Mod note:
edited: Hiss, I am assuming this is all a quote from Boyd? Next time, please show this in the way I have so there's no confusion what are your words and someone elses.
"WN has to make changes necessary for its future and those changes necessary are just not always going to be what may have helped WN get to the point it is today; I think Gary Kelly is just the right person who understands this and for WN’s sake, I’m glad he’s at the helm right now because this is undoubtedly going to turn out to be a significant point in WN’s history.
I think assigned seating is all but paramount and I would even venture to include IFE is as just as important, because while WiFi is a good place to start I think by ten years from now all new pax airliners will have them standard and carriers like VX will make WN's service look downright shabby – WN already admits that when it will be competing in markets alongside VX they will have to do more than just offer comparable pricing to be competitive. I personally despise the current cattle call boarding philosophy as I am one who does not enjoy sitting in traffic on the road home from work and so the last thing I want to do when I travel by air is wait in a long line when I'm boarding just so I don't have to sit in the middle seat!
I think WN has to go into MSP as its next destination - the market is very large as is and all indications point to it growing exponentially in the future as well evident by the MAC’s new runway at MSP that they recently opened 18 months ago. I think now is opportune for WN to enter the MSP area as the consumers have very little love for NW - it would be the epitome of the WN effect when they enter that market.
In regards to another aircraft type or size, I disagree that WN needs a slightly smaller sized aircraft to go into all the small markets, though. Typically those markets are just not terribly lucrative but than again, that's XE's mission statement right now. If anything, WN should simply form a subsidiary company like AMR and American Eagle, and operate and manage that company as a partner yet separate entity if anything.
Conversely, I believe that WN needs to go the opposite direction with regards to another size/type aircraft, rather I would recommend a 737-800 type/sized aircraft to supplement WN's fleet. For example, WN has like 30 flights a day in DAL-HOU where as they could operate the same numbers of people on 20 flights of a 738, still accomplish the frequency necessary for their business model in that important market, and save a lot of money operating an otherwise very similar aircraft to their 73G/W's. In that regard I say they WN should buy SY and put their 10 738's into immediate service while also utilizing all of SY's gates at the Humphrey terminal at MSP.
With aircraft like 739ER's, that would be an opportunity for WN to consider select international routes on it's own metal, but then again if they really wanted to go international on their own metal they may be better off starting their own separate subsidiary airline comprised of just 787's and use them to begin the inevitable US LCC long-haul industry. WN could place an order for say 20 787's and use them to launch an entirely separate company with WN still the parent; it is oft rumored that FR is already trying to do this with EI across the pond to the US should he eventually be able to acquire the company, and Gary Kelly has already specifically spoken about the benefit of having an international long haul product to help one's revenues when the domestic numbers aren't doing as well, evident by numerous US legacy carriers success overseas right now.
As for taking on F9 at DEN, if I were F9 I'd be looking for a merger with B6 as I think that would be a great combination and perhaps the only way either carrier is still in the air ten years from now. Once that happened, if I were FL I'd be open to a DL merger as well."
