Beat of Hawaii: Southwest Airlines Trims Hawaii Routes By Over 50%
Mar 7, 2024, 11:35 am
#1
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Beat of Hawaii: Southwest Airlines Trims Hawaii Routes By Over 50%
https://beatofhawaii.com/southwest-a...es-by-over-50/
Our research shows that sixteen routes have, over time, either been cut or moved to seasonally-flown, while fifteen continue to operate full-time.
Residents of Kauai and Maui should be careful what they wish for - it appears to have come true (fewer visitors).
So much for all of the gloom and doom predicted for AS when WN entered the market.
Still plenty of competition from the Big 3, should not add risk to ALK's acquisition of HA.
Our research shows that sixteen routes have, over time, either been cut or moved to seasonally-flown, while fifteen continue to operate full-time.
Residents of Kauai and Maui should be careful what they wish for - it appears to have come true (fewer visitors).
So much for all of the gloom and doom predicted for AS when WN entered the market.
Still plenty of competition from the Big 3, should not add risk to ALK's acquisition of HA.
Mar 7, 2024, 11:55 am
#2
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Wonder what impact this will have on Southwest's inter island flights as they use the mainland planes for those.
Mar 7, 2024, 12:00 pm
#3
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https://www.aeroroutes.com/eng/240228-asns24ogg
Alaska continues to chop flights too. Obviously demand--especially to Maui-is still way down.
Alaska continues to chop flights too. Obviously demand--especially to Maui-is still way down.
Mar 7, 2024, 12:12 pm
#4
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Two weeks ago on a Saturday afternoon, I was sitting near a WN gate, their 145pm OGG-KOA had only 25 pax. Imagine that. Boarding completed in 5min and since everyone was onboard, the plane pushed back 20min ahead of schedule.
Mar 7, 2024, 12:14 pm
#5
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Visitors to Maui were still down 23.5% in January compared to 2023 and 25% compared to Jan 2019. So at minimum around 25% of flight capacity should be eliminated to maintain flight loads of even last year.
Mar 7, 2024, 12:44 pm
#6
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That's been the case since the beginning of their service. Even during Thanksgiving in 2022 when I booked one of their last minute $39 fares, the plane was at best 30% full--and this was on OGG-HNL.
Mar 7, 2024, 3:35 pm
#7
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It's always been really hard to see any reason beyond ego for Southwest's interisland service. It's a nice market for one significant carrier but not so much for two. The US3 (particularly UA) and AS were all well-established in HI before Southwest got here, and they've all passed on the interisland market. But somehow Southwest thought they needed to fly interisland, and presumably they're going to keep on setting money on fire until some different egos are in charge.
Mar 7, 2024, 3:41 pm
#8
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Concerning Hawaii Tourism Decline | Ten Reasons It Happened - Beat of Hawaii
As i have eluded to on many occasions....the above is a good summary of Hawaii tourist demand and problems. Its spot on. Hence why Alaska is pulling back. I got back from Kona last month and it was a ghost town....very quiet.....yet they still want to charge insane prices.....
I can go to Maldives for less....than Maui.....and the people are very welcoming....hawaii seems to want to blame all thier issues on tourism and the mainland...while not holding thier officials accountable for proper financial management..\
I love the islands...but i have to agree with all the 10 reasons why hawaii is faltering.....and southwest is trimming capacity too....
As i have eluded to on many occasions....the above is a good summary of Hawaii tourist demand and problems. Its spot on. Hence why Alaska is pulling back. I got back from Kona last month and it was a ghost town....very quiet.....yet they still want to charge insane prices.....
I can go to Maldives for less....than Maui.....and the people are very welcoming....hawaii seems to want to blame all thier issues on tourism and the mainland...while not holding thier officials accountable for proper financial management..\
I love the islands...but i have to agree with all the 10 reasons why hawaii is faltering.....and southwest is trimming capacity too....
Mar 7, 2024, 3:47 pm
#9
Join Date: Jan 2021
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Honestly I am here for it. Nothing against Hawaii but when I can travel the world for cheaper, why would I go to Hawaii for exorbitant prices. The market will fix itself and if it doesn't, fewer visitors but it means higher visitors who pay more, which is what Hawaii wants. No need to cater to the few who don't want to spend the money.
Hawaii's economy will also continue to evolve and expand, they couldn't rely on tourism forever and so I am hoping they have the economic capabilities to grow and expand elsewhere
Go Hawaii!!
Hawaii's economy will also continue to evolve and expand, they couldn't rely on tourism forever and so I am hoping they have the economic capabilities to grow and expand elsewhere
Go Hawaii!!
Mar 7, 2024, 4:53 pm
#10
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If the merger with Hawaiian does complete it will be interesting to see what Alaska does with the very important inter island flights.
Mar 7, 2024, 5:04 pm
#11
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I expect them to basically keep doing what HA is doing plus try very hard to figure out how to make MKK and LNY work as a community relations effort.
ETA: In the short term, that is. Intermediate term they have to figure out 717 replacement. HA's schedule strength is an advantage they need to hang onto, but there isn't a good 128-seat replacement on offer, so it's going to be an interesting problem.
ETA: In the short term, that is. Intermediate term they have to figure out 717 replacement. HA's schedule strength is an advantage they need to hang onto, but there isn't a good 128-seat replacement on offer, so it's going to be an interesting problem.
Last edited by WrightHI; Mar 7, 2024 at 5:27 pm Reason: added text
Mar 7, 2024, 6:49 pm
#12
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…and unlike WN which is much larger and can withstand years of loss leading flights to gain some traction, AS’s management team is not likely to have the stomach for flying tons of loss making flights. WN’s inter island service is just an aircraft utilization tool. It gives them more revenue than just having planes sit for hours waiting to take people back to the main land. Every main land to Hawaii flight that is cut means less planes they have available for inter island service. AS could end up using the same tool which could also lead to less flights and higher fares. It is not going to make sense flying empty planes around when they could be used in more profitable markets—especially once the 717s are replaced.
Last edited by sfozrhfco; Mar 7, 2024 at 6:57 pm
Mar 7, 2024, 6:57 pm
#13
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…and unlike WN which is much larger and can withstand years of loss leading flights to gain some traction, AS’s management team is not likely to have the stomach for flying tons of loss making flights. WN’s inter island service is just an aircraft utilization tool. It gives them more revenue than just having planes sit for hours waiting to take people back to the mainline. Every mainline to Hawaii flight that is cut means less planes they have available for inter island service. AS could end up using the same tool which could also lead to less flights and higher fares. It is not going to make sense flying empty planes around when they could be used in more profitable markets—especially once the 717s are replaced.
Mar 7, 2024, 7:00 pm
#14
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WN doesn’t operate any overnight flights so any flight that arrives after 2pm or so can’t make it back to the main land in the same day. So they have to do something with it. Otherwise the plane would be parked from 2PM until the next morning—or they would only be able to operate morning departures from the West Coast which would have to do an immediate return.
Mar 7, 2024, 7:06 pm
#15
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And yet somehow AS manages to operate a robust schedule between Hawaii and the west coast with 737s, which mostly don't spend the night in Hawaii. Maybe upgrading technology so planes don't tun into pumpkins at midnight would be more efficient than flying interisland?