I've noticed that, especially these days, the major carriers are matching Southwest's dirt cheap $30 one way fares on a number of routes. For example, AA is offering SJC-LAX for $30 alongside WN, NW and AA matches WN's $30 sale for STL-DTW. These are just examples, I am certain there are others.

How can this last? I mean, obviously carriers like NW/AA need the traffic so they take the loss as they don't have the efficiences of WN. But on the other hand, why do people still fly WN as the major carriers offers perks like frequent flier miles, upgrades, lounge access, advance seat selection (a perk depending on who you talk to). Sun Country shed its low cost scheduled service because NW was matching and most people flew NW instead. How is this balance (losing money vs. eliminating low fare compeition) acheived and can this sustain (will the majors stop matching sometime or will WN lose market share)?

It'd be interesting to hear your thoughts.

Thanks.

Many Southwest passengers are saavy enough to know that they can spend as little as $400-500 to earn a free roundtrip ticket. Why bother with AA from SJC-LAX?

The perks mentioned just "don't fly" with the more cost conscious consumers that enter airports today.

If it's about putting people's butts in airplane seats (which is what Wall Street cares about) than the "majors" must emulate Southwest if they are to survive...not the other way around.

This is an oft-discussed topic; the short answer is that, absent a fundamental shift inthe cost structure of the "majors" (you know, the traditional carriers, the top five or six of which, combined, are worth a billion or so less than Southwest by itself), they cannot match WN's fares and survive.

Of course, when the majors "match" WN's fares, they do so on a limited, advanced-purchase and capacity-controlled basis, as opposed to WN's simple and predictable fare structure, which always in cludes a rational walk-up fare.

WN does have a frequent flyer program, and it is simple, easy and generous. Southwest's "lounge" is at the destination (bear with me)- their substantial frequency on most routes assures that you'll spend the time you would have spent at the airline club, waiting for your flight, at your destination with your family or settling in at the hotel of your choice.

That's luxury, Southwest style.

Just a clarification- Southwest is a major airline. According to the U.S. D.O.T., Southwest is now the 6th largest domestic carrier, based on RPM’s.

It's funny that you bring up the question of "Southwest losing its market share."

It's the other way around. Since the tragedies of 11Sep WN has seen its domestic market share increase dramatically....from 7% to 9% of all RPMS flown in the United States.

It is especially true that on short flights, one would be hard pressed to define Southwest's service as "inferior." On the contrary, as millions of short haul travelers will attest.....on short routes, like Dallas-Houston, Los Angeles-Oakland, Fort Lauderdale-Tampa, Phoenix-Las Vegas, KC-Chicago...Southwest probably sets the standard for onboard service.

Boarding is quick and efficient. The all-coach layout has more legroom than any carrier's, except for American's MRTC. The planes leave promptly. The FAs are up and serving shortly after takeoff. No "fast break" or limited beverage service.....unless you are in nasty weather, you can expect a full beverage service. Dallas-Houston is 50 minutes block, about 37 minutes enroute. How many carriers have you been on where on a leg like that you were offered a 2nd round of drinks?

The other carriers cannot keep up the prices, but the matching of Southwest fares is nothing new. American and Delta have done it, particularly in the Texas markets, for years. It has not prevented Southwest from having market shares in their intra Texas markets in the 65-80 percent range. American, a couple of yrs back, decided to go whole hog with MD80 service, matching fares, and extra AAdvantage miles when they attempted a Dallas Love Field to Austin service. They ran 14 RTs a day, laid them right on top of Southwest's, and even bid an outrageously low fare to win the state government employee contract. All that accomplished was putting less than a 10% dent in Southwest's market share on that particular route.

If other airlines intend to continue to exist...what they had best do is learn to quit denigrating the Southwest concept...quit pretending that somehow they (the other airlines) offer a product of higher quality...and figure out how to turn their companies into clones of Southwest as quick as they can.

TxAgKuwait said: "How many carriers have you been on where on a leg like that you were offered a 2nd round of drinks?"

They have never ever served a second round of drinks on any flight I have been on. Even on HOU-PHX flights.

I'll agree with others here that with the cutbacks in service by the "full-service" major airlines, they really offer little more, or even less service than Southwest. Case in point: I flew Delta BOS-DFW on 12/21. In-flight service in coach consisted of four small cookies and a cup of soda (or your non-alcoholic beverage of choice). That's it, for a flight blocked at 4 hours 14 minutes. Even on Southwest you'd get more food - as strange as that may seem! What did advance seat assignments get me? A seat on a full plane towards the back of the aircraft - and on one flight with a 2-year-old kicking the back of my seat.

Southwest's Rapid Rewards frequent flyer program is extremely generous - you can earn a free round-trip ticket after just four round-trip itineraries booked through their website. That even includes four round-trips booked on those promotional $30 fares.

Airport lounges are only available to you if you've shelled out the several hundred dollars a year required for a membership. Of course, don't forget that dozens of lounges have been closed post-9/11 as a cost-cutting measure.

And while upgrades to first class are a nice thing, do they really matter much on short-haul flights where you'll likely only be on the plane for fewer than two hours?

I think Southwest is just as bad as the other airlines... I was recently searching for tickets for an upcoming trip to Salt Lake... here are the fares

United $384.00
American $384.00
Continental $384.00
Northwest $384.00
Delta $425.00
America West $396.00
Frontier $215.50 (the one I will probably end up buying)
Southwest $400.50

thats freaking outrageous, we all know UA AA CO NW DL etc provice more service on a flight than Southwest, so why do southwest tickets cost more??? It really is outrageous i think...

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