I've been here 30+. Well aware of the nature of the business.

Thanks for the snark.

 

I get it what you're saying. However, you are not looking forward to the customer base and how it's been shifting over the years if not last decade.

UAL sees it, they are blueprinting us. Both UAL and DAL will begin to syphon that away from you unless you rise to meet them. That's my question - is SWA going to move up to the level or are they just gonna change some airplane seats, do assigned seating and think that's going to do the trick?

 

So you haven ovens on your planes now? Lounges? premium cabins? You say you are getting there. But you are a bit late leaving the station on it. At least that's what my friends tell me that fly at SWA.

You're working for it, ok. But when are you going to get there? Meanwhile UAL is deploying their Polaris cabin NB fleet and we are deploying the D1 NB. We also have more premium seating in each of our planes that you all do. How many premium seats can you plug into a MAX 8? UAL and DAL can plug many in a MAX 10 and a 321 NEO (as well as the 75).

How long until you get to the lounges, real premium seating, and food service on your aircraft? You're losing time. I bring this up due to the aggressive nature of UALs deployment of their NB fleets with significant premium seating available. Again, they are more of competition out there than we are as you all seem to operate out of the same places than we do.

 

You obviously didn't read what I stated about the continued and expanded 350 orders.

 

SEA is Alaska's one major hub really. Those are numbers of flights correct? Alaska does a lot of turning and burning out of there with day turns etc so that's going to pump that number up for them. Look at the routes serviced and you'll get a better idea about it. We operate WB out of SEA and will continue to ramp up that operation increasing the shear number of pax moved in and out of there. We have the NB infrastructure there to feed that expansion.

 

I'm not driving by, I wondering if you all are going to rise up and join us or stay back there and just keep on keeping on. I would love to see you all rise up otherwise it will be just DAL and UAL out there with no other real competition.

 

HK,

Are you self-aware of the common Delta pilot stereotype? Is it a well-founded and accurate view? Do you find it good and purposefully embrace it?

 

I really don't care about that. And FYI feel free to go look at my post history. You'll see I don't wear the hat. Or the horse blanket (well most of the time I don't).

I was talking to my friends at SWA. Which got me thinking about some things. So I figured I'd ask a "larger" pool of SWA pilots.

I think you all took me wrong. I want you guys to step up and be something out there. We need more that just 2 major players in the industry. As Kirby has stated, and I kinda agree with him, there are really only 2 big players in the US Airline industry right now and the foreseeable future as he sees it - UAL and DAL. I would love to see you guys get another fleet type (perhaps WB aircraft as well).

You guys say you are moving towards the lounges, premium seating (in whatever flavor you decide to equip your aircraft). That's great. How long though until all those pieces come to fruition? Meanwhile DAL and UAL are pluggin along and improving on their already premium services. It's what the larger market wants. If it wasn't, then you guys wouldn't be starting to initiate those changes you've mentioned here already.

 

It continues to be how it has always been: Legacies all moving in lockstep trying to outdo each other with identical business models....and SWA over there doing it's own thing. Sometimes times more successfully than other times. The fallacy in your thinking is that you seem to believe SWA wants become a clone of DL/UA/AA. If you'd pay more attention to what the company has been saying over the last 18 mos, you would see that is not really where they are headed. Yes, the product is indeed evolving, but not to a full-service, take-you-from-anywhere-to-anywhere-else airline (or air line?)....at least not in our lifetimes.

 

How soon he forgets. When our newer FOs made CA pay everywhere else. I’m sure if he’s been at delta 30+ years. He was a little more humble. What a clown. I’m glad for deltoid. They have a great product. They didn’t get to this place without a lot of pain and time.