WorldTraveler
Corn Field
- Dec 5, 2003
- 21,709
- 10,721
“Research†can be had for just about any price and to support just about any position, esp. when no comparable quantifiable measure is used as the basis of comparison.
How about instead let’s use industry average revenues? In that metric, DL has been underperforming the industry for a number of years but it is entirely driven by the amount of capacity they have had on the domestic system, esp. for connecting traffic to/from Florida. Given that DL has removed a substantial amount of capacity from Florida, DL’s average revenues have soared. FlyHigh seemed to be trying to tell me the obvious about DL’s capacity moves and validating what I have posted before). And DL’s average fares in international markets (outside of N. America) have been comparable with the industry for a number of years. If a carrier gets comparable revenues to its peers, then it is clearly not second tier.
Let’s also look at the metric of frequent flyer members. DL is in the same camp with AA and UA in having over 20 million members in its frequent flyer program; they are probably the only 3 airlines in the world with that many frequent flyer members.
There is absolutely no quantifiable metric that substantiates a statement that DL is second tier on a revenue basis. On a network basis, AA and UA have greater access to the top business markets in the world than any of the other US airlines. Yet, somehow, DL manages to generate comparable revenues from its pitiful route network that is heavily concentrated in continental Europe and Latin America which up until this month DL served exclusively from Atlanta which is far from being one of the top Latin markets.
If AA doesn’t pay attention to DL, then you have just validated my point made several times that AA is on the verge of being pushed into obsolescence in NYC as a distant also ran behind CO and DL along w/ B6. What has AA done to enhance its NYC presence in light of rapid expansion by all three of those carriers?
And DL’s pension plans have been FROZEN, not terminated. There is indeed a very big difference. Under a freeze, accumulated benefits are protected and the sponsor (Delta) still assumes responsibility for the plan. Under a termination, the PBGC assumes responsibility for the plan and benefits are based on their requirements and not the sponsor. There are a lot of airline employees like Fly that will never see the full benefit that her airline promised because they did not meet full service and age requirements as defined by the PBGC.
I would be curious to see a comparison of the DL vs UA pilot compensation based on the likely termination of DL’s pilot pension plan. Given the bond that DL has already agreed to give ALPA and the fact that DL pilots still get a higher current salary that do UA pilots, I’m betting DL pilots still will fare better than UA’s.
How about instead let’s use industry average revenues? In that metric, DL has been underperforming the industry for a number of years but it is entirely driven by the amount of capacity they have had on the domestic system, esp. for connecting traffic to/from Florida. Given that DL has removed a substantial amount of capacity from Florida, DL’s average revenues have soared. FlyHigh seemed to be trying to tell me the obvious about DL’s capacity moves and validating what I have posted before). And DL’s average fares in international markets (outside of N. America) have been comparable with the industry for a number of years. If a carrier gets comparable revenues to its peers, then it is clearly not second tier.
Let’s also look at the metric of frequent flyer members. DL is in the same camp with AA and UA in having over 20 million members in its frequent flyer program; they are probably the only 3 airlines in the world with that many frequent flyer members.
There is absolutely no quantifiable metric that substantiates a statement that DL is second tier on a revenue basis. On a network basis, AA and UA have greater access to the top business markets in the world than any of the other US airlines. Yet, somehow, DL manages to generate comparable revenues from its pitiful route network that is heavily concentrated in continental Europe and Latin America which up until this month DL served exclusively from Atlanta which is far from being one of the top Latin markets.
If AA doesn’t pay attention to DL, then you have just validated my point made several times that AA is on the verge of being pushed into obsolescence in NYC as a distant also ran behind CO and DL along w/ B6. What has AA done to enhance its NYC presence in light of rapid expansion by all three of those carriers?
And DL’s pension plans have been FROZEN, not terminated. There is indeed a very big difference. Under a freeze, accumulated benefits are protected and the sponsor (Delta) still assumes responsibility for the plan. Under a termination, the PBGC assumes responsibility for the plan and benefits are based on their requirements and not the sponsor. There are a lot of airline employees like Fly that will never see the full benefit that her airline promised because they did not meet full service and age requirements as defined by the PBGC.
I would be curious to see a comparison of the DL vs UA pilot compensation based on the likely termination of DL’s pilot pension plan. Given the bond that DL has already agreed to give ALPA and the fact that DL pilots still get a higher current salary that do UA pilots, I’m betting DL pilots still will fare better than UA’s.
