NYRANGERS
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jun 13, 2002
- Posts
- 592
What's Delta's big problem?
Opinions vary widely as to why the airline lost out at D/FW
10:57 PM CDT on Thursday, September 9, 2004
By CHERYL HALL / The Dallas Morning News
Do you remember when American and Delta stood glove to glove, duking =
it out for supremacy at D/FW?
Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines Inc. was once a true contender for the =
business traveler at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. But it
long ago sank to the level of a sparring partner.
In Delta's farewell announcement Wednesday, management said the
airline lost nearly $1 billion here in the last three years.
So what happened?
My theory is that Delta's demise began when we all got hooked on
AAdvantage miles.
But Hal Brierley, an expert in consumer loyalty programs, argues that =
Delta's frequent flier plan had enough muscle to counter American's.
"Delta scheduled itself into oblivion," says Mr. Brierley, who helped =
create American Airlines Inc.'s AAdvantage and worked with United
Airlines on its loyalty program for 12 years.
"Anybody in his or her right mind quit flying Delta when it started
flying regional jets to New York. All you had to do was look out the
window and see that they had 40 regional jets and two big planes, and
you knew Delta was doomed," he said.
When did we stop flying Delta and why?
Routed through Atlanta
"When I couldn't get anywhere unless I went through Atlanta, and they =
were always late getting there," answers Karyl Innis, chief executive
of Dallas-based Innis Co., a management training company.
Headhunter David Westberry, managing director of Korn/Ferry
International, never quit flying Delta, but his cumulative miles tell
the story: 2.7 million American miles compared with 750,000 on Delta.
"I moved here in '83, and American always had more flights out of
here," says Mr. Westberry, who values time more than points. "But the
AAdvantage program clearly made American a more dominant player in this =
market. There's also a lot of loyalty to American because it's based
here."
Bill Everitt began avoiding Delta about 10 years ago as his Brook Mays =
Music Co. expanded to markets outside Texas.
"Nonstop jet service to my required destinations was more frequent,
more cost-effective and time-efficient with Southwest and American," he =
says. "When I booked with Delta, I ended up being routed through the
busy Atlanta or Cincinnati airport, where the connections became
problematic and the plane usually switched from a jet to a
puddle-jumper affiliate airline."
Some say miles are a devalued currency since they've become so
difficult to cash in, but they're still collecting them.
Susan Byrne, chairman of Westwood Holdings Group, flies more than
100,000 miles a year and has more than 6 million miles in her
AAdvantage account. "Unless I quit working now and live to be 150 years =
old, I will never be able to use them all."
For some, the question isn't American vs. Delta at D/FW. It's American =
vs. Southwest Airlines and Love Field.
"My schedule demands frequency, dependability and service-oriented
flight attendants," says Leslie Ann Crozier, principal of Crozier &
Henderson Productions Inc., who averages six flights a week.
Forget the miles
And Mona Carpenter, corporate travel manager for 7-Eleven Inc., says =
forget the miles. "We're looking for the best fares available
regardless of the airline."
Tom Buxton, whose research marketing team flies a total of 1.5 million =
miles a year, chooses Southwest whenever possible – even though the
Buxton Co. headquarters is in Fort Worth and just minutes from D/FW.
"All of us would rather have a tooth pulled than fly American," says =
Mr. Buxton, who regrets his executive platinum status. "Prices are too =
high, and service is almost always below standard. Try and change a
ticket on short notice and see what that will cost you."
Bob Pearson, who's flown 5 million miles on American, also loves the =
miles, not the airline.
"While their customer service leaves a lot to be desired, the
AAdvantage program is a powerful draw," says the principal of the
executive search firm Pearson International Inc. "It probably will
become even more expensive to fly AMR with no competition."
Paula Lambert flew Delta a month ago when her travel plans changed
abruptly. Her ticket was 25 percent cheaper than if she'd flown
American.
There is one universal: Not a single frequent traveler I queried is
content with the status quo.
Asked what needs to happen after Delta leaves D/FW, most say they hope =
more low-cost carriers take its place.
"The vacancy could make it much more attractive for the next
generation of carriers to fly here more," says Mr. Brierley. "We may
get more Frontier flights or JetBlue. So we actually could come out
ahead."
