Preview

South Wes Air Lines Problems Alternatives and Recommendations Case Study

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
945 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
South Wes Air Lines Problems Alternatives and Recommendations Case Study
Southwest Airlines

Southwest Airlines founded in 1967 with three operating flights to Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio. It has grown to become the fourth largest United States domestic customer carrier with 1998 being Southwest Airlines twenty-sixth year of profits. Southwest airlines mission is to provide dedication to low cost, high quality of customer service that is delivered with warmth, pride, friendliness, and company spirit.
Problems

Even though Southwest has maintained a lot of success, there are challenges ahead. Southwest’s big concern is expansion. This decision has several components. First Southwest must meet the current and forecasted demand, find facilities, ensure entry into the market is in a timely manner, and keep their strategy. Southwest also need to decide which cites has the greatest opportunity to profit from, determine ample routes that could be added to increase service.

The other threat comes from the competitors. Many of the airlines in America not only operate domestic flights but also international flights. Globalization generating much demand for international flights from domestic customers. For customers, it is more convenient for them to book their domestic and connecting international flights just in one stop. As a result, it is very difficult for Southwest to convince this kind of customer to take southwest’s flights.
Alternatives Evaluation

Southwest Airlines, however, is not without weaknesses. No matter how successful, Southwest Airlines serves only 29 states and cannot compete against the bigger companies that serve nationally or even internationally. Competitors are aware that they cannot match Southwest Airline's prices; their market is larger and is not feasible to offer cheaper tickets at the cost of no in flight meals. Instead, competitors narrow the price difference between Southwest Airlines and themselves and stress on the quality of frills such as roomier seats. Others, through use of flight hubs,

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    In light of operational and cost-saving efficiencies, Southwest Airlines is the only air carrier to use one type of aircraft in its fleet, the Boeing 737, with 692 total aircraft in active operation ranging from the 737-300 to the 737-800. With more than 3,900 fights a day Southwest Airlines has proudly seen 42 consecutive years of annual profitability, a record unmatched in the U.S. airline industry per Southwest Corporate Fact Sheet…

    • 691 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Southwest airlines was founded in Texas in 1971 as a small, regional intra-state carrier. They chose to service the Golden Triangle of Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio. By staying within Texan borders, they could avoid federal regulations. They used Boeing 747 planes in their fleet. Since their inception, they have been striving to become the leading low-cost carrier in the United States. They have successfully accomplished this. The company has remained profitable despite the setbacks caused to other airlines in the industry following the 9/1/1 attacks and the recession of 2008/2009. This airline remained afloat during those troubled times, even when many other airlines folded or filed bankruptcy under the economic pressure.…

    • 1219 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    The airline industries success depends greatly on the health of the U.S economy because the economy affects air travel by business and consumer passengers. Many areas of the economy affect Southwest in the airline industry. Some of these are shifts in the supply and demand, elasticity, and their competition in the market.…

    • 1125 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The main challenges facing Southwest Airline are maintaining its competitive leadership position through cost control, while keeping its culture alive.…

    • 613 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Southwest’s primary strategy is to minimize its own operating costs so that it can then offer the lowest possible fares to its customers. It is able to accomplish this by scheduling frequent, short point-to-point flights out of underutilized airports without a central hub. Its service is very straightforward, without pre-assigned seating or meal service, and one simple pricing structure. Southwest only uses fuel efficient 737s, which also allows them to save on maintenance and training costs. All these efforts have proven successful, as Southwest has managed to achieve the lowest operating cost structure in the industry.…

    • 663 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Southwest Airlines is part of an oligopoly. An oligopoly is defined as an instance where there are only a small number of producers in a market; due to the small numbers, if one company changes their prices of their goods or services, the others will do the same in order to keep it competitive. Running as an oligopoly can be both helpful and painful for the consumer. For instance, Southwest Airlines has set prices they have for certain flights to certain locations. They will run these prices as long as they competitively can. The price will differ slightly due to economic conditions, i.e. fuel costs, but for the most part, the only real variations show up during high…

    • 277 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Let us review some of the risks that airlines face and what Southwest has done to combat these to remain the only airline to be profitable in the 31 years of their existence. First airlines usually have to fly each flight, even if a flight is only half-full. The emptier a flight is, the less revenue it generates. Southwest has dealt with this risk by pursuing a low-cost/low-price/no-frills strategy that features offering passengers a single class of service at the lowest price possible fares making air travel affordable to a wide segment of the U.S. population.…

