GadgetFreak

This is a pretty interesting theory but I think it is flawed in a couple ways, one which has been pointed out before. The one mentioned before is the money issue. If US cuts fares, which they are, they will go broke before Southwest, they just are weaker. The other problem is that making PHL even worse than it has been will likely kill US in my opinion. The original post thinks that US flyers have the "PHL factor" taken into account. Well, not completely and not if it gets worse. Since so many PHL passengers on US are connecting, and will get royally messed up if it gets worse, they will stop flying US. Many flights from NY for instance connect through PHL. With JetBlue and the like in NY they would just be waiting for people in NY to stop flying US to PHL. To say nothing of AA and Delta and the like. I basically dont think US can wreck flow into PHL and not suffer more than Southwest. Back during the UA "summer from hell" my travel agent called me and told me he had been contacted by AA and told to pass the word to all of the top tier UA frequent flyers that they had a special fax number set up to fax their UA statements to AA and get comped. Expect Delta and a few others to be doing that to US flyers all up and down the coast if PHL gets much worse.

www.iflyswa.com

i think the bottom line is this. SW knows its only a matter of time before US is out of business. After U liquidates, the congestion in PHL will clear and then SW can easily ramp up service. Some modest losses to get at the PHL is probably well worth it from their perspective.

JerseyJohn

Froom the Philly Enquire - Sunday April 25

<<SNIP>>

Southwest is concerned about the close proximity of the runways in Philadelphia, which can create delays. But the airline has a plan to counter the problem. Scarbrough said Southwest flights would "duck down under" the heavy air traffic in the congested Northeast corridor and approach the city at 10,000 to 12,000 feet - about half of the normal altitude.

The result is a compromise.

"We'll sacrifice gas efficiency," Scarbrough said, "to get onto the runways without delays."

Full article
http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/bus...8511380.htm?1c
John

ClueByFour

Wow. That tells me that LUV is serious about both beating delays and spending money to do so. I think they are in PHL to stay.

hscottm

I dont know much about flight levels, etc. but I thought ATC controlled this (other than requesting certain lower levels due to turbulence, etc).

Can SW just fly around the Northeast at 10,000 feet everywhere if they want?

SonOfACockroach

ATC controls this, but I think if a WN flight requested a lower altitude, ATC would be more than happy to give it to them, to relieve some of the congestion higher up. I believe B6 does something similar for their JFK flights.

bofie

i fly through phl all the time and i've seen no rudeness from usairways people

N674UW

All airspace between 18,000 feet mean sea level and 60,000 ft. in the US is what is known as Class A airspace, which is controlled and requires that the pilots be IFR qualified (which all airline pilots are of course)...The Philadelphia Class B airspace extends up to 7000 feet above sea level, and that is also controlled airspace...

Southwest can come in at 10,000-12,000 feet, and be under an IFR flight plan, thats perfectly legal, just a bit unusual...the aircraft can't travel as fast, sucks up more fuel, and could interfere with GA pilots such as myself...Ive taken a Cessna up to 10,000+ on a few occasions and I sure as heck would not want to be up there with a WN 737 barreling in on me (and under VFR conditions it is the pilot's responsibility to maintain separation from other traffic, not ATC's)...what Im not sure is what phase of flight they are referring to here...it is completely impractical to cruise at 12,000 feet. in a 737 on flights that are over 100 miles or so, do they mean starting their descent far early and approaching at a low altitude? That part puzzles me...

Just want to be stingy and add this:

"They fly only 737s (three different configurations), which saves money on pilot training and spare parts."

-this is wrong, Southwest flies the 737-200, 300, 500, and 700, though the -200's will be on their way out by 2006...although the rest is correct, WN pilots are qualified to fly every type which makes it much simpler...

N674UW

mileshound

At 7:10pM tonight I was looking out the window in the club B/C club. A WN flight taxied to the runway and barely had to slow down to take off. All US flights were parked at the gates waiting for rush hour. Its only competition was a BA 747.

Very good timing on WNs part to avoid the congestion.

dcmike

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...2004May10.html