Southwest cutting lots of Albuquerque flights this year (Hope: sale, 2013)

[Pink Jazz]

Last month, Southwest has discontinued service between Albuquerque and Salt Lake City, surrendering the route to Delta. In August, Southwest will be discontinuing nonstop service from Albuquerque to Lubbock, Midland, and Orlando. Most recently, Southwest has announced that it will be discontinuing service between Albuquerque and El Paso in January 2013, and service from Albuquerque to St. Louis is being reduced to seasonal service.

I'm surprised at all the cuts that Southwest has made this year, considering the Albuquerque market is pretty loyal to Southwest. When I lived in the Albuquerque area, I met many people who refused to fly any airline but Southwest.

I'm guessing that Southwest service between Albuquerque and Atlanta may never happen now, which is good for Delta. There isn't a lot of origin and destination traffic between Albuquerque and Atlanta; most people who fly Delta's flights between Albuquerque and Atlanta are connecting in Atlanta.

[Zoidberg]

Originally Posted by Andros 1337

I'm surprised at all the cuts that Southwest has made this year, considering the Albuquerque market is pretty loyal to Southwest. When I lived in the Albuquerque area, I met many people who refused to fly any airline but Southwest.

That's precisely why they cut flights.

Southwest is now a major airline, and like all major airlines, they'd much rather push 2 full planes through one of their hubs than run 1 half-full plane nonstop.

Hopefully JetBlue will make good on their hints that they'll come to Albuquerque, giving Southwest some better competition.

For many of those routes, Southwest wasn't running that many flights anyway. An "express" carrier running smaller planes could probably pick up a fair amount of business serving those flights even if Southwest wasn't making money on them.

[Pink Jazz]

Originally Posted by Zoidberg

That's precisely why they cut flights.

Southwest is now a major airline, and like all major airlines, they'd much rather push 2 full planes through one of their hubs than run 1 half-full plane nonstop.

Hopefully JetBlue will make good on their hints that they'll come to Albuquerque, giving Southwest some better competition.

For many of those routes, Southwest wasn't running that many flights anyway. An "express" carrier running smaller planes could probably pick up a fair amount of business serving those flights even if Southwest wasn't making money on them.

Well, nobody operates a hub in El Paso, and American dismantled their hub in St. Louis.

One of the routes that Southwest is axing that really surprises me is the Albuquerque to Orlando route. That route had a fairly high amount of origin and destination traffic, but is being discontinued.

[Poncho_NM]

Originally Posted by Andros 1337

Well, nobody operates a hub in El Paso, and American dismantled their hub in St. Louis.

Airlines are companies whose main goal is to make a profit, not to please the population...

[NMHacker]

Originally Posted by Poncho_NM

Airlines are companies whose main goal is to make a profit, not to please the population...

With airlines that is true unfortunately. Good companies try to accomplish both.

[caphillsea77]

I only use to fly them because they were the cheap airline, in which they are no longer. No loss here as far as I'm concerned. As long as there are connections in Denver, DFW, PHX, Chicago-O'Hare, and LAX then it's fine. One thing that surprises me is that there isn't a carrier that does a non-stop from ABQ to any of the NYC Airports.

[Pink Jazz]

Originally Posted by caphillsea77

I only use to fly them because they were the cheap airline, in which they are no longer. No loss here as far as I'm concerned. As long as there are connections in Denver, DFW, PHX, Chicago-O'Hare, and LAX then it's fine. One thing that surprises me is that there isn't a carrier that does a non-stop from ABQ to any of the NYC Airports.

Continental flew ABQ-EWR years ago, however, the route was horribly timed, catering solely to origin and destination traffic. Such a route would have worked better if it were timed to make international connections IMO. I think ABQ-JFK on Delta could work if it were properly timed to make international connections.

[Zoidberg]

Originally Posted by Andros 1337

Well, nobody operates a hub in El Paso, and American dismantled their hub in St. Louis.

I fail to see the importance of this statement.

One of the routes that Southwest is axing that really surprises me is the Albuquerque to Orlando route. That route had a fairly high amount of origin and destination traffic, but is being discontinued.

I would not be surprised if much of that traffic was connecting in one or both cities. When you think about it, there are very few origin/destination pairs where ABQ-MCO as a leg makes sense.

As Southwest absorbs AirTran (minus all its 717 planes because Southwest wants only 737's) looks like there will be fewer planes to go around. Southwest has always gone after the routes it can make money on, and the prevailing cost of most 2/3-across-the-southern US has got to be higher for Southwest than for its competitors with hubs in Dallas, Houston, and Atlanta.

I'm sure they'll reopen the route as soon as it makes sense for them to (which could very well be never).

[Pink Jazz]

Originally Posted by Zoidberg

I fail to see the importance of this statement.



I would not be surprised if much of that traffic was connecting in one or both cities. When you think about it, there are very few origin/destination pairs where ABQ-MCO as a leg makes sense.

As Southwest absorbs AirTran (minus all its 717 planes because Southwest wants only 737's) looks like there will be fewer planes to go around. Southwest has always gone after the routes it can make money on, and the prevailing cost of most 2/3-across-the-southern US has got to be higher for Southwest than for its competitors with hubs in Dallas, Houston, and Atlanta.

I'm sure they'll reopen the route as soon as it makes sense for them to (which could very well be never).

I don't think anyone would connect in Orlando; MCO has one of the highest percentages of O&D in the nation. However, perhaps some people may be connecting in ABQ to go somewhere else.

Perhaps these ABQ cuts can be attributed to Southwest's growth in Denver. Maybe Southwest feels it is wiser to route these passengers via Denver instead of via Albuquerque

Also, once the Wright Amendment is lifted at Dallas Love Field (DAL), this could also impact service from ABQ.

[Merlander]

Southwest flights are also getting more expensive. For awhile they were able to undercut the competiton when they had hedged their jet fuel contracts in the 06-'08 period, when fuel prices were spiking. Flights that we had paid $90 for back then are now regularly in the $160-200 range (ABQ-BWI). Their fare sale in effect right now is pricing that one-way leg @ $205. Haha ha, ha ha. No thanks bucko.

About those 717's: They'd be wise to divest themselves of that fleet. Lots of fatique cracking issues in the airframe, I would think twice before riding on one of them.

Southwest, Boeing Ask FAA for Time to Investigate 717 Frame Cracking

Southwest used to be a great deal, like frequent flyer miles. Those days have come and gone.