Wright Amendment compromise, part 2: Southwest-American collusion?

Since making my initial post about the Wright Amendment compromise at Love Field, the ugly word “collusion” has started filtering through my mind.

Given that the Hobby-Bush duo of airports in Houston actually is not hugely cheaper than D/FW Airport currently is for the area outside Wright, and that Southwest accepted lowball compromises on how much landing fees will go up at Love (after things such as trying to get Boeing Field reopened in Seattle because it thought Sea-Tac’s landing fees were too high, and complaining vociferously about fees at DIA in Denver), the number of gates it will have and that will be open for all airlines at Love, and the eight-year weight on eliminating the Wright Amendment flight area restrictions that have been at the heart of the debate, I had to wonder — is Southwest getting something in return that’s not being publicized?

Hey, Southwest propagandizing and myth-making aside, it’s a business like any other. If American deals it some cards under the table, it’s not going to complain.