WTF? SWA no longer has any non-stops to NYC?

[Pink Jazz]

Originally Posted by Voebe

What's a perimeter rule?

LGA's perimeter rule limits the distance of flights flying from there to 1500 miles. The perimeter rule is lifted on Saturdays, as well as on flights to Denver. However, since LGA is slot-restricted, not sure if SWA would want to use one of their slots on a Saturday-only flight to PHX.

[newtoaz20172]

Phoenix is a large city that's serviced like a mid-sized metro. Always has been. Airport is great though.

[cjseliga]

Originally Posted by Pink Jazz

LGA's perimeter rule limits the distance of flights flying from there to 1500 miles. The perimeter rule is lifted on Saturdays, as well as on flights to Denver. However, since LGA is slot-restricted, not sure if SWA would want to use one of their slots on a Saturday-only flight to PHX.

The 1500 mile perimeter rule from LGA is an artificial method of forcing airlines to use JFK and to keep airlines from abandoning EWR. The idea being that all airlines would flock to the closer in, more convenient LGA if some kind of restriction wasn’t in place. Denver was the exception as it had nonstop service (and was the only city outside of 1500 served from LGA) when the rule was initiated. I’m not sure about the Saturday allowance besides the fact that this has historically been the least traveled day of the week, and the business oriented LGA flights aren’t happening on Saturday, but facilities still need to be used and people still need to work.

Not all that uncommon of a method to force airlines to use a likely less convenient/ further out airport that likely saw a lot of capital investment. See Dallas/Ft. Worth’s Wright amendment (which essentially forced airlines into DFW from DAL), Washington DC’s perimeter rule (forcing airlines from the more convenient DCA to IAD), and the various iterations of the Bermuda agreement which forced many airlines to use LGW over LHR. I believe Paris (CDG, ORY), Tokyo (HND, NRT), Montreal (YUL, YMX) all have/have had similar regulations in place and probably many others.

[locolife]

There are 14 direct flights a day to the New York City area, that's more than 1 every 2 hours, I think we'll be okay.

[locolife]

Originally Posted by newtoaz20172

Phoenix is a large city that's serviced like a mid-sized metro. Always has been. Airport is great though.

How is that? Phoenix is the 13th largest CSA and Sky Harbor is the 13th busiest airport, seems like were serviced right around where we should be. International is lacking but domestic service is pretty solid.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combin...tistical_areas
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o..._United_States

[jnojr]

Originally Posted by SK115

Frontier is adding flights from PHX to Newark.

If someone chooses to fly Frontier, they should not then complain about what they get.

I abhor the bottom-of-the-barrel airlines like that and the cheap SOBs who fly them, dragging down fares and destroying the travel experience for everyone. Every time you find yourself wedged into a too-small seat with no leg room and no amenities, remember to thank those pieces of crap and their penny-pinching.

[jlawrence01]

Originally Posted by MN-Born-n-Raised

Disclaimer: I'm a SWA bigot. I'll use them for a direct flight whenever possible. Their companion ticket is the bomb (albeit they raised it from 110,000 to 125,000 points). My wife and I are flying to Nashville for $85 converted to point one way; for both of us (free companion). We booked 3 flights back in June with points. We recently canceled two of them because we now know which will be the best timing. All the points were put back in our account. And our credit card was credited the $5.20 tax. Once, we forgot! No problem, the points were automatically put back in without asking. A little too generous but that's how they roll! Hence, I'm a HUGE fan. Cut paste repeat for a flight to Seattle next month. We have multiple flights booked in the coming weeks. I cannot say enough good things about SWA.

Re: Newark. Obviously Southwest is focused on... well.... the Southwest. I've been told that the downing of the Boeing Max-8 jets has but a lot of pressure on their routes and revenue. I did a quick google. 1st read https://www.usatoday.com/story/money...-8/3285829002/ Now that was 34 planes in the Spring time. They would have had ANOTHER 40 more by now or 75 planes total. It's discussed here https://www.cnbc.com/2019/09/17/how-...-airlines.html

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Several points:

1) Southwest has been very upfront and vocal that a lot of their planned flights were dependent on the use of the Boeing 737 MAX jets that they had in their fleet. They were planning for those to be their long-haul planes and losing them has affected the routes that they can fly.

2) I remember back in the early 80s when Southwest was using the old terminals at Chicago-Midway. The gates were crowded and cramped and the services were grossly inadequate for a modern airport. Having flown Southwest into and out of Newark last month reminded me of Midway before renovation. It was crowded and they are using Porto-Johns because the bathrooms are grossly inadequate (block long line for the women's room) on a Tuesday afternoon.

3) I really have to question the fire safety in the Newark terminal that Southwest was flying. If a fire breaks out, I do not know how people are going to evacuate that terminal as the walkways have been reduced by the TSA lines on one side and the Porto-Johns on the other side.

I will admit that I have some of the same apprehensions about flying Southwest as the OP. Too often, the connections between Tucson and the Midwestern cities that I use are involving a three hour layover at MDW (preferred) or in Denver. And it does not help that they have changed food vendors at MDW and raised prices considerably.

[Voebe]

Originally Posted by Soccernerd

You could always just connect in a place like DEN, DAL, STL, MDW, or BNA to LGA if flying Southwest is that important. Of course it could easily add two hours to your travel time.

Otherwise United, American, Delta, JetBlue, and Frontier offer (or will be soon) nonstop flights to New York area airports.

I'm scared about flying. I need non-stops for as little trauma as possible.

Originally Posted by Bondurant

Southwest made changes to a flight I had booked due to route changes. It's going to cost me 6 hours. I am starting to wonder if something is going on with Southwest. Had a terrible experience last December and both my flights since have been delayed. On the aforementioned December flight I was impacted by two planes with "mechanical failure". It may become necessary to spend more booking elsewhere to trade away the headaches of recent Southwest flights.

Ever tried a formal complaint?