AirTran under Pressure from Delta

[CatfishVT9]

Glen H. came to my new hire class in March. He was asked if we (DAL) were worried about LUV coming to ATL. His response was that we would much rather have LUV in ATL than Airtran. He stated that SW was much more rational in how they ran their airline then Citrus. Personally I don't see SW in ATL unless Airtran in gone. Trying to compete angaints both DL and AAI in ATL is a whole different ball game compared to UA and F9 in DEN.

Lets see, AAI announces West coast service in 2003. Next day, Delta adds FOUR 767s to those routes.

2008. Delta reduces capacity on all routes EXCEPT AAI routes.

Who's irrational? If I was a Delta pilot, I'd be asking why my management is doing some of the same actions that drove us into bankrupcy.

Glen H. sounds like he gave the identical presentation that Klaus gave to my newhire class in 2004 (he really did use the phrase irrational behavior). Actually, I'd love to get these two guys in a room, point at both and say "he says you're irrational" and then watch as they trade F you's.

Then the ensuing argument...........

Catfish: "My management sucks worse than yours!!"

qxdash: "No, my management sucks worse!"


Cheers:laugh:

 

[Ty Webb]

What Glen was getting at is that AAI has operated irrationally over the years which is why DL doen't like competing with them. These are his words not mine - I don't have any specifics but I thought it was an interesting comment.

That quote has more to it than you are probably aware of . . . Joe Leonard (former AAI CEO) often used that exact same phrase about a pre-bankruptcy Delta.

What he said was that it was difficult to compete against a Company that was losing billions of dollars, didn't seem to care that they were losing billions of dollars, and were not behaving rationally. He also predicted they (Delta) would become bankrupt if it continued. . . . which seemed like a real stretch 5 or 6 years ago . . . but ultimately turned out to be true.

Ty

 

[Ty Webb]

Guess that makes Delta smart, not too many families going to these vacation destinations with a bad economy, huh?

You're kidding, right? DAL started drawing down MCO a year or more ago . . . . . more likely in response to competition from . . . . . SWA and AirTran.

Which, by the way, made AAI the second largest carrier at MCO, and SWA #1.

Ty

 

[michael707767]

Aren't you guys trying to get rid of Glen?

Are you kidding? More than anyone else at Delta, Glen and Bob are the reason we have made a great turnaround from the days of Leo and that idiot Mike Bell.

 

[ACL65PILOT]

Exactly, they are worth their money. If you have not noticed our game plane is changing. We are no longer conceding markets, we are fighting for them. This will continue in full force after the merger is complete.

 

[MJ42]

You're kidding, right? DAL started drawing down MCO a year or more ago . . . . . more likely in response to competition from . . . . . SWA and AirTran.

Which, by the way, made AAI the second largest carrier at MCO, and SWA #1.

Ty

No, I'm not kidding, are you? They cut back a lot of Mesa ERJ flying.

Here's an article(4 months old) for your reference:

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2008-06-03-airlines-cuts-flights-fares_N.htm

Note 1/2 way down in the part "Vacation spots squeezed". Talks about Delta reducing flights "STARTING THIS MONTH". Delta didn't cut back due to competition, but because there is no money to be made in MCO as well as high fuel prices(in June) and less pax going to vacation spots.

Ty, do you think it could have had something to do with DAL trying to get rid of Mesa and some RJ's? I do! Reference same article: "Communities losing 'RJ' links". It specifically cites MCO.

 

[General Lee]

You're kidding, right? DAL started drawing down MCO a year or more ago . . . . . more likely in response to competition from . . . . . SWA and AirTran.

Which, by the way, made AAI the second largest carrier at MCO, and SWA #1.

Ty

SWA and AAI really didn't go to the same cities Delta did from MCO. Delta was more affected by Jetblue probably. And MJ42 was right, the major reduction in our flying as of late was the drop in RJs, to places like GSO, CAE, EYE, and intra FLA stuff that was not profitable.

Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[dooork]

If they come to ATL it will be after AAI's demise or it will be the demise of AAI. There is no way that two LLC can compete for that market share in and out of ATL.

You mean three LCC. You forgot Delta.

 

[ACL65PILOT]

Yeah, tell that to the people that are paying over 7K for a Business Elite ticket for international travel.

 

[atldc9]

My airline is better than your airline. Another 2 minutes of my life wasted.