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Southwest to Add New Destinations in Three US States
Low-cost carrier Southwest Airlines (WN) announced Monday plans to operate flights to three new airports in the United States. (airwaysmag.com) 기타...
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This should make Alaska Air nervous as SWA invades their marketplace even more...
This super expansion by Southwest seems kinda reckless. What is the thinking behind it? There will be a surge in travel post pandemic, but it won't last forever.
Four things come to mind for me: ASA, Football, Spring break/retirement, and Canada.
First, ASA. Two of these three destinations are huge in ASA's turf, though NKS can lay claim to BLI as well. With a duopoly on BLI, SWA could definitely bring competition to that area. See #4 for more.
2. Football. only UAL/SKW, ASA/SKW, and ASA/QXE really have any service to EUG, so that makes it hard (and expensive) to get a flight directly into EUG, as the Univ. of Oregon is there. With SWA coming in, that makes that easier, plus doesn't SWA have a deal with the NCAA for air travel? I knew they had in the past.
3. Myrtle Beach is a huge retirement/spring break destination. Yes, we know where that's going when it comes to COVID and I agree regarding the risk. but seeing that that is a huge golf destination, I can see WHY they are doing it.
4. This gives them some small compensation for their failed attempt to break into Canada via their agreement with WJA. While technically, KBLI is in Canadian airspace, it's still part of the US, and makes it easier for everyone in Vancouver to drive to to catch a flight domestically versus the 3-4 hour drive to Seattle.
First, ASA. Two of these three destinations are huge in ASA's turf, though NKS can lay claim to BLI as well. With a duopoly on BLI, SWA could definitely bring competition to that area. See #4 for more.
2. Football. only UAL/SKW, ASA/SKW, and ASA/QXE really have any service to EUG, so that makes it hard (and expensive) to get a flight directly into EUG, as the Univ. of Oregon is there. With SWA coming in, that makes that easier, plus doesn't SWA have a deal with the NCAA for air travel? I knew they had in the past.
3. Myrtle Beach is a huge retirement/spring break destination. Yes, we know where that's going when it comes to COVID and I agree regarding the risk. but seeing that that is a huge golf destination, I can see WHY they are doing it.
4. This gives them some small compensation for their failed attempt to break into Canada via their agreement with WJA. While technically, KBLI is in Canadian airspace, it's still part of the US, and makes it easier for everyone in Vancouver to drive to to catch a flight domestically versus the 3-4 hour drive to Seattle.
New routes and new destinations can and have been discontinued by airlines if they don’t perform. Also, I’d imagine Southwest did some market research and due diligence: they’re not just throwing darts at a map.
Well some of these new destinations have been trying to get Southwest for years..some perhaps even decades. So you have to wonder why now and not before in a less volatile market environment.
those are interesting new cities,which i think were served by smaller regionals affiliated with alaska airlines and ual..the competiton will prove interesting but i hope they are condisering people are not yet "flocking" in droves to get on airplanes for vacation or other travel...
