Will LUV head to JFK after MIA?
Sep 4, 2020, 9:13 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 515
Will LUV head to JFK after MIA?
With Southwest moving into MIA, is there an opportunity for LUV to add capacity and transcons out of JFK? Seems the NYC market is still a hole in Southwest's network by only serving LGA with a limited number of non stop flights.
Although the FAA could have put up road blocks, I wish WN would have made a merger offer to JetBlue during April or May. Southwest could have picked up JetBlue for a cheap price. Adding JetBlue's slots at JFK and BOS, along with its network serving the Caribbean and Latin America could have bulked up Southwest to better compete with Delta.
Another hole in Southwest's network appears to be flying to Canada and serving Toronto and Vancouver. Wonder if this will change soon.
Although the FAA could have put up road blocks, I wish WN would have made a merger offer to JetBlue during April or May. Southwest could have picked up JetBlue for a cheap price. Adding JetBlue's slots at JFK and BOS, along with its network serving the Caribbean and Latin America could have bulked up Southwest to better compete with Delta.
Another hole in Southwest's network appears to be flying to Canada and serving Toronto and Vancouver. Wonder if this will change soon.
Sep 4, 2020, 9:21 pm
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Programs: AA Gold AAdvantage Elite, Rapids Reward
Posts: 38,326
Not a good idea. JFK is a slots controlled. It won't be JFK. Sorry! 
Because NYC airspace is very full. They won't let go to JFK. Due to slot restrictions.
Because NYC airspace is very full. They won't let go to JFK. Due to slot restrictions.
Sep 4, 2020, 9:29 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 515
By going into MIA, LUV seems to be taking on AAL directly. JFK is a hub of AAL that is shrinking for them. There maybe slots available as AAL shrinks its network and other carriers may downsize due to a decrease demand from Covid. LGA is also slot controlled, but LUV seems to have made that venture work. Would like Southwest to run JFK - LGB and BOS - LGB flights that Jetblue surrendered.
Sep 4, 2020, 9:43 pm
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Programs: AA Gold AAdvantage Elite, Rapids Reward
Posts: 38,326
By going into MIA, LUV seems to be taking on AAL directly. JFK is a hub of AAL that is shrinking for them. There maybe slots available as AAL shrinks its network and other carriers may downsize due to a decrease demand from Covid. LGA is also slot controlled, but LUV seems to have made that venture work. Would like Southwest to run JFK - LGB and BOS - LGB flights that Jetblue surrendered.
Sep 5, 2020, 7:02 am
#5
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 366
WN going into MIA and likely serving MIA-ATL/BWI isn't that hard as going into JFK and running transcons. Also, if it can't make MDW-EWR work or wants to keep MDW-LGA healthy, it'd seem adding MDW-JFK just would be even more dilution of MDW-LGA. Also, there might be challenges with stimulating the long distance markets (not served from LGA). I'm not sure how many people are comfortable wearing a mask for a 4 hour+ flight. Probably easier trying to increasing demand with 2 hour distance flights, in states with less restrictive lockdown measures.
Sep 5, 2020, 9:31 am
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Netherlands
Programs: KL Platinum; A3 Gold
Posts: 28,730
Why not consolidate their position at LGA? I'm struggling to see why it would make sense for them to up sticks and head for JFK (or EWR), or split themselves between two airports.
Sep 11, 2020, 5:43 pm
#9
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Houston (HOU/IAH)
Programs: WN, UA, DL, AA, Chase UR, Amex MR
Posts: 2,269
I don't see them going into JFK unless they either buyout B6 or they want to become a player on transcons.
Personally I see them starting token service to ORD before JFK ever comes along.
Personally I see them starting token service to ORD before JFK ever comes along.
Sep 11, 2020, 7:09 pm
#10
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 23,057
https://crankyflier.com/2019/08/01/w...eaving-newark/
Sep 18, 2020, 10:06 am
#11
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: East Coast
Programs: AA CONCIERGE KEY & 1MM, HILTON DIAMOND
Posts: 11,970
Sep 18, 2020, 3:45 pm
#12
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Programs: AA Gold AAdvantage Elite, Rapids Reward
Posts: 38,326
Sep 24, 2020, 1:57 pm
#13
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: MCI
Programs: AA Gold 1MM, AS MVP, UA Silver, WN A-List, Marriott LT Titanium, HH Diamond
Posts: 52,574
Random trivia: a friend's grandfather flew ORD-DCA on WN a few years ago. It was one of those charters that took veterans to visit the WWII memorial. He's been a Chicago guy his whole life and was well aware that flying WN out of ORD was something very few people have done.