“The day South -West died.”
it was Cranky Flier Headline As the popular aviation site noted the decision of the South -West Airlines to add bag fees – as well as a fleet of other changes in the announcement.
Hyperbole? not this time. Theme was a common Surprisingly reversed of the southwest A policy that helped define the airline for about two decades.
“Southwest Airlines dared to separate. Now it is like everyone,” Take in Washington PostWho saw the news again in the style and feeling of obesity.
Hits kept coming.
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Industry analysts said that the remarkable set of the south -west of recent changes has threatened to remove all the things that separate the airline. The South -West conducted decades as the fans of the industry – the upstart that was forced Other The carrier to adapt to its bizarre methods.
Now, however, many people believe that the south -west is more and more visible, as it was not liked that it was like rivals to be proudly boasted.
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Henry Hartwallt, an analyst at the atmosphere research group’s leading airline industry, did not see words in discussing the face of the south-west on bag fees-a trick that came a few months after the carrier Said that there was no plan to do so,
“This is how you destroy a brand,” HeartWent Said in an interview with CBS News reporter Chris Van Cleve“This is how you destroy the priority of the customer. It’s how you destroy loyalty. And this, I think, is going to send the South -West to a financial tailspin. Southwest, with these changes, only another airline becomes.”
This is not only bag fees – although on Tuesday’s news, they were given the most attention.
There is also there No-neotis continuously flying devaluation And the decision to get away from its egalitarian roots Revenue-generating additional-foot seatsSouthwest added its inventory to online sites Google flights, Kayak And Expidia – Eliminating a long practice of selling seats on your site almost especially. Were there Rigid trimming For the first time in 54 years of history of the company in February,
And, of course, on the carrier’s tail Eliminating its signature open-seating policy – Still another south -western hallmark which is now ready to fade.
All this comes after the hedge fund Elliot Management after gaining a major stake in the south -west and replaced the worker investor, which pressures the airline in view of disappointing earnings after the epidemic.
There was a need to change the company, but A mile at a time The blog asks, “Almost everything about the company is changing, and making it just like a competition, the right step?”
It seems that everyone is asking. Once the south -west is taken away from most of the things, which has made it unique, would it still attract external loyalty that was another thing that separates the airline?
Some suggested that there may be a change in the south -west.
Jeff Windu, an analyst of Edward Jones, said, “While it can separate some customers, other major airlines comrades today are fees.” CNN“As long as the South -West maintains competitive pricing, we do not imagine the significant loss of customers.”
Until that point, the South -West runs a large domestic network. It is a significant appearance in many major metro regions – locations such as Baltimore, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Nashville and Phoenix.
And one thing that airline customers have shown time and time again: they will stick – or even return to an airline if the schedule is good and the fare is less. This will probably prove to be correct even in the south -west.
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby also went to suggest South -West “Holy Cow Murder” And in addition to bag fees, both discounts and other big American airlines can be good who compete with it.
But can the brand be hanging on equity for decades of being a US Lovely upstart in the South -West – which is yet to be seen.
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