Rumor now Confirmed: New Southwest Livery Scheme
#1
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Programs: AA Gold AAdvantage Elite, Rapids Reward
Posts: 38,326
Rumor now Confirmed: New Southwest Livery Scheme
Rumor! Rumor! Rumor!!!
A New Southwest Airlines livery scheme. Those 2 737-800 is still the paint shop in GEG instead of Renton, WA.
When they will come out?
Let the speculation begin.
A New Southwest Airlines livery scheme. Those 2 737-800 is still the paint shop in GEG instead of Renton, WA.
When they will come out?
Let the speculation begin.
#2
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 222
Rumor: New Southwest Livery Scheme?
Willing to bet these are regular paint jobs being done by Associated Painters on behalf of Boeing. They just opened a second paint hangar over there. With the current delivery rate and only 5 paint bays (as I recall) between BFI and Renton, it would be logical to think they have to farm out some paint jobs. Average production paint is 3 days. I have never seen a "green" airplane delivered to an airline.
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: home = LAX
Posts: 25,933
Also, Southwest has a history of occasionally having some specially painted planes (Shamu or whatever), and so a differently-painted plane or two from Southwest is not by itself any evidence of a new overall livery scheme.
(Though you don't even know whether it's differently painted yet. But my point is, even if it were, it might not be new livery, it still could be just special one-off or two-off planes.)
(Though you don't even know whether it's differently painted yet. But my point is, even if it were, it might not be new livery, it still could be just special one-off or two-off planes.)
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2001
Location: LAX; AA EXP, MM; HH Gold
Posts: 31,789
Sounded like an unsubstantiated rumour from that source of everything aviation, airliners.net, and sure enough, that's where this is from:
http://www.airliners.net/aviation-fo....main/6167869/
http://www.airliners.net/aviation-fo....main/6167869/
#5
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 413
Sounded like an unsubstantiated rumour from that source of everything aviation, airliners.net, and sure enough, that's where this is from:
http://www.airliners.net/aviation-fo....main/6167869/
http://www.airliners.net/aviation-fo....main/6167869/
#6
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Houston (HOU/IAH)
Programs: WN, UA, DL, AA, Chase UR, Amex MR
Posts: 2,269
Sounded like an unsubstantiated rumour from that source of everything aviation, airliners.net, and sure enough, that's where this is from:
http://www.airliners.net/aviation-fo....main/6167869/
http://www.airliners.net/aviation-fo....main/6167869/
Taken in context of rebranding the inflight magazine and the fact that they stopped branding the drink cups (I haven't actually paid enough attention to notice that) I think something might be up in regards to an overall rebrand coming out. Still, I don't think WN really needs a rebrand right now.
Also, I have to lol at the (apparently) serious suggestion made in the airliners thread that WN will rename itself as ATA since it's no longer limited to just the southwestern USA.
#7
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: San Diego, Ca
Programs: AA 2MM LT PLT; AS MVP Gold75k; HHonors Diamond; IHG PLT
Posts: 3,502
Taken in context of rebranding the inflight magazine and the fact that they stopped branding the drink cups (I haven't actually paid enough attention to notice that) I think something might be up in regards to an overall rebrand coming out. Still, I don't think WN really needs a rebrand right now.
The only way I could see SWA adopting the Airtran brand was if Kelly decided to adopt their policies - reserved seats, first class cabin - which does not seem very likely.
#10
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 5,813
Taken in context of rebranding the inflight magazine and the fact that they stopped branding the drink cups (I haven't actually paid enough attention to notice that) I think something might be up in regards to an overall rebrand coming out. Still, I don't think WN really needs a rebrand right now.
I agree that someday they will rename the airline to position themselves as a truly national/international airline. But that will be the next management team. If Herb was still in charge they probably would have done it already.
New Name Suggestions:
- Pan Am
- TWA
- Air America
- Branniff
- Freedom Airlines
- JetAmerica
- Legend Airlines
- National Airlines
- Nationwide Airlines
- Red Baron Airlines
- Sky Trek
- Valujet
- Airtran
#12
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 413
WN's poor schedule performance over the next year, dropping of some smaller markets, complications with rollout of international service requires SOME type of hype to calm the koolaid drinkers, change the negative media narrative. The upcoming network changes from the expiration of the Wright amendment provides the perfect opportunity to make a big splash, new marketing campaign could explain recent behaviors.
The only way I could see SWA adopting the Airtran brand was if Kelly decided to adopt their policies - reserved seats, first class cabin - which does not seem very likely.
The only way I could see SWA adopting the Airtran brand was if Kelly decided to adopt their policies - reserved seats, first class cabin - which does not seem very likely.
I though it was just a result of flushing all of the Airtan stuff out of the system, in anticipation of their final closure.
I agree that someday they will rename the airline to position themselves as a truly national/international airline. But that will be the next management team. If Herb was still in charge they probably would have done it already.
I agree that someday they will rename the airline to position themselves as a truly national/international airline. But that will be the next management team. If Herb was still in charge they probably would have done it already.
#13
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: home = LAX
Posts: 25,933
You are now Free to move about the country.
(Do they still use that slogan?)
And speaking of slogans, I think Frontier (in its move toward ULCC hell) is dropping "A Whole Different Animal", and the planes painted to match that slogan. Maybe Southwest could do something of that sort now that it's available?
(Do they still use that slogan?)
And speaking of slogans, I think Frontier (in its move toward ULCC hell) is dropping "A Whole Different Animal", and the planes painted to match that slogan. Maybe Southwest could do something of that sort now that it's available?
#14
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Houston (HOU/IAH)
Programs: WN, UA, DL, AA, Chase UR, Amex MR
Posts: 2,269
I would like to reiterate that the suggestion in the airliners thread was that Southwest adopt the ATA name (the airline that was partnered with WN for a few years and which was later acquired in 2008 pretty much exclusively for their LGA slot holdings) NOT the AirTran name.
#15
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Houston (HOU/IAH)
Programs: WN, UA, DL, AA, Chase UR, Amex MR
Posts: 2,269
WN's poor schedule performance over the next year, dropping of some smaller markets, complications with rollout of international service requires SOME type of hype to calm the koolaid drinkers, change the negative media narrative. The upcoming network changes from the expiration of the Wright amendment provides the perfect opportunity to make a big splash, new marketing campaign could explain recent behaviors.
Rebranding by itself without actually acknowledging the problems and outlining what they're going to do fix them is just going to piss people off more.