E-mail [email protected]
Opinions vary widely as to why the airline lost out at D/FW
10:57 PM CDT on Thursday, September 9, 2004
By CHERYL HALL / The Dallas Morning News
Do you remember when American and Delta stood glove to glove, duking =
it out for supremacy at D/FW?
Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines Inc. was once a true contender for the =
business traveler at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. But it
long ago sank to the level of a sparring partner.
In Delta's farewell announcement Wednesday, management said the
airline lost nearly $1 billion here in the last three years.
So what happened?
My theory is that Delta's demise began when we all got hooked on
AAdvantage miles.
But Hal Brierley, an expert in consumer loyalty programs, argues that =
Delta's frequent flier plan had enough muscle to counter American's.
"Delta scheduled itself into oblivion," says Mr. Brierley, who helped =
create American Airlines Inc.'s AAdvantage and worked with United
Airlines on its loyalty program for 12 years.
"Anybody in his or her right mind quit flying Delta when it started
flying regional jets to New York. All you had to do was look out the
window and see that they had 40 regional jets and two big planes, and
you knew Delta was doomed," he said.
When did we stop flying Delta and why?
Routed through Atlanta
"When I couldn't get anywhere unless I went through Atlanta, and they =
were always late getting there," answers Karyl Innis, chief executive
of Dallas-based Innis Co., a management training company.
Headhunter David Westberry, managing director of Korn/Ferry
International, never quit flying Delta, but his cumulative miles tell
the story: 2.7 million American miles compared with 750,000 on Delta.
"I moved here in '83, and American always had more flights out of
here," says Mr. Westberry, who values time more than points. "But the
AAdvantage program clearly made American a more dominant player in this =
market. There's also a lot of loyalty to American because it's based
here."
Bill Everitt began avoiding Delta about 10 years ago as his Brook Mays =
Music Co. expanded to markets outside Texas.
"Nonstop jet service to my required destinations was more frequent,
more cost-effective and time-efficient with Southwest and American," he =
says. "When I booked with Delta, I ended up being routed through the
busy Atlanta or Cincinnati airport, where the connections became
problematic and the plane usually switched from a jet to a
puddle-jumper affiliate airline."
Some say miles are a devalued currency since they've become so
difficult to cash in, but they're still collecting them.
Susan Byrne, chairman of Westwood Holdings Group, flies more than
100,000 miles a year and has more than 6 million miles in her
AAdvantage account. "Unless I quit working now and live to be 150 years =
old, I will never be able to use them all."
For some, the question isn't American vs. Delta at D/FW. It's American =
vs. Southwest Airlines and Love Field.
"My schedule demands frequency, dependability and service-oriented
flight attendants," says Leslie Ann Crozier, principal of Crozier &
Henderson Productions Inc., who averages six flights a week.
Forget the miles
And Mona Carpenter, corporate travel manager for 7-Eleven Inc., says =
forget the miles. "We're looking for the best fares available
regardless of the airline."
Tom Buxton, whose research marketing team flies a total of 1.5 million =
miles a year, chooses Southwest whenever possible – even though the
Buxton Co. headquarters is in Fort Worth and just minutes from D/FW.
"All of us would rather have a tooth pulled than fly American," says =
Mr. Buxton, who regrets his executive platinum status. "Prices are too =
high, and service is almost always below standard. Try and change a
ticket on short notice and see what that will cost you."
Bob Pearson, who's flown 5 million miles on American, also loves the =
miles, not the airline.
"While their customer service leaves a lot to be desired, the
AAdvantage program is a powerful draw," says the principal of the
executive search firm Pearson International Inc. "It probably will
become even more expensive to fly AMR with no competition."
Paula Lambert flew Delta a month ago when her travel plans changed
abruptly. Her ticket was 25 percent cheaper than if she'd flown
American.
There is one universal: Not a single frequent traveler I queried is
content with the status quo.
Asked what needs to happen after Delta leaves D/FW, most say they hope =
more low-cost carriers take its place.
"The vacancy could make it much more attractive for the next
generation of carriers to fly here more," says Mr. Brierley. "We may
get more Frontier flights or JetBlue. So we actually could come out
ahead."
E-mail [email protected]
