JetBlue to have Customer's Bill of Rights Options

[Hartmann]

http://www.newsvine.com/_news/2007/02/20/5...-bill-of-rights

Well that changes things... Look for the other discount carriers to follow suit. Maybe the big boys will too.

[Hartmann]

High winds wouldn't be their mistake... Being trapped on the tarmac for 6 hours because of high winds would be.

I don't think JetBlue will go out of business. They are a solid airline and if you ever flown on them you know why a lot of people like them. The direct flights from places such as Boston to Austin make them a convenient option and the service on the flights is great.

I would look at Southwest as an airline that will be struggling in the next 3-4 years. Their recent fare hike is going to come back and bite them in the ass.

[GOB]

I would look at Southwest as an airline that will be struggling in the next 3-4 years. Their recent fare hike is going to come back and bite them in the ass.

nah, that's not going to happen. my dad showed me financials up-to 3Q 2006, and their costs haven't increased enough to make any difference. fuel prices decreased from the third quarter to now (which neither helps nor hurts them because their prices are fixed), and fuel hedges aren't running out, despite what a lot of people think; it's a cyclical thing, as their contract renewals are spread out over a period of years. oil prices aren't going back to $30, but they will be less volatile in 2007-08 and will hover between $54-58.

they initially raised rates two years ago because fuel prices were high, and everybody else was doing the same thing (even though SWA was still paying the same price). they're raising prices now because everybody else has been suffering for so long, but several airlines are back to making a profit, so they're just staying competitive. they're still adding brand new planes and cities all the time, as well as quietly pushing other airlines down to fewer flights (such as denver, where frontier is going to be seriously suffering in 2-3 years because southwest returned to colorado).

they're still making a profit (higher than expected), have been leading in load percentages, increased flights, have an "in-house" push going right now, and they're starting a new ad campaign later this year. as always, the industry will be volatile, and that will keep stock prices from doing anything special, but i wouldn't worry about southwest's strength.

----
no major airline is going to go out of business, the government wouldn't let it happen. jet blue has been known to have the best customer service, but the recent delays pissed a lot of people off--- seriously, who leaves a packed airplane on the runway for 10 hours? nobody.

[Hartmann]

nah, that's not going to happen. my dad showed me financials up-to 3Q 2006, and their costs haven't increased enough to make any difference. fuel prices decreased from the third quarter to now (which neither helps nor hurts them because their prices are fixed), and fuel hedges aren't running out, despite what a lot of people think; it's a cyclical thing, as their contract renewals are spread out over a period of years. oil prices aren't going back to $30, but they will be less volatile in 2007-08 and will hover between $54-58.

they initially raised rates two years ago because fuel prices were high, and everybody else was doing the same thing (even though SWA was still paying the same price). they're raising prices now because everybody else has been suffering for so long, but several airlines are back to making a profit, so they're just staying competitive. they're still adding brand new planes and cities all the time, as well as quietly pushing other airlines down to fewer flights (such as denver, where frontier is going to be seriously suffering in 2-3 years because southwest returned to colorado).

they're still making a profit (higher than expected), have been leading in load percentages, increased flights, have an "in-house" push going right now, and they're starting a new ad campaign later this year. as always, the industry will be volatile, and that will keep stock prices from doing anything special, but i wouldn't worry about southwest's strength.

----
no major airline is going to go out of business, the government wouldn't let it happen. jet blue has been known to have the best customer service, but the recent delays pissed a lot of people off---

Great post! Thanks for the info!

Frontier is getting ready to make some changes. (they are a great discount airline as well) For one thing, they've been opening up routes that no one else flies, which is great.

And, now we have airlines like ExpressJet flying direct from Austin to San Jose and things of the like. I have no real problem with Southwest, just don't prefer them. If I was able to fly in a first class area or internationally with them, I may like them more. I'll be interested in what they do when the 787 hits the production lines.

seriously, who leaves a packed airplane on the runway for 10 hours? nobody.

American
Northwest did it in the 90's
United just left people in Cheyenne during the storm that crippled Denver a few weeks ago. Literally just left them at the airport. Took off as people who were supposed to be on the flight watched.

[GOB]

Great post! Thanks for the info!

Frontier is getting ready to make some changes. (they are a great discount airline as well) For one thing, they've been opening up routes that no one else flies, which is great.

And, now we have airlines like ExpressJet flying direct from Austin to San Jose and things of the like. I have no real problem with Southwest, just don't prefer them. If I was able to fly in a first class area or internationally with them, I may like them more. I'll be interested in what they do when the 787 hits the production lines.

yeah, frontier has been great ever since restructuring in the early 90's. my grandpa rode that ship all the way down and helped bring it back as DIA was in the works. they were the king low-cost carrier in denver until southwest came in.

having stuff like expressjet, spirit air, and ted really is great because they fly to literally thousands of places that their parent companies (continental, southwest, american?) couldn't manage on their own. i really don't want to see frontier go down the crapper again, so i hope they can put up a good fight against southwest.

American
Northwest did it in the 90's
United just left people in Cheyenne during the storm that crippled Denver a few weeks ago. Literally just left them at the airport. Took off as people who were supposed to be on the flight watched.

true. i guess people don't learn from the mistakes of others. 10 hours would be absolutely unbearable. i was stuck in houston when hurricane rita was passing through. we were in the airport for 7 hours and waiting to takeoff for 3.