Are Delta and US Airways in an 'airline brawl?'

[Grandpa +65]

By Ben Mutzabaugh, USA TODAY

Could Delta and US Airways be engaged in a tit-for-tat battle over routes out of New York LaGuardia and Washington National airports? That's the opinion of Brett Snyder, author of The Cranky Flier aviation blog.
His column on the subject comes shortly after each airline announced new flights -- Delta at Washington and US Airways at New York -- following the collapse of a proposed slot between the airlines.
RELATED: US Airways ramps up schedule at LaGuardia
RELATED: Delta expands schedule at Washington National
Noting that "US Airways will be adding a net of 17 new flights a day at capacity-controlled LaGuardia," Snyder wonders "where exactly are these magical slots coming from? According to US Airways, the slots were on a 'short-term lease' that has now ended. Hmm, anyone want to guess to whom those were leased? If your guess isn't Delta, hang your head in shame," Snyder writes.
And, since that slot-swap deal fell through, Delta announced it would expand at Washington National and -- now -- US Airways at LaGuardia. In the fallout, Snyder concludes that in the fallout of the collapsed deal, Delta "took its slots back from US Airways at National and decided to build them up. US Airways ... then took its slots back and decided to throw down in New York as well."
Snyder says: "Nothing says summer fun like an airline brawl, right?"
Check out Snyder's Cranky Flier column on the subject for of his take on the possible Delta-US Airways spat.

Posted Aug 17 2010 2:52PM

 

[St. Nic]

Game on Delta! Ha

 

[ACL65PILOT]

Some may see it as a fight. I see it as both companies using all of their slots available to them. If they opt to swap again, the competitiveness will not appreciably change.

Just my take.

 

[LearLove]

unfortunately all of the 17 (increased) US Air flight are express.

 

[FLYLOW22]

I always remember seeing US and Delta equally matched for market share in the nifty power point presentations Wolf and Rakesh used to put on for us.

Funny thing was that Delta always had a bigger jet at the gate compared to what we were driving.

If US had a Dash-8, they had an RJ
If US had an F100, they had an MD80
If US had a 737, they had a 757
If US has a 757, they had a 767-300
If US had an A330, they had a 777.

Brawl? I dunno. More like grumpy neighbors. Delta has a MUCH larger route network to leverage against US though... not much of a brawl. More of a nuisance.

P.S. I absolutely loved my airline on a Dash-8 yesterday from PHL-HPN. No APU, nearly saw a passenger riot as temperatures went north of 100F in the cabin with no airflow. Nice dark blue paint job. Some of the worst inflight customer service I've witnessed in a long time.

8 years of airlining to and from work and I've never had an adventure close to this one.

 

[paulsalem]

nevermind

 

[ACL65PILOT]

DAL did in DCA and I believe that many of these flights are now using those slots.

 

[BILL LUMBERG]

This is made up BS by a guy selling newspapers.....

Unless the fight is with the crybabies at SWA, I could care less.....

 

[redflyer65]

Southwest does their own flying,

Delta and USair, not so much...

 

[johnsonrod]

Southwest does their own flying,

Delta and USair, not so much...

Wait, Gen Lee said Westjet dumped you guys. So, Southwest tried to have someone else fly certain routes for them, and then was dumped? Is that true? An airline dumped you guys? You must feel crushed like you did on Middle School prom night with your boyfriend.

 

[PHXFLYR]

I always remember seeing US and Delta equally matched for market share in the nifty power point presentations Wolf and Rakesh used to put on for us.

Funny thing was that Delta always had a bigger jet at the gate compared to what we were driving.

If US had a Dash-8, they had an RJ
If US had an F100, they had an MD80
If US had a 737, they had a 757
If US has a 757, they had a 767-300
If US had an A330, they had a 777.

Brawl? I dunno. More like grumpy neighbors. Delta has a MUCH larger route network to leverage against US though... not much of a brawl. More of a nuisance.

P.S. I absolutely loved my airline on a Dash-8 yesterday from PHL-HPN. No APU, nearly saw a passenger riot as temperatures went north of 100F in the cabin with no airflow. Nice dark blue paint job. Some of the worst inflight customer service I've witnessed in a long time.

8 years of airlining to and from work and I've never had an adventure close to this one.

Aw,c'mon man, admit it .... You miss it.

PHXFLYR

 

[FLYLOW22]

Aw,c'mon man, admit it .... You miss it.

PHXFLYR

Nope. I get a taste every tour on each and any carrier. Things have gotten worse in ten years. I can hardly blame the employees but it doesn't make airlining any easier.

I still can't believe the industry is in such a state that makes SWA look good; service and pay wise.

 

[PHXFLYR]

Nope. I get a taste every tour on each and any carrier. Things have gotten worse in ten years. I can hardly blame the employees but it doesn't make airlining any easier.

I still can't believe the industry is in such a state that makes SWA look good; service and pay wise.

....which isn't saying much. And my neighbors wonder why we drive when we go on vacation somewhere.

PHXFLYR

 

[Tweaker]

"P.S. I absolutely loved my airline on a Dash-8 yesterday from PHL-HPN. No APU, nearly saw a passenger riot as temperatures went north of 100F in the cabin with no airflow. Nice dark blue paint job. Some of the worst inflight customer service I've witnessed in a long time."

That does not sound unusual at all, given the airline you described. That is called Wednesday at Piedmont Airlines - "Where piloting careers come to die."

On the training facility doorway - "Abandon hope, all ye who enter here."

Slogan - "Lowering the bar, since 1967."

Alternate - "If you ain't unhappy, we ain't happy."

 

[FLYLOW22]

....which isn't saying much. And my neighbors wonder why we drive when we go on vacation somewhere.

PHXFLYR

I know brother! How things have changed so much in 30 years!

 

[FLYLOW22]

"P.S. I absolutely loved my airline on a Dash-8 yesterday from PHL-HPN. No APU, nearly saw a passenger riot as temperatures went north of 100F in the cabin with no airflow. Nice dark blue paint job. Some of the worst inflight customer service I've witnessed in a long time."

That does not sound unusual at all, given the airline you described. That is called Wednesday at Piedmont Airlines - "Where piloting careers come to die."

On the training facility doorway - "Abandon hope, all ye who enter here."

Slogan - "Lowering the bar, since 1967."

Alternate - "If you ain't unhappy, we ain't happy."

If you say so. I flew at PDT for a time. We refused aircraft in the summer that had no APU. It wasn't safe or comfortable for pax. The pax were re-accommodated on a later flight.

Sometimes, finding one's backbone is key to using the brain to make a decision. It also helps one find the parking brake.

 

[say again]

SWA has excellent customer service. It's actually a joy to fly them, except for their cattle-call boarding process.

 

[FLYLOW22]

SWA has excellent customer service. It's actually a joy to fly them, except for their cattle-call boarding process.

I know. Agree with all you say... but many others used to be better.

It's just amazing how much things have changed for the worse at so many companies.

 

[say again]

I know. Agree with all you say... but many others used to be better.

It's just amazing how much things have changed for the worse at so many companies.

I certainly do agree, and it's a shame.

 

[Ed Harley]

I've heard a rumor from credible sources that United / Continental have recently offered Delta a bunch of NYC area slots in exchange for some of Delta's DCA slots. Should be interesting...