Brian,
My comment, "Who does this guy think he is, anyway?" was meant to go together with my previous comment that I doubt that my feedback would carry much weight. In other words, I was talking about what SWA and its readers might think about me, not what I think about Dave Ridley. I was trying to make the point that I am merely a party of one, and that you have countless people providing you with feedback. Thus, the comment about myself. In other words, "Who does this guy think he is going on and on about this issue?" Just thought I would share some heartfelt opinions from a longtime, loyal SWA customer.
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Let me begin by saying that I have been totally in LUV with SWA for well over a decade. I talk you up to all my family and friends, and simply cannot understand why they – or anyone else, for that matter – would fly any other domestic airline. I currently have over 330 Rapid Rewards credits over the last two years (a combination of many flights, two credit cards, and making liberal use of SWA’s car and hotel partners), am an A-List member, and annually earn a Companion Pass. Not bragging, just expressing my long-standing appreciation for SWA. At the same time, I’m setting the stage for my post on this blog. First, quotes from the first and last posts at the time I read the blog, which apparently are from SWA employees:
“So, on to the next pressing issue… what will it cost to connect?. We don’t have an answer to that quite yet. We’re still testing a variety of price points on the four aircraft that currently have wi-fi. We’ll have a decision on price in the second quarter of 2010—rest assured that, just like our fares, it will be a great value. You can count on it!”
“And thanks for the feedback on pricing. Almost everything suggested is in our pipeline for consideration. But wherever we end up, you can count on one thing for sure - the pricing will be consistent with the great value you always get flying SWA.”
I have to say I am not confident that SWA’s Wi-Fi pricing will be a “great value.” Not if my only experience of the test planes was any indication. It was on a very short – what, maybe and hour in the air? – flight from Boise to Reno. The cost was something like $12. Of course, out of those fifty minutes in the air, I would have only been able to log on for about thirty minutes (above 10k feet). My first thought was, “What? $12 for this? No thanks, SWA.”
However, that price point was consistent with the direction SWA seems to be going with many of its prices, especially its fares. I never dreamed I’d see round trip fares nearing $1,000 on SWA. I never thought I’d see anything much over about $500. I still get my share of “cheap” fares, but way too often I have had to swallow hard and pay several hundred dollars more than I remember having to pay any time before the last year or two.
I’m not really sure how I’d like to see the Wi-Fi priced, probably a buck or two added to my ticket. Of course, how would we ever know that way how much we’re really paying? Like the “no hidden fees,” and “bags fly free,” c’mon, we all know that bags don’t “fly free” on any airline. Maybe that’s where the recent inordinately high fares on SWA are making up for the bags and other “non-hidden” fees.
I’ll close by saying much of what I said at the beginning, that is, I remain a SWA junkie, and have no immediate plans to start flying another airline. But there are others out there, SWA, and I just hope you take stock of your loyal, longtime customers’ thoughts and resist the temptation to go down the path that all the loser airlines have taken and gouge your customers the same way. I think you have a real opportunity with your Wi-Fi decisions. I’m not about to think that my feedback will carry that much weight (“Who does this guy think he is , anyway?”), but I doubt that I am alone in noticing the direction you’re going. I say, “Keep up the great work,” but don’t forget those of us who helped you get where you are today, and have remained as loyal as we have because of the LUV you have always shown us.
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