Southwest Airlines warns it may cut jobs without jump in travel

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

CHICAGO/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Southwest Airlines Chief Executive Gary Kelly told employees on Monday it needs a dramatic jump in passenger demand or it will be forced to take new steps to reduce staffing.

Employees face a Wednesday deadline whether to participate in a voluntary incentive program to leave the airline.

"Although furloughs and layoffs remain our very last resort, we can’t rule them out as a possibility obviously in this very bad environment," Kelly said in a message to employees. "We need a significant recovery by the end of this year — and that’s roughly triple the number of passengers from where we are today."

Kelly added that the "recent rise in COVID cases and increasing regional restrictions on businesses and states requiring quarantine aren’t positive developments for our business, and we are concerned about the impact on already weak travel demand."

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/southwest-airlines-warns-it-may-need-job-cuts-without-jump-in-travel/ar-BB16Gjhz?li=BBnbfcN&ocid=DELLDHP

[NCjack]

1. Free airline tickets for every American to take a summer vacation -- Yea!!!

[Wounded Bear]

2. Just like Televangelists...

send my your retirement checks or I'll have to go off the air.

[Quemado]

3. If Southwest Airlines took federal assistance, they can't cut jobs until October 1.

The terms of the stimulus package prohibit airlines from involuntarily separating employees before October 1.

[Initech]

4. Yeah who wants to take that risk right now?

I love traveling and I had to cancel 3 trips this year, no way am I setting foot in an airport right now.

[frazzled]

5. I don't know that air travel will ever fully return to previous levels

Now that companies are discovering that many business meetings can be done just as easily and effectively on Zoom or similar platforms, and a zillion times more cheaply, I doubt that business travel will return to its former levels. And business travel is the heart and soul of the airline industry. Some business will still require travel, but I think it will be reduced overall.

Individual travel for pleasure or family, of course, will rebound ... some day. But more people may be willing to travel domestically by other means for some time.

[Dem2theMax]

6. Sorry Southwest. I'm not volunteering.

Sheltering in place for the foreseeable future.

[Sherman A1]

7. Same here

Not getting on any airplane

[JCMach1]

8. Read, all that sweet government largess is running out...

[Skittles]

9. how is that going to happen with the travel restrictions?

who is gong to fly somewhere and then have to isolate for 14 days?