Delta Terminates Mesa Contract!!!

[~~~^~~~]

When did Delta get DC9s?
If you're still counting on a DAL/NWA merge, where do you expect the additional investment capital to come from? USAirways got a $1.5B capital injection on their merger; your merge would require a higher amount of new capital than USAirways required.

You are right. I'm thinking a Comair sale with a new flying award might inject somewhere around another half a billion or so. Just a guess.

 

[Jon Rivoli]

They'll shift their RJ flying around and upguage some city pairs to mainline while reducing frequency (ie 1 MD80 for 2 RJs).

You guys with Big Jet Syndrome are mathematically challenged (1 MD-80 = 145 seats / 2 CRJ200's = 100 seats ) A given city could be served by 2 MD's a day or 6 RJ's with the same number of seats. Which do you think the marketing types would prefer. Want to trim capacity, cut one or two flights and retain frequency. One flight per day won't cut it. No legecy has the domestic narrow body capacity to take back RJ flying if they wanted to and they don't want to. All the legacies are focusing on growing international, that is where they make their money and REDUCING domestic capacity. Delta is not going to buy any more MD's, more likely they will park the one's they have. Money is tight, they will spend it where they can make the most money i.e. 777's.

The future won't look like the past and my crystal ball says in the future of domestic narrow body flying will all be outsourced to the regionals. In ten years the legacies won't do any of it.

 

[slapstick]

Finally! Someone realizes the cheapest operator isn't necessarily the best for business. I had a Freedom CA in my jumpseat once - told me he wouldn't ever let his family ride on a Freedom airplane.

 

[Oakum_Boy]

I had a Freedom CA in my jumpseat once - told me he wouldn't ever let his family ride on a Freedom airplane.

A sensible guy.

 

[1st Rate]

I hope this deal knocks some sense into Mesa'a board of directors and shows J.O. the door. It would be a great day!!

 

[Andy]

You guys with Big Jet Syndrome are mathematically challenged (1 MD-80 = 145 seats / 2 CRJ200's = 100 seats ) A given city could be served by 2 MD's a day or 6 RJ's with the same number of seats. Which do you think the marketing types would prefer. Want to trim capacity, cut one or two flights and retain frequency. One flight per day won't cut it. No legecy has the domestic narrow body capacity to take back RJ flying if they wanted to and they don't want to. All the legacies are focusing on growing international, that is where they make their money and REDUCING domestic capacity. Delta is not going to buy any more MD's, more likely they will park the one's they have. Money is tight, they will spend it where they can make the most money i.e. 777's.

The future won't look like the past and my crystal ball says in the future of domestic narrow body flying will all be outsourced to the regionals. In ten years the legacies won't do any of it.

That was a generalized example, but thanks for taking the bait.
Does 1 MD80 ~ 2 CRJ-700s? How about 1 CRJ-700 and 1 CRJ-900?
Redeploy 1 CRJ-900 to cover 2 CRJ100s?

Which costs more, 1 MD80 or 1 CRJ-700 and 1 CRJ-900?
Which costs more, 1 CRJ-900 or 2 CRJ100s?

Stop thinking in narrow terms of a single guage swap for another guage; it's much more complex than that.

And I never mentioned buying new aircraft; I'm speaking in general terms of a systemwide downguaging of aircraft to reduce ASMs.


Your crystal ball's better than mine; I have NO idea what things will look like in five years, much less ten.

 

[~~~^~~~]

You guys with Big Jet Syndrome are mathematically challenged (1 MD-80 = 145 seats / 2 CRJ200's = 100 seats ) A given city could be served by 2 MD's a day or 6 RJ's with the same number of seats. Which do you think the marketing types would prefer. Want to trim capacity, cut one or two flights and retain frequency. One flight per day won't cut it. No legecy has the domestic narrow body capacity to take back RJ flying if they wanted to and they don't want to. All the legacies are focusing on growing international, that is where they make their money and REDUCING domestic capacity. Delta is not going to buy any more MD's, more likely they will park the one's they have. Money is tight, they will spend it where they can make the most money i.e. 777's.

The future won't look like the past and my crystal ball says in the future of domestic narrow body flying will all be outsourced to the regionals. In ten years the legacies won't do any of it.

John,

I think you are mostly correct. Sure you will have ATL/LAX markets flown by something large, but anything smaller than a 757 is subject to outsourcing until the next generation of 100 seat jets is built. The 737-700 is a special case due to performance limits on the RJ's.

ALPA is again asleep at the wheel, hoping jet fuel nullifies the issue, when in fact jet fuel as added incentives to outsource the DC9's and MD88's.

 

[regionalcap]

The future won't look like the past and my crystal ball says in the future of domestic narrow body flying will all be outsourced to the regionals. In ten years the legacies won't do any of it.

Might want to get another crystal ball.

 

[~~~^~~~]

And I never mentioned buying new aircraft; I'm speaking in general terms of a systemwide downguaging of aircraft to reduce ASMs.

...and at the same time increasing unit revenues. When you pull a MD88 out of a market and put a CRJ900 in, the cost of the ticket generally increases on decreased supply.

You will always have some business travellers that pay whatever it costs for last minute travel.

The retired folks and families of four on priceline.com tickets will most always fill up an airplane to sunny destinations, but rarely pay the costs to actually get them there.

The problem is half empty 50 seaters going to cities which are only a 30 minute drive to a major hub. Particularly those cities which have welched on their marketing agreements to pay for jet service.

I see the RJ's doing MD88 flying, the MD88's doing 757 flying, 757's doing 767 flying etc.... Eventually we will have agreed to outsource almost all domestic narrowbody flying and that really stinks. On the other side AirFrance / KLM and others are happy to do our International operations.

ALPA needs to get religion about scope!

 

[Jon Rivoli]

Might want to get another crystal ball.

Wishful thinking DAL newbie, but don't worry you'll be making the big bucks flying a 777 or a 787.

When scope finally does collapse completely the senior Captain sitting next to you who just voted himself a big pay raise will explain to you how you didn't really want to fly those little planes (MD-80, 737) any way. Too many legs in a day, crappy overnights, etc. No, one leg a day and GOOD beer in London or Frankfurt, that's the ticket.