Waiting for late Nov/Dec Southwest tickets?

[SStJean]

Originally posted by sorchamac
And you know, I sleep better knowing my reservations are with one of the few airlines actually making a profit, rather than those close to Chapter 11.

Sorcha

I just wanted to add a bit of information to the discussion.
-- Steve

"Based on our current revenue and cost outlook and barring any unforeseen event, we expect third-quarter 2004 earnings to exceed third- quarter 2003 earnings of $106 million," Chief Executive Jim Parker said in a statement. (CNNMoney)

Southwest's profit stood in remarkable contrast to continuing losses at other major U.S. carriers. United Airlines is in bankruptcy, Delta Air Lines Inc. is fighting to avoid the same fate and other carriers are struggling with higher fuel costs and competition from low-cost carriers who are flooding the market with cheap fares. (David Koenig - Associated Press)

Yearend results for 2003 marked Southwest's 31st consecutive year of profitability. Southwest became a major airline in 1989 when it exceeded the billion-dollar revenue mark. (Southwest.com)

Southwest Airlines is a member of the FORTUNE 500. (Southwest.com)

Southwest has ranked number one in fewest Customer complaints for the last 13 consecutive years as published in the Department of Transportation's Air Travel Consumer Report. (Southwest.com)

For the eighth year in a row, FORTUNE magazine recognized Southwest Airlines in its annual survey of corporate reputations. (Southwest.com)

Among airlines, Southwest came out on top as the most admired airline in the world for 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2003. Among all industries in 2003, FORTUNE has listed Southwest Airlines as number two among America’s Top Ten most admired corporations. (Southwest.com)

The Economist Intelligence Unit honored Southwest Airlines at its "2002 Global Corporate Achievement Awards." The airline was recognized for its excellent financial strategy and its ability to adapt to change successfully in the face of strategic and operational challenges. The ranking is based on revenue growth, net earnings, market capitalization, earnings per share, and return on shareholders' equity. (Southwest.com)

 

[sorchamac]

Originally posted by SStJean
I just wanted to add a bit of information to the discussion.
-- Steve

"
Among all industries in 2003, FORTUNE has listed Southwest Airlines as number two among America’s Top Ten most admired corporations. (Southwest.com)

I wonder what number one was? I'm doubting that it's Disney

Sorcha

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Originally posted by sorchamac
I wonder what number one was? I'm doubting that it's Disney

Sorcha

I wonder, also, what number 1 is, would not surprised to find it to be WalMart. I will have to look that one up.

 

[sorchamac]

Originally posted by GAIL HAYDEN
I wonder, also, what number 1 is, would not surprised to find it to be WalMart. I will have to look that one up.

It took me a while to find it on a place for FREE (Fortune insisted I pay them $4.95 to read their list, but here is the Top Ten most admired companies:

1. Wal-Mart
2. Southwest Airlines
3. Berkshire Hathaway
4. Dell Computer
5. General Electric
6. Johnson & Johnson
7. Microsoft
8. FedEx
9. Starbucks
10.Procter & Gamble


I AM surprised that it's Wal_mart. I am one of the Wal-Mart haters. I try to stay out of there as much as possible. I hate how they treat their employees, and even more, much more, I hate how they have driven every one else out of business (think about it - just here in CT we've lost Caldors, Bradlees, Ames, KMart, and countless smaller stores). Sometimes I am forced to go to Wal-Mart because there is no where else to buy the thing I need. I acutally try to buy on Ebay as much as possible - the ultimate venue for small businesses and at home businesses!

I know I should know this, but who is Berkshire Hathaway? I've heard of them but I don't know what business they are in? Actually the only companies I would agree with on that list is SWA (although I haven't actually flown them yet, I like their policies for refunds, etc), FedEx, and Dell, although Dell is sometimes questionable. Ebay would probably be my personal top favorite.

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Originally posted by sorchamac
It took me a while to find it on a place for FREE (Fortune insisted I pay them $4.95 to read their list, but here is the Top Ten most admired companies:

1. Wal-Mart
2. Southwest Airlines
3. Berkshire Hathaway
4. Dell Computer
5. General Electric
6. Johnson & Johnson
7. Microsoft
8. FedEx
9. Starbucks
10.Procter & Gamble


I AM surprised that it's Wal_mart. I am one of the Wal-Mart haters. I try to stay out of there as much as possible. I hate how they treat their employees, and even more, much more, I hate how they have driven every one else out of business (think about it - just here in CT we've lost Caldors, Bradlees, Ames, KMart, and countless smaller stores). Sometimes I am forced to go to Wal-Mart because there is no where else to buy the thing I need. I acutally try to buy on Ebay as much as possible - the ultimate venue for small businesses and at home businesses!

I know I should know this, but who is Berkshire Hathaway? I've heard of them but I don't know what business they are in? Actually the only companies I would agree with on that list is SWA (although I haven't actually flown them yet, I like their policies for refunds, etc), FedEx, and Dell, although Dell is sometimes questionable. Ebay would probably be my personal top favorite.

Sort of OT, but, WalMart did not drive Caldors, Bradless or KMart out of business. Bradless was in trouble LONG before WalMart came to town, same with Caldors and KMart.
They treat their employees quite well, how do I know this? I was a manager (salaried) for WalMart. If you want to hate how employees are treated aim that at Stop and Shop or Shaw's.

