Southwest CEO Likes Airline’s Position Even As It Faces More Competition Than Ever


Skift Take

Kelly believes Southwest can remain competitive and relevant by keeping fares low and while providing outstanding service. That certainly is a differentiator from Spirit and Frontier, but JetBlue and Southwest are humming similar tunes.

Southwest isn't going to boost its capacity outlook based on the drop in oil prices and CEO Gary Kelly believes the carrier has the flexibility to react if the U.S. economy goes into a swoon. "It’s almost like we’re living at a different dimension here at Southwest," said Kelly, speaking during Southwest's fourth quarter and full-year 2015 earnings call Thursday, "and from what I've heard from some of our competitor reports too. So our business continues to be strong, but I will quickly admit that there are concerning headlines around the world. So then you translate this to oil prices and living in