rove312

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-f...nap-story.html

alggag

Maybe, just maybe this will give WN incentive to add Hawaii from California if AS starts making a full court press on their dominance in California.

nsx

Charging me $123 in summer 2016 vs. the $73 I paid in summer 2015 despite massive decreases in fuel prices, they could have fooled me.

Regardless of how they feel, I've fallen out of love with them. I consider a 68% price increase in the face of lower costs to be a betrayal of any notion of loyalty.

I hope Alaska fully engages this challenge. If they eliminate change fees as United Express did, I will give them every opportunity to win my loyalty. Rapid Rewards no longer provides a big competitive edge, nor does Evolve seating. I don't check bags but if I did I would just get the Alaska credit card. Southwest's only real edge is its lack of change fees. Matching that policy will be the gut check for Alaska.

Fanjet

It's just PR hype. While AS/VX will be a bigger competitor to WN in California, they will never be the state's largest carrier. In fact, I think UA (and maybe AA) will still be bigger than AS/VX in California. SFO is the only CA airport the two serve where AS/VX will have a greater market share. Of course there are stations like STS/FAT/MRY. But most of the AS flights into those airports are on regional aircraft.

tatterdema

Or maybe WN will start non stops to the LA area finally? Besides the ones to SAN and SNA.

jco613

I have a very strange feeling that Southwest had a plan A and plan B schedule for this rollout and will release B which ups intra California and California-XXX flying big time. We'll see.

RoadWarrior707

Totally agree. Alaska already has no change fees 60+ days out, so they are half way there. And they have something SW does not have--"MY WALLET" lists all of your "unused travel funds" along with expiration dates. So much better than looking for some post-it note you made and lost way back when.

AS also beats SW on baggage claim delivery time with their under 20 minute guarantee: "If your bags are not at baggage claim within 20 minutes of your plane’s arrival at the gate, we’ll offer you a $25 discount code for use on a future Alaska Airlines flight, or 2,500 Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan™ bonus miles."

Troopers

High speed rail will be a larger challenge to WN if it materializes as advertised.

CalItalian

No, it won't. It's now going to take a minimum of 4 hours to get from L.A. to S.F...IF it ever gets built. Hopefully, we Californians will be able to derail it completely.

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/ca...rticle/2591210

Big4Flyer

This will be great for flyers in the bay area and LA basin. Sadly, we're still stuck with WN from SMF unless we want to fly to SEA or PDX.

ucdtim17

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/alaska...151000214.html

nsx

Until they take the plunge to eliminate change fees intra-California, I won't be paying much attention. I think that's the ante to enter this market with a chance to win.

Boraxo

VX currently provides great competition for WN and UA with low fares (I don't find the purple-lit planes to be that special but YMMV). Not sure that AS can do much more within CA except provide a better aspirational mileage program, F upgrades, etc.

Of course, it would be great to see "shuttle" service like the old PSA v. AirCal days or UA's shuttle in the '90s. But I do not think the economics support that model anymore, putting aside the logistical issues (weather, ATC, etc.)

That's decades away under the best case scenario. More likely Sacramento will kill it after Gov. Brown terms out. It was always a vanity project, a boondoggle that would cost far more than the value it would bring.

I don't know about you but no way I would fly in a WN seat for 5 hours. I can barely tolerate E+ anymore. Thankfully there are frequent fare sales from CA<-> Hawaii so we don't really need the "southwest effect"

sdsearch

I recently heard some teaser on SoCal's KNX1070 news radio (but didn't hear the whole story) about some new intra-California transport technology being tested out fairly soon which could trump high-speed rail. Anyone know the details?

nsx

Google Hyperloop. Hyperexpensive.