I was disappointed when you posted the bullet points as it was no longer a debate between you and I and that's what I was enjoying.
No hard feelings I hope?
That's not true. Every flight going through Love instead of DFW decreases the number of connection opportunities for passengers orginating at other airports.
The policy of having no interline baggage handling is an anticompetitive measure. I can't get a ticket from CRP to any New York City area airport through the Southwest online system. I might be tempted to fly Southwest from CRP to HOU and transfer to Air Tran to fly to to LGA via ATL, but the absolute refusal to offer interline baggage transfer even for an additional fee means I must get my baggage first from the baggage claim area and then check into the other flight. If the Southwest flight is delayed and I miss my other flight, I'm out the money I paid for that flight.
Back in the 1970's the Justice department investigated similar anticompetitive practices in the long distance telecommunications industry. Prior to the consent decree announced on January 1, 1982, AT&T would not allow competitive long distance companies to have the same 1+ access to their long distance service that AT&T enjoyed from the local Bell telephone companies. As a result of that consent decree, AT&T was required to let Bell customers specify the carrier of their choice of long distance companies that would be used when dialing 1+Area Code+telephone number. I see Southwest's refusal to offer any kind of interline services as being very similar to AT&T's policy of making competitive long distance services harder to access back in the 1970's.
No hard feelings - I was also enjoying the debate, but the bullet points summed up my position.
You are wrong about Wright not affecting you. In the new transportation bill just signed into law, restrictions on SW flying to Missouri have been exempted from Wright. As a result, American has reduced their rates from DFW to some routes in Missouri. An earlier poster said that was proof that American could lower their fares. My question is, how much is American losing when they charge those fares? The airline industry can't raise ticket prices enough to cover the higher cost of jet fuel right now.
American is a major employer in the North Texas area. After 9/11, when the airlines were hit hard, the economy in N. Texas suffered, as did the already hurting economy in Tulsa where American has their maintenance facility. I'm not saying I want the government to prop up failing businesses, but I don't want them to go out of there way to make some businesses fail. The Federal Government (which is you and I) has already taken over the pension plan for United and I personally don't want to take over any other pension plans.
Love was supposed to be torn down when DFW was built. SW begged "please, please, we'll only fly little trips and won't hurt anyone" and got Wright. If there had originally been a provision in Wright to say that when DFW was strong and stable, Wright would be repealed, I might feel differently - but there isn't. A deal is a deal.
No hard feelings - I was also enjoying the debate, but the bullet points summed up my position.
You are wrong about Wright not affecting you. In the new transportation bill just signed into law, restrictions on SW flying to Missouri have been exempted from Wright. As a result, American has reduced their rates from DFW to some routes in Missouri. An earlier poster said that was proof that American could lower their fares. My question is, how much is American losing when they charge those fares? The airline industry can't raise ticket prices enough to cover the higher cost of jet fuel right now.
American is a major employer in the North Texas area. After 9/11, when the airlines were hit hard, the economy in N. Texas suffered, as did the already hurting economy in Tulsa where American has their maintenance facility. I'm not saying I want the government to prop up failing businesses, but I don't want them to go out of there way to make some businesses fail. The Federal Government (which is you and I) has already taken over the pension plan for United and I personally don't want to take over any other pension plans.
Love was supposed to be torn down when DFW was built. SW begged "please, please, we'll only fly little trips and won't hurt anyone" and got Wright. If there had originally been a provision in Wright to say that when DFW was strong and stable, Wright would be repealed, I might feel differently - but there isn't. A deal is a deal.