ERAU From Canada, joined May 1999, 39 posts, RR: 0 Posted (14 years 3 months 6 days 12 hours ago) and read 1177 times:
Everyone is always complaining about the interiors of SW among other things about the airline. What would you do to change the airline???
Anything goes!
Here is what I would do!
I would change the livery--to what im not sure, it would stand out but it would not be ugly like the current one is.
I would change the uniforms--I would buy tailored uniforms for the employees!!!
I would create a new business image for SW!
I would change the interior to take out a row of seats to add leg room. Then I would buy new ergonomic seats with lumbar support and adjustable head rest and inflight audio. The seats would most likely be a dark grey, navy blue or black but im not sure. I would add leg rests that pop down from the seat in front of you to put your feet up on liike Delta does on its domestic first class and Singapore Airlines does with their international coach.
I would fly more longer flights across the country.
I would start flying into some larger airports that are not quite as conjested.
I would have unlimited beverages, fruit, muffins, snacks and freshly baked cookies on all flights.
SW is so successful now because all people really want is a cheap seat but with minor changes I think it could become a very successful shuttle type business airline.
If they kept costs low by just adding some food to regular airline operations they could charge a regular economy fare and make a killing.
fly777ual From United States of America, joined May 1999, 4510 posts, RR: 3 Reply 1, posted (14 years 3 months 6 days 12 hours ago) and read 1177 times:
I agree with all of your points, ERAU. The colors HAVE TO GO!!!! I might re think the idea of flying into larger airports, because the larger the apt. the higher your landing costs will be, which will drive up the price of your tickets (in addition to taking out the row and rows for F.C.) SW has a great idea of flying into the Downtown airports, and I think that they are making a killing off of those flights!!!
L-188 From United States of America, joined Jul 1999, 29367 posts, RR: 61 Reply 2, posted (14 years 3 months 6 days 11 hours ago) and read 1179 times:
They are allright doing what they do. They cater to the average joe on the steet. Why does everybody here think that every airline need to have its employees wearing Armani? The late Bob Reeve, famed bush pilot and founder of my last airline employer in the late 40's had a problem. His main competitor Alaska Airlines started to issue uniforms to it's pilots. His solutions put ads in the paper saying, "Fly Reeve Aleutian Airways. No Zoot Suit Characters here. Just Reliable Aleutian Bush Pilots". I think there is a lesson here.
The one thing to note about cleaning airplane interiors is that their route structure has a lot of point to point to point flights. It isn't a pure hub. Also their groundcrews are keyed to doing complete turn arounds in 10 minutes. This may be why the interiors are not as clean. Most other airlines have between twenty minutes and forty five minutes to make a turnaround. And the crews have a lot more chance to work without passengers on board. Southwest feels that it is more importanct to try to minize the ground time then to get everybody off the plane for a cleaning. This policy doesn't seem to have hurt their sales any, and everybody like to have minimal ground time at an intermediate stop. I haven't had that problem on SEA-GEG flights. Also the airline has a lot more personality then any of the major ZOOT SUIT outfits.
OBAMA-WORST PRESIDENT EVER....Even SKOORB would be better.
JETPILOT From United States of America, joined May 1999, 3130 posts, RR: 32 Reply 3, posted (14 years 3 months 6 days 11 hours ago) and read 1177 times:
Why change something that's already succesful. Your changes just took a perfectly functional airline and put it in the red. Do you know how much money it takes to change a livery. US airways spent 35 million dollars. Why don't you just order them some 747 400's. I won't even go into the costs of buying slots at larger airports where their profit margin would never let them compete. They are fine just the way they are. Ugliness and all.
NYC Int'l From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 5, posted (14 years 3 months 6 days 11 hours ago) and read 1177 times:
Southwest has turned a profit every year except one since 1974. Their '70s era paint job I think is part of their charm with their pax. They get pax from point A to point B in one piece at dirt cheap prices, Although they have no hub they do have somewhat of a captive market in some sall cities in the west, midwest and south. as long as it is profitable I think SW is fine the way it is.
Erau From Canada, joined May 1999, 39 posts, RR: 0 Reply 8, posted (14 years 3 months 5 days 18 hours ago) and read 1177 times:
Umm... Thanks guys.. too bad you just told me a lot of crap I already know! This was a fun topic not a Gee... I dont know anything about SW I nead a lesson topic. Thanks, Thanks a lot.
ERAU
Oh and by the way, JETPILOT, do you have any idea how much a 747 is??? not $35 million thats for sure!
Flyboy From United States of America, joined May 1999, 85 posts, RR: 1 Reply 9, posted (14 years 3 months 5 days 15 hours ago) and read 1177 times:
You know...I fly Southwest because they have the best (or at least top 5) safety records in the industry. There has not been a single fatal accident (or major accident that I can recall) in their twenty-something year history. I'd sit in a dirty airplane as long as the pilots are well-trained and the airplane is well-maintained.
Brazil From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 10, posted (14 years 3 months 3 days 17 hours ago) and read 1177 times:
I have to agree with everybody. SW's customers fly with them because of their low prices and also because they fly to some smaller cities where no other big airlines fly to. So they have no need for a change of image and new aircraft interiors, simply because their customers don't demand it, and their customers don't care about that, they're flying at very low prices, so their just glad to be able to fly in the first place.
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