Randy's Journal: Archives

22 April 2005

Rapid rewards

There's a great piece out this month in Air Transport World, if you get a chance to see it.

It's essentially a profile of Southwest Airlines and its CEO, Gary Kelly.

What really caught my attention is a section talking about SWA's focus on non-stop flights.

Approximately 80% of SWA passengers are on nonstop flights, with perhaps 14% connecting and 6% through. "We focus on nonstop traffic," Kelly states. "We'd prefer fewer connections. It's what customers want least. It raises the bar. It is extra work for no more money. It's a lot cheaper for us to fly you nonstop."

Kelly really hits two key points on the head here: non-stops are what passengers prefer, and they're the best economics for airlines.