An article in the Dallas Morning News speculates that Southwest may be considering offering inflight entertainment to compete with lowcost rival JetBlue and the addition of smaller aircraft to grow service to smaller markets. This on top of recent speculation that Southwest may offer assigned seating. All this speculation comes in recognition of the challenges ahead for the most profitable airline in the industry over the past three decades. As a maturing carrier their costs are rising. New lowcost competitors like JetBlue are offering a superior inflight experience (all leather seating, satellite television, and they’re taking out a row of seats to offer more legroom). And the easy profitable growth routes may already be cherrypicked.
About Gary Leff
New name for Atlanta’s airport
The Atlanta City Council voted to rename Atlanta’s Hartsfield International Airport. It will henceforth be known as “Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport” adding the name of the city’s first black mayor to the name of the city’s longest-serving mayor.The most over-the-top rhetoric advocating the change: “For years, Hartsfield-Jackson will symbolically hover over Atlanta like a protective shield and a glorious crown which says to us and the world, in the hometown of Martin Luther King Jr. and Margaret Mitchell, we are one,” said Johnson. I have mixed feelings about this. One the one hand, it seems absurd that the airport name issue should take up so much time for the city council. On the other hand, I presume it’s better for them to spend time on things like the name of an airport than their next best…
Much as I love transportation systems, light rail is a boondoggle
This op-ed deals with the Phoenix area’s proposed transit system, but the arguments are pretty universal. Light rail projects invariably cost more than projected; cost more than equivalent freeway projects, carry fewer people; don’t help the environment; and pilfer passengers from buses rather than reducing the use of cars.No wonder city bureaucrats love light rail. (Link via Reason’s Hit and Run.)
TSA: (T)aking (S)ecurity (A)way from the hands of travelers
As noted both on these pages and elsewhere, the TSA has revised its list of items prohibited through airport security. Corkscrews and nail clippers are back in. So are knitting needles, cigar cutters and blunt scissors. Pool cues and golf clubs are still banned. Lifting the ban on nail clippers is long overdue, but the contradictory nature of the list of what is allowed and what isn’t just becomes all the more clear.It seemed odd when metal butter knives were banned, but metal forks were not. Bending back the thynes seemed at least as effective weapon as a dull knife. Then it seemed even stranger when the ban on metal knives was lifted onboard (an airline could serve them) but passengers couldn’t take them through security! The whole idea of security was to keep items…
Andrew Sullivan Gets Mad at Priceline
Andrew Sullivan had a very bad hotel experience with Priceline. He delayed his trip a day and the hotel wouldn’t let him start his stay when he arrived. He lost all his money. Frustrating, but his analysis of Priceline’s business model is just wrong: the profit margin is obviously highly correlated with suckers and incompetents like me. Priceline doesn’t make more or less depending on whether someone shows up for their reservation. Priceline makes money from their booking fee, from a commission charged to the hotel, and from any overbid (the difference between a successful bid and the highest applicable rate that bid allows Priceline to book). (Link via Spot On.)
Like Meat, Like Free Stickers More
I love a good steak, but PETA is giving away free stickers that are pretty witty. Just email Education@peta.org with “Veg Stickers” as the subject with your name and address.
Free Dialup Internet in the New York City area
Signup. No credit card required. You don’t even have to give your real name…
America West discount
Take 10% off America West’s new coast to coast flights.
Alaska MVP Gold Requalification Promo
United isn’t the only one running elite status promos. Alaska is telling current MVP Golds that if they fly 8 segments between October 15 to December 15, 2003 and they can retain their status. (Registration required.) And those segments will score you a mess of bonus miles, too.
Cheap Houston flights
Delta just dropped its fare to Houston from several cities (including Baltimore and Phoenix) to $123 with no overnight stay required. Fare basis code is TE14TN95. From Scott Carmichael’s Hot Deals Alert List.
