DL accepts new HGW 333; Bastian talks Asia partners, strategy

[WorldTraveler]

A group of DL employees (Chairman's club members) accepted delivery of its first new order Airbus in decades, the new highest gross weight 333.

It is noteworthy that DL chose to retain NW in the N numbers for the new build aircraft.

http://www.airbus.com/newsevents/news-events-single/detail/first-242-tonne-a330-300-is-delivered-to-delta-air-lines/

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/delta-employees-delivery-airbus-a330-163000603.html

President Ed Bastian also talked about DL's growth in Asia and says DL is seeking new partners that could help increase its presence in Asia.

perhaps a rearrangement of alliances in Asia?

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/delta-air-lines-says-seeks-162051182.html

 

[topDawg]

A group of DL employees (Chairman's club members) accepted delivery of its first new order Airbus in decades, the new highest gross weight 333.

It is noteworthy that DL chose to retain NW in the N numbers for the new build aircraft.

no need to change the N number. Makes the fleet more uniform

Little buses will be NxxxDx however. (I think most of them will be NxxxDNs)

President Ed Bastian also talked about DL's growth in Asia and says DL is seeking new partners that could help increase its presence in Asia.

perhaps a rearrangement of alliances in Asia?

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/delta-air-lines-says-seeks-162051182.html

not completely true. It was a message to KE, much like the message sent from KE to DL not to long ago.
Ed even brought up KE.

your wet dream of getting someone to leave AA isn't going to happen.

 

[WorldTraveler]

who said I was looking for DL to steal any carrier from any alliance? but it would be a stretch to think that every carrier in every alliance is happy with everything they have.

and Bastian didn't say what he said even if it was targeted at KE if he didn't think DL had options it could use.

DL would like to have a JV with KE but they aren't going to wait around or sacrifice DL's long-term future if KE doesn't want to play.

meanwhile, the SEA-ICN route starts with a 333 in a couple days.... DL apparently has no problem filling seats to ICN and DL does codeshare on KE beyond ICN so there is plenty of opportunity to fill seats.

 

[topDawg]

who said I was looking for DL to steal any carrier from any alliance? but it would be a stretch to think that every carrier in every alliance is happy with everything they have.

lol whatever you say.
 

and Bastian didn't say what he said even if it was targeted at KE if he didn't think DL had options it could use.

Delta doesn't have options. 
Again, as badly as you want it to happen, JL or ANA aren't leaving. China isn't going to have a open skies with the US probably in our life times. That leaves.....
 
KE 
 
or uhh..... uhhhh..... CI is about the only one I can think of that isn't just completely bat s&%t crazy. 
 

DL would like to have a JV with KE but they aren't going to wait around or sacrifice DL's long-term future if KE doesn't want to play.

its never a one sided thing. DL will get a JV with KE. give it time. 
 

meanwhile, the SEA-ICN route starts with a 333 in a couple days.... DL apparently has no problem filling seats to ICN and DL does codeshare on KE beyond ICN so there is plenty of opportunity to fill seats.

goes back to the 767 in SEP

 

[topDawg]

I forgot to add
 
The bird comes to ATL but up to MSP after for indoc and mods. First time that a new aircraft has had indocs in MSP. 

 

[FrugalFlyerv2.0]

 but it would be a stretch to think that every carrier in every alliance is happy with everything they have.
 

 
Of all the alliances out there - (*, 1-world, skyteam) - I for a long time thought that the Asian carriers in * alliance would be the unhappiest bunch of them (TG vs SQ, NH vs OZ, CA vs BR) ... ... ...

 

[WorldTraveler]

bingo, Frugal.

DL probably stands more of a chance of getting defectors from Star than from oneworld.

