As a truck driver, I may be a bit rusty on the ABCs of commercial aviation, but I do know quite a bit about transportation in general. Airlines do rise and fall. Some birds re-emerge. Some are reincarnated but not always successfully. Some merge with others to keep afloat. The primary way that an carrier remains successful is if they maintain a steady flow of passengers and /goods to be transported from point A to point B. This also includes ensuring a safe and timely trip. The other important thing is that the carrier be wise when managing expenses(this includes maintaining a fleet, fuel expenses, and labor. Both Frontier and Southwest have been pretty good at this. However, the current recession has made things difficult for everyone and Frontier has had a bit of a hard time riding out the storm. Personally, the main reason I believe that Southwest is still on solid ground is because they've been around a long time and know how to handle bumpy roads.
On a side note, I thought a bit about 'no frills airlines' and the southwest effect. Many airlines have modeled off Southwest airlines and many of them have been successful. It seems that some of the more well known airlines influenced by SWA have ultimately become a part of SWA either by alliance or acquisition.
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