‘Clouds and Landing’
courtesy of ‘Samer Farha’
The AP is reporting that Southwest has put in a non-binding bid on struggling airline Frontier Air, which could bring Southwest to Reagan National Airport if a sale eventually went though. Don’t feel free to move about the country just yet, however. The bid’s non-binding so that Southwest can get a chance to get more information from Frontier and there’s already another bid on the table. Even if they eventually acquire the struggling airline there’s no certainty they’d keep all the routes or locations.
One can hope, however, and Southwest would be my personal second choice for an addition to DCA. JetBlue would be my first.
Well I used to say something in my profile about not quite being a “tinker, tailor, soldier, or spy” but Tom stole that for our about us page, so I guess I’ll have to find another way to express that I am a man of many interests.
Hmm, guess I just did.
My tastes run the gamut from sophomoric to Shakespeare and in my “professional” life I’ve sold things, served beer, written software, and carried heavy objects… sometimes at the same place. It’s that range of loves and activities that makes it so easy for me to love DC – we’ve got it all.
It’s highly unlikely that Southwest will be able to or even allowed to acquire Frontier. I can see why they would though because they are going to be acquired by another company that will definitely be considered a major competitor to Southwest.
jetBlue would have some problems at DCA because the number of long-haul flights is limited. So while they could serve JFK, there would be another hurdle to be able to fly out to LGB, OAK, etc.
Southwest has a lot of shorter-haul routes they could serve from DCA (e.g., MDW, PVD).
Even if Southwest aquires Frontier the slots at DCA revert back to DOT because they are special beyond-the-perimeter slots. DOT could give them to SWA, they could give them to another carrier or they could suspend them.