# SWA shut down?



## Carta (Apr 11, 2008)

Any word on SWA shutting down next week? .........I hope not.
Thanks


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## Jimster (Apr 11, 2008)

*swa*

I am curious about the basis of your question.  Do you have any basis for it or is it just based on an unfounded fear from other airlines financial woes?  As far as I know nothing could be further from the truth.  Please post a basis when you ask a question like this because you will panic people.  Say something like I saw a news report that said....   Southwest has long term fuel contracts that put them in an enviable position.  They also have one of the better management teams.  While I almost never fly them, from all I have heard they are doing just fine.


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## Carta (Apr 12, 2008)

Hey Jimster, I have alotta fear; I'm flying next week on SWA. Is that enough "basis"  4 you?  Have YOU been listening to the news?


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## Liz Wolf-Spada (Apr 12, 2008)

I think Southwest fixed the wire problem that AA is working on. SW was the first airline to get a huge fine and have all this come out, so hopefully, they have completed necessary procedures, but as we've seen, there seems to be no notice until your bags are packed and ready to go.
Liz


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## SDKath (Apr 12, 2008)

Sorry to ask this but what are you all talking about?   

Just wanna make sure you guys have some foundation for these posts as hundreds of people read this message board every hour.

A link to a news article would help, for example.

Katherine


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## DeniseM (Apr 12, 2008)

Carta said:


> Hey Jimster, I have alotta fear; I'm flying next week on SWA. Is that enough "basis"  4 you?  *Have YOU been listening to the news?*



What news are you talking about?  I just did a google search for Southwest and came up with nothing negative...  

Are you just nervous about your flight, or do you know something we don't know?


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## T_R_Oglodyte (Apr 12, 2008)

Liz Wolf-Spada said:


> I think Southwest fixed the wire problem that AA is working on.



Different issues.  The wiring issue that is grounding the American Airlines flights strictly relates to MD-80 aircraft.  Apparently about half of American's fleet is MD-80s, so AA has been hit big time.  Other airlines that fly MD-80s have also canceled flights (such as Alaska), but since MD-80s are a smaller portion of those other carrier's fleets, the impacts haven't been nearly as great.

Because SWA flies only 737s, SWA is totally unaffected by the wiring issue. Of course should a similar issue arise with 737s, SWA would be hugely affected.


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## bnoble (Apr 12, 2008)

SWA originally scheduled their next fare-release date as today, but has moved it back to 4/18 for the next block of dates.  This will be the day after their Q1 conference call, and the timing of that has people a little nervous.  They are running out of fuel hedges:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-sat-brf3-southwest-apr12,1,419987.story

I don't think there is any reason to worry, but the conventional wisdom that "Southwest is always profitable" may be tested as they start having to pay closer to market-prices for fuel.


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## laynemiller (Apr 12, 2008)

I just read this on MSNBC, which makes it look like Southwest does have a fuel problem: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24070395/
Layne


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## Werner (Apr 12, 2008)

I'm not sure that SWA should be canonized yet.  They were the first to cancel flights for improper maintenance, triggered the congressional investigation that finally prodded the FAA to start doing its job, which in turn resulted in the current round of AA and others cancellations .

excerpt from this article;


> Nevertheless, investigations by congressional oversight committees, the special counsel's office and the Department of Transportation's inspector general have produced a different picture, including disclosures that midlevel FAA officials in Texas allowed Southwest Airlines to continue flying potentially dangerous planes that should have been inspected for cracks.


Southwest has demonstrated that it is just as willing to game the system as any other airline.  The original poster may be worried that SWA's maintenance issues may not be over yet.


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## geoffb (Apr 12, 2008)

laynemiller said:


> I just read this on MSNBC, which makes it look like Southwest does have a fuel problem: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24070395/



I don't see a "problem." Yes, they will pay more for fuel, and will probably need to raise fares like American Airlines did yesterday. ("The company said it would try to offset fuel costs by raising more revenue...")

They still have a very good debt-to-equity ratio and are in a better position to handle that than other carriers.