DL is not just a Japan and Korea airline.

and China might or might not sign an Open Skies agreement with the US but China of all countries is the last one that I would make sweeping predictions that go decades out into the future; I intend to be around a good long time.

and several SEA-Asia routes are going to 767s as DL is apparently heavily putting the 332 into Japan after Labor Day. not sure where the 744s will fly but the dollar continues to strengthen relative to the yen even since DL made winter adjustments to Japan capacity which argues that there is probably still too much industry capacity in the US-Japan market, esp. the beach markets.

 

[topDawg]

DL is not just a Japan and Korea airline.

but again, when you look at having an alliance in Asia you look at the logical places and airlines. I mean i guess they could team but with TG or SQ but having a hub at SIN or BKK would be completely useless to Delta.
It will be KE.

and China might or might not sign an Open Skies agreement with the US but China of all countries is the last one that I would make sweeping predictions that go decades out into the future; I intend to be around a good long time.

they wont even let their own carriers fly the same routes.
Open skies isn't in the cards.

and several SEA-Asia routes are going to 767s as DL is apparently heavily putting the 332 into Japan after Labor Day. not sure where the 744s will fly but the dollar continues to strengthen relative to the yen even since DL made winter adjustments to Japan capacity which argues that there is probably still too much industry capacity in the US-Japan market, esp. the beach markets.

the 744s will fly to MZJ or maybe VCV...... (and one is staying in ATL)

 

[WorldTraveler]

is the entire 744 fleet being grounded? nothing has been said.

 

[topDawg]

is the entire 744 fleet being grounded? nothing has been said.

4-5 airplanes are going bye bye. 
 
the 777 from MSP-NRT is going to replace the 744 on DTW-PVG. The 332 is going to replace the 744 on a few of the DTW-NRT flights (3w i think) KIX-HNL is going 767 and NRT-HNL is going all 767. 

 

[WorldTraveler]

that was the same schedule that has been around for quite some time.

there will still be 7 or so 744s left this winter.

 

[FrugalFlyerv2.0]

... ... ... speaking of DL's 744 fleet, what routes are they still using them from DTW? 
I was passing through there a couple weeks ago (North terminal, sadly) and saw what I thought was more than the unusual # of 744s there in the late afternoon (~5 pm, 1 was at the hanger next to the old Berry Terminal , 1 taxied by for take-off, and there were still a couple (2 maybe 3) parked at the DL gates/McNamara terminal).  I know it's off topic, but I figured I'd give it a shot and just ask instead of doing the research myself ... ... ...

 

[topDawg]

... ... ... speaking of DL's 744 fleet, what routes are they still using them from DTW? 
I was passing through there a couple weeks ago (North terminal, sadly) and saw what I thought was more than the unusual # of 744s there in the late afternoon (~5 pm, 1 was at the hanger next to the old Berry Terminal , 1 taxied by for take-off, and there were still a couple (2 maybe 3) parked at the DL gates/McNamara terminal).  I know it's off topic, but I figured I'd give it a shot and just ask instead of doing the research myself ... ... ...

For the summer
DTW-ICN
DTW-PVG
DTW-NRT-MNL
DTW-CDG
DTW-AMS
ATL-AMS
ATL-HNL-NRT
KIX-NRT
 

that was the same schedule that has been around for quite some time.

there will still be 7 or so 744s left this winter.

8 is the plan 
but what i am saying is they are sending the 332 to japan because of the 4-5 that are going away. 

 

[WorldTraveler]

I'm more interested in where the 744 will be in the winter.

and the 744 would be in Japan if the yen hadn't tanked as bad as it has... but it is helping Japanese manufacturing exports.

 

[topDawg]

I'm more interested in where the 744 will be in the winter.

and the 744 would be in Japan if the yen hadn't tanked as bad as it has... but it is helping Japanese manufacturing exports.

maybe. 
 
right now its just 4w DTW-NRT-MNL and daily DTW-ICN 
That only means 5 frames so something else will be added or the 744s will be doing a lot of charters. (its also safe to assume 1 will be in a hangar in Asia for some kind of work.)