Anyway, I think SWA should be number 1, but, 2 is not too shabby.

Thank you for finding this list!!!!

 

[Dan Murfman]

I know I should know this, but who is Berkshire Hathaway?

It's Warren Buffets company

 

[sorchamac]

Originally posted by GAIL HAYDEN
Sort of OT, but, WalMart did not drive Caldors, Bradless or KMart out of business. Bradless was in trouble LONG before WalMart came to town, same with Caldors and KMart.
They treat their employees quite well, how do I know this? I was a manager (salaried) for WalMart. If you want to hate how employees are treated aim that at Stop and Shop or Shaw's.

Just because Wal-mart was slow to come to CT doesn't mean that it didn't influence the downfall of all the corporations of Bradless etc. in other states, thus leading to the store closings here.

I stood in Wal-Mart last winter and saw a cash register manager tell the cashier that she couldn't have a bottle of WATER under her register to drink during her shift. She was getting over a cold and her doctor had told her to make sure she drank plenty of water. She was told she would have to get a note from her doctor to drink WATER during her shift. If that was me I would have walked out that minute, but the poor girl probably needed her lousy low paying thankless job. This struck me particularly hard because I am a big advocate of drinking lots of water. In the winter the air and heat is so dry that you need to drink lots of water, even as much as you do in the summer. I found this intolerable. You could say that if she was sick she stood have stayed home, but she likely didn't get any paid sick time! Wal-Mart does the absolute minimum in terms of benefits for their employees, often keeping them at just below the full time schedule so they don't have to buy them health insurance. Yes, Stop and Shop does similar things, but they don't exist to drive all their competitors into the ground.

Now that Ikea is in town maybe it will force some of the other stores to offer more benefits. Ikea offers benefits for jobs over 20 hours.

Okay, I'm done ranting. This is way OT but I had to say it.


Sorcgha

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Originally posted by sorchamac
Just because Wal-mart was slow to come to CT doesn't mean that it didn't influence the downfall of all the corporations of Bradless etc. in other states, thus leading to the store closings here.

I stood in Wal-Mart last winter and saw a cash register manager tell the cashier that she couldn't have a bottle of WATER under her register to drink during her shift. She was getting over a cold and her doctor had told her to make sure she drank plenty of water. She was told she would have to get a note from her doctor to drink WATER during her shift. If that was me I would have walked out that minute, but the poor girl probably needed her lousy low paying thankless job. This struck me particularly hard because I am a big advocate of drinking lots of water. In the winter the air and heat is so dry that you need to drink lots of water, even as much as you do in the summer. I found this intolerable. You could say that if she was sick she stood have stayed home, but she likely didn't get any paid sick time! Wal-Mart does the absolute minimum in terms of benefits for their employees, often keeping them at just below the full time schedule so they don't have to buy them health insurance. Yes, Stop and Shop does similar things, but they don't exist to drive all their competitors into the ground.

Now that Ikea is in town maybe it will force some of the other stores to offer more benefits. Ikea offers benefits for jobs over 20 hours.

Okay, I'm done ranting. This is way OT but I had to say it.

Sorcgha

Bradless had been losing money for a full 12 years before WalMart ever made it to a state they were doing business in. They were not a national chain.
Caldors a good ten years before WalMart ever made it to a state where they did business, again, not a national chain.
WalMart's policies are gone over with every new employee and they sign saying they understand. Water is NOT allowed because if you spill it it will bring the cash register down. They do make allowances with a doctor's note.
You do accrue sick time and vacation time and benefits are paid to anyone that works over 32 hours a week.
As I said, I did work for them and before I was salaried I was an hourly associate. I understood the rules and complied by them.
I also worked for Stop and Shop for a very brief time, they were absolutely terrible to work for.
Unless you have worked for a company it is difficult to state what goes on there. I did work for WM and SS and I have NO problems telling you that if I HAD to work for one or the other WM would be the one I would select. A lot depends on the store and the management.
The one in Hamden is the pits, the Shelton store should have been closed long ago. I love the Derby store and think the Naugatuck store is ok. I have worked in all of them.

 

[Geoff_M]

Ames

Again, their problems pre-date any assualt by Wal-Mart. When they were around here the stores were awful to shop in. They then effectively committed corporate suicide in the Midwest by buying the only chain that was WORSE then they were: Zayres. To walk into a Zayres in the time that Ames bought them in 1988 was like walking into a Big Lots that hadn't straightened their shelves and aisles in a couple of weeks. Ames took a big financial hit and it was all downhill for Ames until they filed for Chapter 11... the first time. Within a couple of years, all the ex-Zayres locations were shuttered and the originial Ames locations in the area were next.

If that weren't enough of a lesson, Ames self-inflicted its fatal wound in 1998 by buying Hill's Department Stores (and assuming their debt) in a move that was deja-vu all over again. That move dominoed into a second Chapter 11.... one that they never emerged from.

 

[Love Tigger]

Back on topic...

Originally booked my tickets on 07/15. Checked the prices today and SW had come out with and Internet Special. Saved $25 on each ticket.