Virgin America seeks to challenge WN at DAL

[robbedagain]

swamt  if and only if WN does get those 2 slots  do you know if theyll add more cities out of DAL to places like SFO  SEA or even ATL? etc  in addition to the ones theyve announced?

 

[WorldTraveler]

robbed,
since WN put out a press release, I will jump in and share it with you.
 
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/southwest-airlines-announces-12-additional-182700183.html
 
mostly other airline hubs which they didn't previously announce plus RDU, CHS, and SMF among others. 

 

[robbedagain]

i would imagine in the coming months n yrs  after the dust settles  id think may be they  might add DAL to ATL as well

 

[WorldTraveler]

it was on their original list.
 
The other side of this is that other carriers could decide to add service from WN's other focus cities/hubs such as HOU and MDW.  AA and DL both serve HOU, IIRC, but they certainly could add more service.  
 
DL pilots are being told to expect a very aggressive summer flight schedule which hasn't been finalized.  I'm not sure how many new routes that haven't been added might be added but there is very much the expectation that DL will increase frequencies and gauge in existing markets. 
 
While WN is definitely going to be able to start a number of new routes over the next six months, their ability to defend their existing network will be stretched to the limit, in part because they have so few airplanes available.
 
The latest traffic report again shows WN's trips flown down by 6-7%.   WN will have to shift resources away from its existing network in order to support all of this additional flying.  That will create opportunities for other carriers including the legacy carriers that might be shut out of the AA/US divestiture markets/assets. 

 

[robbedagain]

but what happened to the updated list     the link you provided does not show ATL    i cannot imagine that atl not being a money maker for them

 

[swamt]

Robbed, Yes, Dal to ATL is on the list and will be flown by SWA. Rather we get the 2 gates or not.

 

[robbedagain]

thanks swamt 

 

[jimntx]

DL does serve HOU with 4 flights/day to ATL.  AA does not fly to HOU.  Only AE serves HOU, and all flights are to DFW.

 

[WorldTraveler]

DL's schedule from HOU even at this time of year is typical 5 M80 flights/day to ATL.
 
In the US airline industry, it is typical to include regional carrier operations when referring to a network carrier's operation at a city.
 
AE revenue is completely controlled by AA, interlines fully with AA, and has a certain amount of product similarity.
 
AA provides service to HOU via AE. 
 
IIRC, DL but not AA and UA serves MDW with a schedule that includes mainline and regional jets.

 

[Glenn Quagmire]

I still have the badge and the benefits, including the freedom to "move around the world"

Does delta allow the use of non-rev passes for business purposes? Are retirees and buyout people allowed to use the "benefit" for travel that would normally be considered a business expense?

Maybe someone can post the rules here.

 

[WorldTraveler]

Not just Delta but the IRS specifically bars use of non-rev travel on any airline for business purposes.  Pass benefits are for personal, non-compensated use only.
 
If you have DL pass benefits, which you have stated you do as part of the AMFA settlement with DL that allowed qualifying AMFA members to take DL's early retirement package despite having never accrued benefits as DL employees, you have access to deltanet in order to list and can find the rules yourself. 
 
Every airline employee including those at Virgin America is provided with rules by their own specific carrier.

 

[Glenn Quagmire]

If you have DL pass benefits, which you have stated you do as part of the AMFA settlement

I do not receive any flight benefit from Delta, never have. Nor have I have ever stated that I had any such "benefit". You are again, a common liar.

If I had non-rev capability, I would never consider using it for raising money in support of any cause or concern, business or religious, no matter how worthy the non-rev beneficiary deems it.

Not all Delta employees, shareholders, pension beneficiaries support the same causes.

Delta may have picked the wrong Virgin?

 

[WorldTraveler]

you clearly have a beef here that you wish to beat so we don't need to discuss the subject here.

If you think I am using my pass privileges outside of what is allowed by Delta, feel free to contact them.

We have discussed the AMFA separation package several times before; DL offered a settlement package to AMFA/former NW employees and there are indeed DL pass riders that have that benefit.

If I incorrectly thought you were included, it doesn't make me a liar... it means I was misinformed and you never previously said you weren't part of that settlement in receiving the retirement package.

Now that I know you aren't included, I can assure you that I won't refer to it again with respect to you.

 

[Glenn Quagmire]

Now that I know you aren't included, I can assure you that I won't refer to it again with respect to you.

Thank you.

Back to the topic at hand...

 

[WorldTraveler]

again, my apologies.

I had thought you were one of the members of that group. I have met one of the members of that group.

WRT the comment about HOU service, it appears that it is going to all 717s in the summer but at higher frequencies than today.
Some of DL's pilots have apparently been told that DL is trying to create markets between the 717 bases of ATL and DTW that can bridge to the west such as ATL-AUS-LAX which has been announced.

It may or may not be a coincidence that ATL-HOU is a 717 but it might indicate DL's interest in flying other markets from Texas to LAX.

DAL-LAX was announced as being on the E175.