helped get on at AA also.

He also interviewed at SWA nearly the same week as AA.

I was TOTALLY shocked when he told me he was going with SWA!

Now look at us. I am commuting to bottom line holder/reserve status in STL.
He is probably Captain by now.
Who took the right road?

Then AA was the way to go, today SWA seems like a steamroller.

Its all a gut feeling and a roll of the dice.

GOOD LUCK to all of us!

4th Level

Touché my Brother, touché.