Web: www.fishfoto.com -- E-Mail: fish@flyingwithfish.com
11/07/2008-The Weekly Round Up : Watching The World Go By; The 'New' FareCompare; 12 CEOs Send Out An 'Open Letter'; Southwest & WestJet Team Up; Etc
This week has been an interesting week for industry news, with the CEOs of 12 major U.S. Airlines signing a single 'Open Letter" to all airline customers and US low cost carrier Southwest Airlines and Canadian low cost carrier WestJet announcing their international code-share agreement plan. From a consumer stand point , this week also saw the launch of some new FareCompare tools that make the economic decisions in choosing flights clearer to understand.
.......so here we go, The Weekly Round Up!
We kicked off this week on a flight that left San Francisco on the 4th of July and landed in Philadelphia on the 5th of July. I seem to miss the Independence Day fireworks more often than I'd like. Sometimes I see them from the sky on departure, sometimes on arrival, and this year all I saw was dense fog. I often this of home, and my time away from my kids on overnight flights, it's bed time and rather than saying goodnight I'm taking off. So on my red-eye flight this past Friday I sat down in Seat 22A, on United Flight 188, and wrote this entry: 5/07/2008 - Watching The World Go By
My coverage of the business of travel began with my review of FareComare's new tools for booking travel. In the past I had used FareCompare as 'base tool,' never relying much on the actual costs I was being shown. FareCompare's new tools, and access to booking engines, is quite accurate from what I have seen and is quite powerful. The potential booking options are fantastic and are not to be overlooked. If you'd like to read more about FareCompare's new and improved site click here: 9/07/2008 - FareCompare Updates Travel Tools
The first 'big news' of the week I chose to write about was an 'Open Letter To All Airline Customers,' that was sent out by 12 major U.S. airlines and signed by all 12 airline CEOs. Airlines argue about nearly everything, airlines argue externally, they argue internally and in some cases they argue with their customers......so when I stopped and read the e-mail and saw 12 separate CEOs signatures I had to stop and read the content. The airlines have banded together to try and address the critical issue of the rising cost of fuel, and the over inflated cost of crude-oil. To find out these 12 airline CEOs banded together to say, check out this post: 9/07/2008 - Open Letter From 12 Major U.S. Airlines To All Airline Customers
The second 'big news' of the week I dove into was the code-share agreement announcement by Southwest Airlines and WestJet. Southwest Airlines is, and has been, purely a US domestic airlines, while WestJet is heavily focused on Canadian domestic routes, and routes to warmer, popular, destination routes frequented by Canadians (and one business routes to Newark Liberty Int'l Airport - EWR). These two airlines compliment each other in many ways and I very much look forward to flying their code-shared routes! To find out more on why I think Southwest and WestJet compliment each other so well, check here: 11/07/2008 – Southwest Airlines & WestJet Forge Code-Share Agreement : Is There A More Perfect Match For Two Airlines?
This week I officially launched 'The Travel Strategist." Although I have been contacted by a number of journalists who cover business, airlines and travel, and written up in international business journals such as 'Arabian Business,' the write up that made me smile the most was the one on AeroChannel.com. I have been following AeroChannel's growth over the last few months and love the services they offer their readers. To be recognized by a site that believe will take off, and really streamline much of the pre-flght logistics checks, was something that I really enjoyed. You can read what AeroChannel said about 'The Travel Strategist' here: 11/07/2008 – Flying With Fish 'Offshoot' The Travel Strategist Featured On AeroChannel.com
.........'The Great Mountainsmith Bag Give Away From Flying With Fish' deadline is almost here! Your entries must be in by the 14th of July at 12:midnight eastern-time (GMT -5)! To learn more about how you can win one of three great Mountainsmith bags for your travels check this entry out: 10/07/2008 - Mountainsmith Bag Giveaway Deadline Is Rapidly Approaching!!!
Like last week, I will be rounding up my 'Weekly Round Up' with the reminder that there are still seats available or the No Jet Lag Photo Workshops. Both the Europe Workshop and the Round The World Workshop are designed to push the participants to the edge of what they think they are capable of handling as both photographers and travelers. There are whole new sets of skills awaiting you. Sign up now and Come Fly With Fish! For more info visit: www.comeflywithfish.com
Happy Flying!
Showing posts with label southwest westjet code share. Show all posts
Showing posts with label southwest westjet code share. Show all posts
11 July 2008
Southwest Airlines & WestJet Forge Code-Share Agreement : Is There A More Perfect Match For Two Airlines?
Web: www.fishfoto.com -- E-Mail: fish@flyingwithfish.com
11/07/2008 – Southwest Airlines & WestJet Forge Code-Share Agreement : Is There A More Perfect Match For Two Airlines?
Earlier this week two airlines I am fond of, that serve largely the same client base, came together to announce their intentions of forming a code-share agreement. One airline is a U.S. domestic airline that does not fly outside it's U.S. boarders, the other is the second largest airline in Canada that services Canada from coast-to-coast and popular US, Mexico and the Caribbean.
