Originally Posted by
tusphotog
They suspended ABQ-PDX temporarily. I think it's just ~1/12-2/10, a really dead (and miserable, dark and wet) time in PDX.
Only Jan 12 to Feb 10? While I can appreciate that if your travels require you to go ABQ-PDX during this time period this is annoying, if this is the difference between being a profitable airline and a losing airline, I would say that losing this non-stop for less than a month a year is worth it. Southwest still has all 737 service with one connection or one-stop-no-plane-change if the time works for you. Compare to the other guys that are going to fly an RJ or Q400 part of the way and make you connect too.
Originally Posted by
kiwifuz
Yep definitely noticed that the MDW-SAN & MDW-LAX early AM non-stops have totally disappeared. I now have to look at approx 7hrs to get from MDW to SAN on the 1st flight out because it stops in DEN. Not really my idea of a good time. Then I see that not only does the first non-stop get me in a point that I'm losing half of my day in SAN (which didn't happen before the cuts when I could get in by 9-ish) but the non-stop options are substantially more costly than they have been in the past.
Almost makes a few UAL flights looking appealing for the time we planning on going out there.
If that is your needed flight, then yes, that cut does hurt. It would seem that early flight would be popular, but perhaps experience has shown Southwest that it isn't that full all of the time. If that was my particular flight need, I'd have to weigh going out a night early (and the associated room cost) against going on United or American and the associated hassles and costs of that (bag fees, change fees, fare difference, possible loss of A-list status, etc.)