notquiteaff

I don't know that they are aiming for that, nor do I think it is necessary to be successful. Big state, plenty of opportunities.

channa

I think AS actually has more destinations at SJC than WN has. WN has more flights, though.

Eastbay1K

WN has the most civilized boarding process out there, and most of the flights are at the "right time" (because of high frequency) and serve the most meaningful / convenient airports, not necessarily the post popular ones. As an infrequent WN flyer, if I want a good seat, I pay a few extra bucks and will get one (even if I don't know, with precision, what seat it will be until I board).

Well, I take some of what I said back. VX has consistently guarded the integrity of the boarding process. I've never boarded after status and/or MCS boarding so I don't know how bad it may get afterward, but I've never had to wade through a lost sea of humanity to get to my early boarding entitlement.

cbn42

I totally agree. Southwest's boarding process is much better than any other carrier. If, for some reason, you must have seat XYZ, then of course it won't work for you, but if you just want a window near the front, for example, then Southwest is fine. I've found that it's also much more orderly, with people lining up by number rather than crowding around waiting for their group to be called, not knowing which group they are in, not being able to hear the announcements, etc.

But with that said, Southwest currently dominates the intrastate market. They have flights from most bay area airports to most LA area airports on an almost hourly basis. It will be very difficult for AS/VX to make a dent in their dominance, but the extra competition is of course a good thing.