These two airlines are Southwest Airlines (WN) in the United States and WestJet (M3) in Canada. If I scoured the list of airlines that could compliment each other in a more fitting manner I'd be hard pressed to do so.
Southwest Airlines is the largest no-frills airline in the United States. Southwest Airlines flies an all Boeing 737 fleet. Southwest Airlines prides its self on its corporate culture of keeping their employees involved and empowering their employees to do what they need to do in order to make customer service a top priority.
WestJet was founded in 1996,and based heavily on Southwest Airlines' success and business model. Like Southwest Airlines, WestJet flies an all Boeing 737 fleet. West has a similar corporate culture to Southwest Airlines with more than three-quarters of the company stock being owned by its employees.
What does this code-share agreement offer flyers once it comes online? It will offer WestJet passengers access to U.S. domestic routes through Southwest Airlines focus cities such as Las Vegas (LAS), Phoenix (PHX), Los Angeles (LAX), Orlando (MCO), Fort Lauderdale (FLL)and Tampa Bay (TPA). Previously, WestJet passengers would fly other airlines to enter the US to avoid purchasing two separate tickets, and not being able to 'interline' baggage on flights.
What are the benefits to Southwest Airlines passengers? Oddly enough, it will give Southwest Airlines passengers access to not only Canada, but also other destinations such as Kona (KOA), Maui (OGG) and Honolulu (HNL). It is always fun flying internationally just to make a domestic connection. I am eager to see how Southwest Airlines and WestJet make this work.
Passengers should be able to fly through Southwest Airlines' hub in Las Vegas, to connect to a quick flight up to Vancouver, and then out to Hawaii. In reality this type of flying is not that much longer than other potential connection options, for flyers (like me) who must make connections to fly anywhere.
When two airlines so closely match each other in corporate culture, services offer, same aircraft type, with a very similar customer base it seems like a perfect match that was just waiting to happen.
I am excited for this code-share agreement and can't wait to test it out in the future!
Below is a photo I shot of a Southwest Airlines 737 with a WestJet 737......yes they are both toy planes I happen to have sitting on a shelf in my living room (they are my kids toy planes......I swear)
Happy Flying!
--Click Image Below To Enlarge It--
11/07/2008 – Southwest Airlines & WestJet Forge Code-Share Agreement : Is There A More Perfect Match For Two Airlines?
Earlier this week two airlines I am fond of, that serve largely the same client base, came together to announce their intentions of forming a code-share agreement. One airline is a U.S. domestic airline that does not fly outside it's U.S. boarders, the other is the second largest airline in Canada that services Canada from coast-to-coast and popular US, Mexico and the Caribbean.
These two airlines are Southwest Airlines (WN) in the United States and WestJet (M3) in Canada. If I scoured the list of airlines that could compliment each other in a more fitting manner I'd be hard pressed to do so.
Southwest Airlines is the largest no-frills airline in the United States. Southwest Airlines flies an all Boeing 737 fleet. Southwest Airlines prides its self on its corporate culture of keeping their employees involved and empowering their employees to do what they need to do in order to make customer service a top priority.
WestJet was founded in 1996,and based heavily on Southwest Airlines' success and business model. Like Southwest Airlines, WestJet flies an all Boeing 737 fleet. West has a similar corporate culture to Southwest Airlines with more than three-quarters of the company stock being owned by its employees.
What does this code-share agreement offer flyers once it comes online? It will offer WestJet passengers access to U.S. domestic routes through Southwest Airlines focus cities such as Las Vegas (LAS), Phoenix (PHX), Los Angeles (LAX), Orlando (MCO), Fort Lauderdale (FLL)and Tampa Bay (TPA). Previously, WestJet passengers would fly other airlines to enter the US to avoid purchasing two separate tickets, and not being able to 'interline' baggage on flights.
What are the benefits to Southwest Airlines passengers? Oddly enough, it will give Southwest Airlines passengers access to not only Canada, but also other destinations such as Kona (KOA), Maui (OGG) and Honolulu (HNL). It is always fun flying internationally just to make a domestic connection. I am eager to see how Southwest Airlines and WestJet make this work.
Passengers should be able to fly through Southwest Airlines' hub in Las Vegas, to connect to a quick flight up to Vancouver, and then out to Hawaii. In reality this type of flying is not that much longer than other potential connection options, for flyers (like me) who must make connections to fly anywhere.
When two airlines so closely match each other in corporate culture, services offer, same aircraft type, with a very similar customer base it seems like a perfect match that was just waiting to happen.
I am excited for this code-share agreement and can't wait to test it out in the future!
Below is a photo I shot of a Southwest Airlines 737 with a WestJet 737......yes they are both toy planes I happen to have sitting on a shelf in my living room (they are my kids toy planes......I swear)
Happy Flying!
--Click Image Below To Enlarge It--
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
