ALPA's quagmire

[JoeMerchant]

As a Delta Skymiles member, I receive email updates on Delta fare sales. I don't usually look at them, but this time I did. After all the sale prices were listed, the following paragraph caught my attention. This is the quagmire that ALPA helped to create.


A portion of travel for some itineraries may be on the Delta Connection carriers: Atlantic Southeast Airlines, Chautauqua, Comair, Freedom Airlines, Shuttle America, and SkyWest; codeshare partners Alaska Airlines, American Eagle, Continental Airlines, ExpressJet, Horizon Air Industries, Mesaba, Northwest Airlines, and Pinnacle Airlines; Song, Delta's low fare service.

 

[LowlyPropCapt]

Ya outta see US Airways' note... The list is longer than that!

 

[JoeMerchant]

Here's the USAirways list:


Depending on the market, part or all of the service may be on regional or jet aircraft operated by US Airways Express carriers Air Midwest, Air Wisconsin, Chautauqua, Colgan, Mesa, Piedmont, PSA, Republic Airways, Trans States, or on United Airlines® or Bahamasair.

 

[labbats]

As a Delta Skymiles member, I receive email updates on Delta fare sales. I don't usually look at them, but this time I did. After all the sale prices were listed, the following paragraph caught my attention. This is the quagmire that ALPA helped to create.


A portion of travel for some itineraries may be on the Delta Connection carriers: Atlantic Southeast Airlines, Chautauqua, Comair, Freedom Airlines, Shuttle America, and SkyWest; codeshare partners Alaska Airlines, American Eagle, Continental Airlines, ExpressJet, Horizon Air Industries, Mesaba, Northwest Airlines, and Pinnacle Airlines; Song, Delta's low fare service.

How are half of those Delta Connection? I guess I'm just dense, but Eagle, Mesaba, Horizon? ???

 

[JoeMerchant]

How are half of those Delta Connection? I guess I'm just dense, but Eagle, Mesaba, Horizon? ???

Eagle, Mesaba, and Horizon are "code-share partners", not "Delta Connection". Alaska, Northwest, and Continental are also "code-share partners". When you buy a Delta ticket, you could end up on any of the aforementioned carriers. The only difference is that some of these carriers are limited to what size aircraft they can operate as Delta codeshare, and others aren't. Basically, if you are a "major", you can operate as a Delta codeshare with any size aircraft up to a 777. If you are a "regional", you can only operate "permitted aircraft" on the Delta code-share. It's really clear as mud....

Are you beginning to see what a tangled web we have woven?

Joe