7 News Belize

Can United & southwest Co-exist in Houston?
posted (December 22, 2014)
But, while United Airlines is breaking ground, a competitor is muscling into one of their two major hubs - the city of Houston, Texas. As we told you Southwest Airlines, another major US air carrier, announced that it will begin non-stop service from Houston's Hobby airport to Belize starting October 2015.

That's important because Southwest Airlines is a discount carrier, and industry observers say that it will drive down the prices of air fare.

Here's what it means for United and its long established relationship with Houston:..

Indira Craig - Country Manager, United Airlines
"I think just by virtue of hearing that there is another airline coming into your market and that's going to be cater to your demographic, I think initially it put some scare in people or to at least have it seem as if though it's going to be a bad thing. I think that for them, its stimulation of the market and so I dint necessarily see it as a bad thing. We have a 10% rate of overlapping. What they do in terms of their destination is very different from what we do and I think if you look at the fact that likewise we are an international carrier and we cater globally, we fly globally, where they fly primarily within the US you will realize that in as much as it's something to keep an eye on, for us, we are in New York, we are now in Chicago - we are global."

Daniel Ortiz
"But there that element that, their package, that discount flight that are offering that could affect in terms of numbers - persons will look to it as a viable option since it's cheap."

Indira Craig
"Market stimulation is never a bad thing."

In addition to that flight to Belize, Southwest will start service to Costa Rica, and 4 other major cities in Mexico, namely, Mexico City, Cancun, Puerto Vallarta and Los Cabos.

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