Besides, you chided me for a smart alec comment I made to you about your desire to see whatever Parker does with rose-colored glasses but you're not above taking swipes at those who disagree with your desires...
Jim
true dat...glad someone else sees it. wings and I would probably have gotten along a whole better if he was willing to admit that maybe the plans he supports aren't as ironclad as he thinks.
And Jim I simply correct the erroneous statements you have made...
Boys,this is getting out of hand. Everybody has an opinion and others are 180 degrees opposed to what others post. My feeling is that delta wants airways to just go away so they can own the southeast and delta has felt this way for years. Delta has made some bold moves I.E. ordering 100 boeing 737-900ER's and yet ordering many used MD-90's and the latest move of acquiring 88 717's, a bit of the new and the old. Good moves in my opinion, newer models of well built MD products that should be around for years. Airways has been primarily focused on merging the past few years and has fallen behind in seeking new markets and expanding their widebody fleet. No Asia service and not trying to build a market in some cities in Europe before pulling the plug. If airways could follow delta's lead and buy some used 767-300ER's to shore up the widebody fleet,perhaps some new cities in Europe could be added to their route map.
I also don't see how the slot swap will equal what they gave delta for the slots in DCA, and they are using most of them for RJ's. Airways wasted those LGA slots with 35 seat dash's clogging up the air lanes and not seizing to gain market share in the largest city in the country. Time will tell what will happen with delta and airways and who made the best decisions and who will grow and who will not.
now there is a refreshingly honest statement.....
I don't expect US to follow anyone's lead.. but it would be nice solely for fans on both sides to recognize that the other just MIGHT have done something right.
I have acknowledged MANY times that US has indeed turned the company around and figured out how to work w/ what they have... very rarely if ever has Jim or wings acknowledged that DL has done a few things right - let alone some major strategic initiatives that have the potential to reshape the industry.
Whether DL wants US to "go away" or not, I don't know - but far too few people appreciate how competitive the airline industry is.
DL has had an archrival or two in the SE for most if not all of DL's existence. For years it was Eastern in ATL. When Eastern melted down in labor turmoil, DL jumped quickly in and filled the gap.
DL didn't pay a whole lot of attention to Piedmont because EA was a larger competitor. AirTran moved into ATL and now that DL and WN seem to be replicating the same peaceful coexistence in ATL they have had elsewhere, DL's focus is once again turning to US who most duplicates DL's network.
Add in that US has designs on acquiring AA which absolutely does have the potential to change the dynamics on the east coast and DL is most certainly going to act.
The multi-billion dollar question regarding DL and US' future together obviously concerns AA. What is certain is that whatever happens to AA, DL is not about ready to stop growing its franchise... DL is going to continue to fight to gain every passenger and every dollar of revenue.
That is what well-run companies do.
If there is one characteristic that has defined DL and distinguished DL from its network peers, it is DL's intensely competitive approach to expanding its network - far more characteristic of how low fare carriers operate than the network carriers, most of whom still act like they are in the regulated era.
DL WILL use the slot deal to further expand its presence on the east coast… everyone has a piece of the market which DL wants to grow: DL will add far more RJs – large RJs in many cases – to key east coast markets where US was content to add just a couple RJ markets or a handful of prop markets. DL wants a true hub which means more frequent service throughout the day on the largest aircraft the market can support. B6 is targeted because DL will be able to offer a true hub at LGA which is a more desirable airport than JFK for local NYC traffic. AA obviously still has about 20% of the local NYC market and DL will continue to move share from AA and US in NYC just as it has been doing for a decade. And of course DL is targeting UA/CO which built its EWR hub while DL and AA largely ignored them and divided the LGA and JFK markets with little focus on growing the market.
NYC is the largest market from just about every market on the east coast. It is absolutely a given that DL will be capable of shifting substantial market share on the east coast – and just as with CLT-SLC, the CLT-LGA flights provide the extra mass needed in the market to help move share. Same thing with PIT-CDG and PIT-LGA. RDU has been a wealthy yet divided market between AA, DL, and US for years yet DL has consolidated its position as the largest network carrier there. It is just one example of a city where DL has leveraged its overall East coast position, including in NYC, to move revenue to DL.
There will be more and more cities where DL will leverage its strength from LGA to grow its overall city presence.
Add in that AA’s ability to competitively respond will be hindered for months to come, US has given away a number of slots and the chance that US – alone or with AA – is going to have a be able to hold onto its present position on the east coast is highly limited. And of course, UA and WN are has each just as interested in expanding their east coast positions at the expense of everyone else as well.
LGA has market advantages that DL intends to exploit in its quest to grow revenue in NYC.
Well-run companies go after the market – regardless of who has it.
The refinery deal has the potential to cut DL’s cost by 5% relative to its peers which could dramatically give DL an advantage.
Greater mainline capacity via the 717s and M90s at low acquisition costs give DL greater ability to add seats to the market w/o stressing the balance sheet. AA and US both are more leveraged than DL and will remain so.
Anyone who doesn’t believe that is living in a fantasy land.
And it is still likely that DL will engaged in some other type of consolidation and/or aggressive internal growth strategy that will likely be far easier for them to pull off than a complicated merger between AA and US, even if that happens.
The east coast and esp. the NE is the bread and butter for both DL and US plus B6. Every other carrier that wants to have a nationwide presence is and needs to be there.
Don’t for a minute underestimate the importance of fighting for every NE passenger and dollar – or that DL’s hypercompetitive approach to running its business is going to change anytime soon.