A lot of people were asking a week ago why Southwest did not invest more money in ATA to prop them up so the impression then was that Southwest has cash to spend.

As for the original poster's question... I am flying Southwest tomorrow and coming back on Thursday and I am really not worried about the flight schedule as long as the weather is good.


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## Jimster (Apr 12, 2008)

*Southwest*

Carta-My response was not really about you.  SW is not going to shutdown next week based upon any information currently available  It was about the hundreds of others who read this forum.  They don't deserve to be upset by a poorly worded inquiry.  Actually, just because you are flying SW next week is not a basis as far as i am concerned for asking the question in the way you did.  It's like yelling "fire in a crowded room".  As enunciated in that famous Supreme Court case, your right to freedom of speech is limited when it severely impacts others. All it sets off is a panic.  I am not saying you shouldn't ask the question.  I am saying the way you asked the question could have been improved.  As a previous posters noted, the MD-80 issue doesn't impact SW and SW certainly isn't facing bankruptcy in the near future and there is no reason to suspect a problem.  Your posting leaves the innuendo that there is a problem and that was unfortunate.  It would be as if i asked: Is Mr. Smith still beating his wife?  Imagine the impact on all that know Mr. Smith.  It suggests a basis in fact where there may well be none.  If there was a basis, I wanted to find out what it was and I think you told us.  But many people are going to read your post including the title "SW shutdown?" and be caused unnecessary agitation.


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## pedro47 (Apr 13, 2008)

On March 18, 2008 left from Virginia to Florida: SWA no problems & no delays;  Just returned from the sunshine state on April 12, 2008 flying SWA
no problems & no delays.


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## Dave M (Apr 13, 2008)

I concur that Southwest won't be shutting down. Although the airline has been hurt by fuel price increases just as the other major U.S. airlines have, Southwest has been the most profitable year-to-year major U.S. airline for years. 

In spite of high fuel prices, Southwest had net income of $645 million in 2007 and over $2 *b*illion in cash at the end of 2007. That doesn't sound like an airline in financial trouble!


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## PStreet1 (Apr 13, 2008)

Here's another voice for "all is well with Southwest."  Our airlines are having trouble, but the U.S. is not going to be left with no airlines flying.  Just because some airlines have had to cease operations, not all of them are making plans to stop flying--in fact, as the weak ones shut down, that's more traffic for the ones that are left.  (And I agree that the original post could create problems in the minds of some who would jump to the conclusion that Southwest is in trouble.)


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## tmartin1 (Apr 14, 2008)

Carta - I certainly understand your concern. There's been a lot of airline news recently, and none of it good.

However, I want to thank Jimster for so eloquently responding to this thread and pointing out there should be a factual basis for these types of threads. I am one of those hundreds of people reading these threads that he is talking about.

I am normally a fairly calm person and enjoy travelling and all the planning that goes along with it.

However, I was hit pretty hard with the Aloha and ATA debacle, costing me thousands of extra dollars and week of pure stress.

I rebooked on US Airways for one leg and, of course, now these threads about US Airways have popped up. I also rebooked one of my interisland trips with Go (yes, I know I'm probably going to hell for that), but it was the only airline that had the itinerary I needed. So, now there are threads about Go.

I'm a little gun shy right now, to say the least.

My DH and I are planning a trip to Las Vegas and we need to use SWA vouchers to do so, so opening this thread definitely caused a moment of hyperventilation!

There's a part of me that wants to bury my head in the sand and part of me that knows I need to stay up on all the airline news. While ignorance is bliss, what you DON'T know will hurt you in the end.

What I love about this MB is the breadth of knowledge everyone has about all aspects of travel. It is objective, informative, and has saved me dozens of times in my travel planning. So, while I don't want to open these airline threads, I am compelled to do so because 99% of the time, it contains factual information that always helps me. All this one did is put me into a moment of panic.

I agree with Jimster and SDKath that there should be a foundation to these types of thread. There are a lot of jittery people like me right now.

Theresa


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