So Who's the #1 LCC
Jan 21, 2006, 2:51 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 196
So Who's the #1 LCC
When AmericaWest bought US Airways out of bankruptcy they said that they were going to vault over SouthWest and claim the spot of 6th largest U.S. Airline. Their marketing stuff also claims that they are the "World's Largest Low Cost Airline"... But according to the article below from the USA Today it sounds like SouthWest is reclaiming 6th place.
Does anyone know where SouthWest actually is on the list (6th or 7th)?
"Southwest posts 58th-straight quarterly profit
By Dan Reed, USA TODAY
FORT WORTH —
In a conference call, CEO Gary Kelly said the Dallas-based discounter will continue its aggressive growth by adding 33 planes this year to its fleet of 445 Boeing 737s.
That translates to about a 7% increase in flying capacity in 2006. It comes on top of an 11% annual increase in 2005.
The pace of growth promises to continue in 2007, when Southwest plans to add 35 more planes.
That growth, which in part is designed to fight rising operating costs at Southwest by spreading them over more airliner seats, is likely to push Southwest past Continental Airlines in terms of passenger miles flown by the end of this year. It would make Southwest the USA's fifth-largest carrier. "
Does anyone know where SouthWest actually is on the list (6th or 7th)?
"Southwest posts 58th-straight quarterly profit
By Dan Reed, USA TODAY
FORT WORTH —
In a conference call, CEO Gary Kelly said the Dallas-based discounter will continue its aggressive growth by adding 33 planes this year to its fleet of 445 Boeing 737s.
That translates to about a 7% increase in flying capacity in 2006. It comes on top of an 11% annual increase in 2005.
The pace of growth promises to continue in 2007, when Southwest plans to add 35 more planes.
That growth, which in part is designed to fight rising operating costs at Southwest by spreading them over more airliner seats, is likely to push Southwest past Continental Airlines in terms of passenger miles flown by the end of this year. It would make Southwest the USA's fifth-largest carrier. "
Jan 21, 2006, 10:15 pm
#7
Join Date: Mar 2005
Programs: fwp blood diamond, dykwia uranium
Posts: 7,251
LGA makes so much sense that it outweighs the high cost for gate space. But to make full use LGA, IMO, you'd have to do red-eyes.
Speaking of such, why doesn't WN do redeyes? Is it so there's enough downtime allowing early AM flights to almost ALWAYS depart on time?
Speaking of such, why doesn't WN do redeyes? Is it so there's enough downtime allowing early AM flights to almost ALWAYS depart on time?
Jan 21, 2006, 10:48 pm
#8
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: OH & NV
Programs: AA Lifetime Plat, WN CP, Latin Pass Bonus
Posts: 3,707
Originally Posted by cur
LGA makes so much sense that it outweighs the high cost for gate space. But to make full use LGA, IMO, you'd have to do red-eyes.
Speaking of such, why doesn't WN do redeyes? Is it so there's enough downtime allowing early AM flights to almost ALWAYS depart on time?
Speaking of such, why doesn't WN do redeyes? Is it so there's enough downtime allowing early AM flights to almost ALWAYS depart on time?
Good question.
Maybe because they could not fill up flights? But I think they could do pretty well as SWAers seem to do unusual things.
Or do they not have enough long hauls to make them work. A flight leaving at 11pm from LAX would get to MDW about 4:30am (too early), where going all the way to East Coast would be about 6:30
am.
Also some fly plane out of high priced overnight parking airports, where WN does not have too many.
Also many need to get planes back to a destination for next day. ie. If a 6 am flight left NYC to LAX, it could go back to NYC, and then back to LAX by evening. But needs to get back to NYC for next day.
I'm sure there is a better explanation, but just some wild thoughts.
Jan 21, 2006, 10:53 pm
#9
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: SFO
Programs: AA PLT; UA Gold
Posts: 5,378
Originally Posted by cur
Speaking of such, why doesn't WN do redeyes? Is it so there's enough downtime allowing early AM flights to almost ALWAYS depart on time?
Jan 22, 2006, 12:18 am
#10
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: PEK
Programs: A3*G, UA Gold EY Silver
Posts: 8,954
Originally Posted by berkeleybum
doesn't Long Island count as NYC? not techically, but practically
Jan 22, 2006, 12:20 am
#11
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: PEK
Programs: A3*G, UA Gold EY Silver
Posts: 8,954
Originally Posted by SAPMAN
Good question.
Maybe because they could not fill up flights? But I think they could do pretty well as SWAers seem to do unusual things.
Or do they not have enough long hauls to make them work. A flight leaving at 11pm from LAX would get to MDW about 4:30am (too early), where going all the way to East Coast would be about 6:30
am.
Also some fly plane out of high priced overnight parking airports, where WN does not have too many.
Also many need to get planes back to a destination for next day. ie. If a 6 am flight left NYC to LAX, it could go back to NYC, and then back to LAX by evening. But needs to get back to NYC for next day.
I'm sure there is a better explanation, but just some wild thoughts.
Maybe because they could not fill up flights? But I think they could do pretty well as SWAers seem to do unusual things.
Or do they not have enough long hauls to make them work. A flight leaving at 11pm from LAX would get to MDW about 4:30am (too early), where going all the way to East Coast would be about 6:30
am.
Also some fly plane out of high priced overnight parking airports, where WN does not have too many.
Also many need to get planes back to a destination for next day. ie. If a 6 am flight left NYC to LAX, it could go back to NYC, and then back to LAX by evening. But needs to get back to NYC for next day.
I'm sure there is a better explanation, but just some wild thoughts.
Last time I flew ATA: SFO-MDW-LGA the redeye was full on a 757 (leaving around 11, getting to Chicago around 5ish). But then again, it's ATA that's having problems not WN.
Jan 23, 2006, 9:18 am
#12
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Hoffman Estates IL
Posts: 661
ISP to New York City isn't that bad...
For $5 you can take a shuttle to the Ronkonkoma train station, and for $8 you can ride the Long Island Railroad right to Penn Station in midtown Manhattan. The ride takes an hour and 20 minutes.
It would certainly be nicer if Southwest went to LGA or JFK, and I suspect the airline wishes they had taken the plunge a few years ago, namely before JetBlue came around.
Flying into ISP for a leisure trip to Manhattan is admittedly somewhat inconvenient, but workable.
It would certainly be nicer if Southwest went to LGA or JFK, and I suspect the airline wishes they had taken the plunge a few years ago, namely before JetBlue came around.
Flying into ISP for a leisure trip to Manhattan is admittedly somewhat inconvenient, but workable.
Jan 23, 2006, 9:42 am
#13
Join Date: Jul 2001
Posts: 3,975
Check the LIRR schedules
How long it takes to get from ISP to Penn Station also depends on how well the plane and train schedules coordinate. Beware if you arrive in the late afternoon: there are no trains out of Ronkonkoma between 4.46 and 7.13, when most of the train stock is running outbound.
Jan 23, 2006, 4:22 pm
#14
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 577
Originally Posted by Dan Burgess
For $5 you can take a shuttle to the Ronkonkoma train station, and for $8 you can ride the Long Island Railroad right to Penn Station in midtown Manhattan. The ride takes an hour and 20 minutes.
.
.
There is also the public bus that is only $1.50.
I believe it runs on the hour.
(It is not convenient all of the time, but it is nice when it is! I find the buses much nicer than the taxis/shuttle. And you don't have to tip the bus driver!)
Last edited by 4thplz; Jan 23, 2006 at 4:26 pm