DL handing DFW over to Airtran?

[General Lee]

Now that we know DL will be vacating DFW, does that mean Airtran will start more service there? Would that be DL handing AA a hot potato? It seems like AA would get a large thorn in their side, since DL was mainly RJs at DFW and AA was probably beating them handily. Now, AA might have to compete against a better equiped airline like Airtran with 717s and 737-700s (rather than all CRJ operator like DL out of DFW). Maybe DL wanted to get Airtran off it's back for awhile and give that problem to somebody else.....


Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[Medeco]

General,


I can only imagine that DAL will sublease our current gates to our "alliance" partners Continental and Northwest?

Airtran just moved to another concorse in DFW and I dont think they have that many currently, but the future will tell how it washes out.

Medeco

 

[Swaayze]

Possibly, but in doing so they may end up strengthening their main LCC competitor.

 

[General Lee]

True, but it would give someone else the brunt of the near term future expansion of Airtran. What will CO and NW do with 15 DFW gates? We will only use three or four max.


Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[Medeco]

Here is an excerpt from an article about the revenue impact at DFW.

The biggest chunk, more than $28 million, would have been for landing fees in the next 12 months. Delta was also paying about $3.5 million a year to lease 28 gates under a contract that runs through 2009. The airline and the airport are discussing a buyout, Cox said.

Medeco

 

[General Lee]

I think that article might have also stated that DFW was waiting for someone else to use the gates, and the only other airline I know that may want to EXPAND there is Airtran. My whole point here was to ask if anyone thought that Delta was handing DFW to Airtran in hopes that they would compete more against AA instead of us---since Airtran is getting certain airplanes on their delivery list. It's like giving someone a hot potato, and hoping they will take care of the problem....


Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[FLB717]

If AA plays the game like DAL they (AA) would get the gates and put a few RJ's in them or just pay to keep others from DFW. I bet you see JBLU in DFW very soon.

 

[9rj9]

AirTran

I think Delta is trying to save money in an area they were unable to compete. Someone, ie Airtran, AA, Jetblue will fill the void.

The bigger picture is Delta management doesn't get it !

It is clear that they have no real plan. There was no real news yesterday. I can see the customer service getting soooo much better now that DFW guys/gals are displaced, 7,000 jobs are being cut from God knows where. No fun working when you think you may be gone in a few days. People will not pay more for a ticket unless your service is above and beyond that of the competition. Delta can never get to that level of service with the current CSAa and FAs, never ever ! NEVER
Looks like Delta can only find one real way to cut cost, reduce pilot costs. But then what, with no plan they just continue to lose money, oh ya just ask the pilots again, ala USAir, and again and again.
There is no plan, just an old man who doesn't get it running an airline into the ground. Stop worrying about BK, Delta will not survive if someone doesn't make major changes soon.

 

[starchkr]

Above it says something about the 28 gates DAL had at DFW...but what about the other new gates coming with the new terminals? Even if AA leases out those 28 gates to keep competition off the property, there will still be many new gates soon at the airport. Do you think AA will lease all of those as well and let them sit idle or will the local government let the likes of Airtran, JB and so on come in and really use the gates to bring in some much needed money in the area?

 

[320AV8R]

NWA is not planning on expanding past the current 3 or 4 gates. American may fill the void with their proposed expansion, however...

[size=+1][/size]
[size=+1]American to add 70 departures at DFW[/size][size=-2]
American Airlines and American Eagle will add a total of 70 departures at Dallas/Fort Worth Airport by the summer of 2005. American said 35 of the new flights will be operated with mainline American Airlines jets. American Eagle regional jets will be used for the remainder of the DFW schedule expansion.
The following cities will receive 2 additional flights :
Austin, Ft Lauderdale, Memphis and Northwest Arkansas.
The following cities will receive 1 additional flight :
Albuquerque, Atlanta, Boston, Cabo San Lucas, Colorado Springs, Denver, El Paso, Houston IAH, Huntsville AL, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Nashville, New Orleans, New York LGA, Oklahoma City, Phoenix, Puerto Vallarta, Raleigh Durhan, San Antonio, San Francisco, Seattle, Tampa, Tucson, Washington DCA, Wichita.

[/size]

 

[FLB717]

If AA uses each gate 8 times a day that equals 9 gates, with 19 to go to families with good homes.

 

[DenverDude2002]

I'd really like to know whats going to happen to the DL routes out of DFW, mainly DFW-CRP. Not that it matters I'll be living in DFW soon enough but Im wondering if a lot of express routes will get transferred to ATL/SLC or be dropped all together?

 

[Flying the Line]

If you're AirTran why wouldn't you consider PIT, PHL, CLT over DFW. Why go fight AA on their home turf when you could go up against a more damaged airline, especially in PIT.

 

[FLB717]

FTL,

Because Leisure and Winter routes go North-South in the Fall and Spring, during the Summer traffic flows East-West. So if you are covering the US in those mannors not just New York to Florida you keep you revenue base spread evenly for the year and maintain a more stable base. The dollors that flow in all year and not just in one or two quarters. DFW is not as much or a destination as it is a stepping off point for the West Coast.

 

[80drvr]

If AA uses each gate 8 times a day that equals 9 gates, with 19 to go to families with good homes.

Keep in mind that AA's DFW growth plan preceded DAL's DFW withdrawal announcement. I wouldn't be surprised to see an amendment to the 2005 flying plan based on this news.

 

[FLB717]

Ok, 10 to 14 Gates to go to Aircraft with good homes.

 

[amcnd]

I think the DFW AOA will turn the E gates into the new "other DFW airline" terminal. With Eagle takeing over the B terminal. This keeps things lined up for future grow with new airlines and Eagle's/AA's growth. If Airtran was to grow in DFW I think they would want to move. I dont see anyone going in after AA at DFW. The 800 pound gorilla is to much to go up against in this weak ecomomy, and high fule prices.

 

[enigma]

If I were SWA, I'd make DFW into a IAH type destination. Put a few flights in there, what's AA going to do? Someone mentioned the 800# gorilla. That really is WN, not AA.

I predict that SWA could make quite an impact in a bunch of markets out of DFW. And another thing, now that a whole bunch of RJ's are leaving, the congestion should go down enough to allow for efficient ops.


I'm only just slightly kidding with the above opinions. I have no idea, but I'd imagine that the DFW airport might not be real friendly to SWA considering that DFW was a part of the attempt to keep SWA from using Love. If it does happen, I guessed it first.

enigma