WHACKMASTER

The E2 version of the EMB isn’t big enough to be a direct replacement of the -700 but the A220-300 is and it’s a superior aircraft compared to the Embraer. JetBlue got them at a steep discount. Imagine the price we could get 500 of them for.

It’s a moot point anyway.....they’ll never step out of their Guppy shell. Oh well, as long as the profit sharing keeps flowing, there’s no PBS on property and I have my noise cancelling headsets.....

PropPiedmont

....and a good chiropractor.

e6bpilot

I agree with Whack. The 797 will be the next type at SWA. Period dot.
Gary will retire right before that happens and Nealon will step in as CEO. It’s already in the works, I guarantee it.
The only reason we got the Max 7 is to keep the line alive in case we want more later. It will either become an orphan like the 500 or we will utilize it for long, thin, high altitude airports like MDW-MEX and points south and buy more. The BOD and shareholders love the 800 sized aircraft. Still able to turn it inside an hour, land it at MDW, and has 175 ways to split the increased operating cost.

ZapBrannigan

So which headsets do you like?


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Learflyer

I can attest that MLB (Melbourne, FL) would be a success for SWA. Largely populated area (including Vero, Sebastian, Fort Pierce). Lots of transplanted NY'ers that travel to MCO to use SWA and others would love a chance not to have to drive the hour or so to MCO.

ZapBrannigan

In the mid-90s MLB had mainline service from USAir, Delta, and AA plus a variety of commuter feeders. No reason it can’t work.


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pugpilot

at the leadership breakfast recently, they were talking about how the A220 is something that will be looked at very closely going forward. It definitely makes sense and would the -700s.

Specifically it was discussed that the MAX's are not as efficient for short haul flights and they might have to look at something else.

ZapBrannigan

From Motley Fool..

“However, Southwest Airlines will probably retire the first of its more than 500 Boeing 737-700s within the next year or two. Half of that fleet or more is likely to come up for replacement over the next decade. Like the majority of the 737 Classics, the 737-700s are configured with 143 seats. Nearly all of these planes will be replaced over time with 175-seat 737 MAX 8s.”

Puts a damper on those delivery numbers.


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WHACKMASTER

As in those deliveries will only be to replace -700s? Perhaps, but you know damn well the company has the flexibility to accelerate retirements or deliveries. I don’t think they lay absolutely everything out on the table. When you’re the size of SWA (or DAL, UAL, AA) you’ve got some pull with the manufacturers.

Proximity

I finally got a chance to sit down and read the whole transcript from the 3rd Quarter earnings call.

First interesting thing, the company signed leases for an additional 4 8MAX aircraft for 2019, upping deliveries to 34 instead of 30.

Here's a part in the call where aircraft retirements are being discussed...

It's part of a long answer addressing analysts's concerns about costs and capacity. If anyone has noticed, our stock is down and the blame is being placed on our rising non-fuel costs.

So I'll stick to my prediction that no NGs will be retired in 2019. Note it isn't said that some 700s will be retired next year, the word designate is used. Meaning next year they could say we designate these older 700s to be retired in 202x.

As we should do as pilots, watch what they do, not what they say. The program to purchase used NGs only just wrapped up. Deliveries for next year have been increased at-least twice now. This is not a company acting like they have surplus airplanes.