Southwest casually looking at smaller jets...

I wonder they they'd consider?

http://biz.yahoo.com/rc/031020/airli...st_jets_1.html

Reuters
Southwest 'casually' looking at smaller jets
Monday October 20, 11:09 am ET


CHICAGO, Oct 20 (Reuters) - Southwest Airlines' (NYSE:LUV - News) chief
financial officer said on Monday that the carrier was "casually" looking at
using smaller 100-seat jets but was not close to reaching a decision on the
issue.
"It's something that we have only casually begun to look at and certainly
haven't gotten serious," CFO Gary Kelly said in a conference call with
analysts and reporters.

Southwest's fleet currently consists of only one type of aircraft, the
Boeing 737. Kelly also said the Dallas-based low-cost carrier was
considering in-flight entertainment offerings.

Kizzer wrote:
Southwest's fleet currently consists of only one type of aircraft, the
Boeing 737. Kelly also said the Dallas-based low-cost carrier was
considering in-flight entertainment offerings.

How many types of 737s does Southwest operate ? Do they still have old -200s ?

Could the 717 (aka MD95) get a rebirth ?

It is a shame that BAe stopped making the 146s. Seems that this plane would
have found itself a nice market if it had been updated to a 2 engine puppy
that was just as quiet.

I don't think that 2*2 seating is really suitable for 100 pax jets. 25 rows
makes for a very long narow tube. Although logically, 2*2 gives half the
passengers a window seat.

Of course, there are a dozen 100 seats jets available as second hand. They
were built by the french and british and can go mighty fast. Southwest would
surely make quite a profit with those since they could do twice the number of
flights in a given day :-).

However, Southwest's 1960s livery wouldn't go well on those sleek jets...

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Pre Khum wrote:
Kizzer wrote:
Southwest's fleet currently consists of only one type of aircraft, the
Boeing 737. Kelly also said the Dallas-based low-cost carrier was
considering in-flight entertainment offerings.

How many types of 737s does Southwest operate ? Do they still have old -200s ?

The 732s are still in service with SWA, but are dwindling out.
Most are doing the short hops out of KDAL. Everything else is the 733
or newer.

Could the 717 (aka MD95) get a rebirth ?

Nope. The jets in question are the Embraer 170s, the same that
JBU has already purchased.

I don't think that 2*2 seating is really suitable for 100 pax jets. 25 rows
makes for a very long narow tube. Although logically, 2*2 gives half the
passengers a window seat.

A CRJ or ERJ is just as narrow as what SWA is thinking of
doing, but they are doing the more unique runs, like LAX-SBP, LAX-SBA,
etc. I'm not sure on how they're going to be used in a cattlecar-like
environment, but there you have it.

Of course, there are a dozen 100 seats jets available as second hand. They
were built by the french and british and can go mighty fast. Southwest would
surely make quite a profit with those since they could do twice the number of
flights in a given day :-).

However, Southwest's 1960s livery wouldn't go well on those sleek jets...

On the 170s, it would, and would look nice. Think of it as a
smaller prelude to their plan for retrofitting their 737 fleet with
winglets, which is another thing on their plate (something about having
money on the side to do it after another profiting quarter).

BL.
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