^

The airline industry has changed, and WN's operating model has changed since Herb was around... They no longer have fuel hedges, and they are in an increasingly hostile environment where the legacies are looking more like LCCs, and there are way more LCCs now as well. That coupled with stiff competition from airlines that don't care about profits (ahem VX)... if WN was run the way Herb ran it still, WN would have had its first few years of losses.

Instead, I think GK has made some interesting moves to adapt in this new environment, and I think they are, for the most part - panning out. They are actively exploiting their reputation as a LCC (even though they really aren't anymore), and many people go on WN's site and think they had the lowest fare even though they often are not. The new rewards program is also extremely competitive against constantly devalued miles and limited award availability from the legacies. While change is unwelcome to those that are external observers and "used" to a product, - it is a necessary for any business to survive...