Wiz
SWA has been profitable every year of its existence. This does not alter the fact that Jetblue et al will be putting pressure on Herb to squeeze more from SWAPA during contract negotiations. Change is inevitable even at SWA.
You suggest chapter 11 “artificially lowers pay and conditions” when in fact chapter 11 removes the artificial barriers that have protected staff from the market place and over inflated their worth to the business. UA and DL are prime examples. The barriers have been removed, the market has reduced pay and conditions to more reasonable levels, profitability has returned and yet there is no shortage of skilled crew to operate the aircraft.
Labor is an airlines biggest cost and represents about one quarter of an operating budget.
Howards Battler,
“Less flying jets means that companies ditch the less profitable routes and/or target demographic. Said demographic sticks with fishing on the Murray or staying at uncle Fred's holiday shack in Dullsville (They would have been just as happy). FO Aussie John Citizen goes to work happier (although sitting slightly more uncomfortably with a thicker wallet in his back pocket)!”
This little gem of a paragraph here does little more than highlight your total lack of understanding of capitalism.