    • 867 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Southwest Airline

    • 3996 Words
    • 12 Pages

    Southwest Airlines was introduced in Texas on June 18, 1971 with three Boeing 737 airplanes and only serving three cities of Texas which included Houston, Dallas and San Antonio. The company came a long way since 1971; today Southwest Airlines has 537 Boeing 737 airplanes and serving 68 cities around the US. Southwest Airlines has become a major airline in 1989 when it hit the billion-dollar revenue mark. Southwest Airlines is the United States’ most successful airline due to the low fares, high frequency, and point-to-point carrier. According to the Southwest Airlines Fact Sheet 2010 “Southwest operates more than 3,200 flights a day coast-to-coast, making it the largest U.S. carrier based on domestic passengers’ carrier as of September 30, 2009”. As June 2011, Southwest Airlines has become the top airline to carries the most domestic passengers in the US. Southwest Airlines in 2013 has expanded their destination to 86 cities in 42 states and Puerto Rico.…

    • 3996 Words
    • 12 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Labor Law and Unions

    • 534 Words
    • 3 Pages

    According to their website, Southwest Airlines was established in 1967 in Texas, and first three cities Southwest Airlines served are Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio by using three Boeing 737-200s.Today, they serve much more than at that time as 97 destinations in 41 states, When Southwest reached the billion-dollar revenue, it became a major airline in 1989. Southwest Airline, which is serving domestic much more than other airline, is now America’s largest low-fare carrier(Southwest,2013). Southwest Airline is in 500 Fortune Company in 2009. Southwest Airline is the most unionized in the nation. They stated that 87 percent of their employees belong to a union. (Brancatelli, 2008). Southwest Airline provides low-fare with friendly customer service; they also don’t charge first two luggage. These reasons help Southwest became a big competitive in airlines industry.…

    • 534 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Delta Case Study

    • 6126 Words
    • 25 Pages

    Southwest’s objectives are to continue being the domestic leader in point-to-point, low-cost fares, and taking market share from its hub and spoke competitors. To achieve this goal they are reliant upon an economic resurgence to entice consumers to begin flying more often for vacationing, tourism, and business travels. They will also continue to manage and reduce costs/expenses.…

    • 6126 Words
    • 25 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Southwest Airlines operates as a major passenger airline that provides scheduled air transportation in the United States and near international markets (southwest.com). In addition, at December 31, 2016, South West functioned with a total of 723 Boeing, 737 aircraft and 101 destination in 40 states, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and eight near International countries such as Mexico, Jamaica, The Bahamas, Aruba, The Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, and Cuba (Nasdaq.com).…

    • 1434 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Best Essays

    Southwest Airlines Company, an American low-cost airline is the third largest airline in the world as well as the U.S.A. by the number of passenger aircraft among all of the world 's commercial airlines (Arlene Fleming, About.com Guide; www.nationsonline.org), operating more than 540 Boeing 737 aircraft today between 67 cities in the U.S.A. (Southwest Airlines Fact Sheet of 2008). Today, Southwest operates approximately 3,300 flights daily and boasts of being the only major airline to post profits every year for the last thirty six years. It justifiably claims to be the United States’ most successful low-fare, high frequency, point-to-point carrier (www.southwest.com).…

    • 2731 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Southwest Airline case study

    • 2348 Words
    • 10 Pages

    For the purpose of this study we shall be taking southwest airline as a case study, Southwest Airline is a major U.S. airline that primarily provides short haul, high frequency, point- to point, low fare service. Southwest was incorporated in Texas and commenced operations on June 18, 1971 with three Boeing 737 aircraft…

    • 2348 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Southwest decided to provide safe and low-cost transportation with maximum customer service. Southwest used to operate short-haul flights mostly in the south-west region that have good climate. At that time, to keep costs low and have competitive advantage choose those routes. Not to hamper the companies growth, it later (1996) started to expand to east-coast (providence, RI , Florida) and not-so good climate. Recently it started operating in all major airports such as Newark, Philadelphia etc¬1 and even some international cities2.…

    • 532 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Marketing Case Study

    • 532 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Answer : Operating under an intensely competitive environment , Southwest Airlines carefully projects its image so customers can differentiate its product form its competitors .. To successfully secure its market position , Southwest needs to be extremely Cost-efficient ,Southwest has a well defined business model that uses single aircraft type ,short hauls ,secondary airports , point-to-point versus hub-and-spoke to keep its cost down .Southwest tries hard to differentiate itself by doing seemingly wired things. For example, not assigning seats in its flights helps to reinforce its image that it gets passengers to their destinations when they want to get there ,on time , at the lowest possible fares .By not assigning seats ,Southwest can turn the airplanes quicker at the gate. If an airplane can be turned quicker, more routes can be flown each day .That generates more revenue , so that Southwest can offer lower fares .…

    • 532 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays