Sep 15, 2008
A happy birthday for Southwest?
Wish a happy 15th birthday to Southwest at BWI!
Unless you plan on flying to Chicago Midway Airport; Denver; Detroit; Hartford, Conn.; Kansas City, Mo.; Louisville, Ky., Manchester, N.H.; Nashville, Tenn.; Phoenix; San Diego; St. Louis; Tampa, Fla.; or West Palm Beach, Fla.
If that’s the case, your options are about to get a bit more limited.
That’s not to say Southwest isn’t a huge part of Baltimore/Washington Thurgood Marshall International Airport. The airline did carry more than 3.9 million Customers from Baltimore/Washington in 2007, and has 162 daily nonstop flights leaving the airport.
And that’s not to say the airline is dropping a big number of flights. It’s actually only 11. Still, I find it funny that Southwest’s call for celebration comes less than a month after it cuts its presence at BWI.
Personally, I’d be all in favor of fewer flights if that meant the use of larger planes. Sure, that would limit departure options, but airlines could probably carry as many people overall, and without forcing us into some of the most uncomfortable positions know to humankind.
I flew on three flights over the weekend — not Southwest, so you know — and two of them I spent in a window seat trying to curve my spine in such a way that I didn’t constantly crack my head against the curved wall/ceiling. And I’m 5 ft 9in. And obviously at no point was I able to use my own armrest.
So I welcome continued flight cuts — as long as I can get a little more breathing room.
JOE BACCHUS, Web Specialist
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Airlines are cutting system-wide capacity. Markets all across the country are impacted. The schedule adjustments for BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport recently announced by Southwest Airlines are minor when examining air service changes by airlines in some markets. The airline has indicated that some of the new schedule changes may be temporary in nature.
BWI is the fourth largest Southwest Airlines market in the country, and the largest on the East Coast. Travelers in the Washington and Baltimore region are fortunate to have so many outstanding low-fare choices with the leading low-cost carriers, Southwest and AirTran Airways, as the two largest airlines at BWI.
By the way, Southwest served more than 11 million passengers at BWI last year– many more than the figure you presented in your blog posting.
And beyond the passengers, Southwest also employs more than 2,500 people in this market, including pilots, flight attendants, training personnel, marketing employees, and others.
The 15-year partnership between BWI and Southwest Airlines has been an outstanding benefit for travelers in our region.