Originally Posted by WebTraveler
We'll see how this goes. I don't look forward to the seat game on Southwest on flights like this. Initially the fares will rock the marketplace. In time we'll see how sustainable it will be.
This is one of several reasons that I would not worry about WN. Many of us are happy to pay extra for a reserved seat and many of us don't check baggage particularly for Hawaii where heavy clothing is unnecessary
(or have BofA cards with a free checked bag). Also WN tends to charge what the market will bear. For example it just started service to SJD and for the most part the fares have been HIGHER than legacy carriers. I don't think WN revenue management has a good grip on routes that fall outside of its traditional system. WN has also had very limited success with transcons which seem to come and go with the wind. It is much easier to overprice 1-2 hour flights and short connections than to price 5-hour flights where you don't even provide basic amenities that are found on the competition.
How does WN plan to cater these flights? It's not a matter of saving money - I think many people (particularly families) count on food for purchase.
Originally Posted by
ktenorman
We'll see how quickly the AS OAK flights disappear. They were basically ATA/Aloha backfill and have done pretty well for being at a very small AS station with the lack of competition. I'll say that the East Bay crowd is much more WN-centric given the choice, though.
Actually AS has a lot of fans at OAK but we are forced to fly WN given the limited AS route structure or to fly from SFO where there are many options. Also AS is not too competitive for those with UA status. For example I am considering AS for an OAK-OGG-OAK this summer, but there are a few downsides:
(1) I'm not a morning person, and the only AS flight departs at 7am, whereas UA has many choices from SFO.
(2) If I want a Premium seats for me + Mrs. B it will cost $100x4=$400 extra roundtrip, which nearly offsets the savings from my BofA $99 cert. On UA I get free E+ seats and a shot at free upgrade to F.
(3) AS fares are actually higher from OAK than UA fares from SFO. So there is no incentive for non-elite to fly AS (and vice versa for UA elites).
(4) No AS lounge at OAK (not that I would spend much time there for a 7am departure)
WN would be even less competitive, with no premium seats and no food for sale.