Interesting take on Song

[120% Torque]

I hate to say it but the kind of banter being tossed about by the "General" reminds me of some United pups railing on Southwest guys for not coming over to a "real airline" and flying some "real equipment" in the late 90's. Dont get me wrong I like Delta and and at one time really wanted to work there but I think there is a fine line that must be walked and I see that line being crossed here with the attacks on JetBlue.

 

[NYRANGERS]

I hate to say it but the kind of banter being tossed about by the "General" reminds me of some United pups railing on Southwest guys for not coming over to a "real airline" and flying some "real equipment" in the late 90's. Dont get me wrong I like Delta and and at one time really wanted to work there but I think there is a fine line that must be walked and I see that line being crossed here with the attacks on JetBlue.

I don't see how defending your airlines products is "crossing the line". I think we have a little bit of bright news amidst an enormous ammount of bad, and I don't see how being positive about our new product is "crossing the line".

And further more, give us a break on the..."why don't you fly for a real airline" BS. I find it hard to believe any pilot would take this silly approach. If you like where you are, you don't have to justify it too anyone.

I think your objection may be a short comming to your own personal failures.

With this I say good bye for now,

The RANGERS are playing the Blues.

Go RANGERS!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[BLUE BAYOU]

I'd say STL by a goal, heheh. Here are some Jan stats for JB.

Traffic increased 93.2% on a capacity increase of 80.4% from Jan 2002.

Jan 2003 Load factor 82.2%

Completion factor 99.9%

Ontime 80.4%

For first time in three year history, internet sales exceeded 70% with sales online at 71% for January...

 

[120% Torque]

Whatever

 

[canyonblue]

Maybe the "general" can remember his history the last time an "operation" out of the south came up north to try to flex some muscle. Good 'ol General Lee got his A$$ whupped as the northern "operation" tore right thru, you guessed it, ATLANTA.

 

[SWA/FO]

General Lee,

I really can't think of anything creative to say.

I guess a cup of starbucks would be good. I wish the Delta guys I meet/see on the road were as entertaining as you.

Good luck with your new song.

It will be interesting to see what happens?

 

[NYRANGERS]

Whatever

Very insightful. We need more of your insightful posts.

 

[NYRANGERS]

I'd say STL by a goal, heheh. Here are some Jan stats for JB.

Traffic increased 93.2% on a capacity increase of 80.4% from Jan 2002.

Jan 2003 Load factor 82.2%

Completion factor 99.9%

Ontime 80.4%

For first time in three year history, internet sales exceeded 70% with sales online at 71% for January...

Rangers tied. I hate that. Maybe they should take a pay cut to get better

 

[General Lee]

120%Torque,

I wasn't trying to cross the line or whatever, I was tooting our own horn. Everyone likes to get on the bandwagon and bash Delta when the majors are taking a beating. All I am saying is that Delta is not doing as bad as AA or UAL, and that we seem to have a plan, unlike the others. We have the resources and we have a target in our sights---Jetblue. Now, will we win right away? I don't know, but we are going to go after them. I like Jetblue pilots and have nothing personal against them, but I want to defend my airline and think we have a good chance to do well. After 9-11 we had to shut down half of Delta Express, why was that? The reason is that we furloughed the bottom 400 guys immediately---and most of those guys were FO's at Express. Our loads at Express have always been full--but the airplane was not the right plane for the routes. Now we will have 757's with more seats, the same gas burn as the 737-200, and hopefully new attitudes with the new flight attendants etc. We are really going for something new--and something that will not hurt mainline loads out of ATL and CVG. I believe in Delta and the idea of Song, and I think it will do well.

SWA/FO,

You sound like a good guy too. I would be happy to buy you any Tall or Grande coffee at Starbucks, but I can't say I can afford a Venti for both you and your Capt at this time. It will be interesting to watch Song grow--and I hope it does well. I also think I will look "sexy" in a lime green 757. (joke!!!) (Maybe??)

And yes, The Original General Lee did go down in the South--in Atlanta too. But, we all know that the real General Lee (the car in the Dukes of Hazard) was never caught and was always the fastest thing around and admired by all in Hazard County. That Daisy Duke sure is "Perty!" Nice shorts.

Bye Bye---General Lee

 

[BLUE BAYOU]

General Lee, what do you think about Delta's industry leading institution of charging extra for bags weighing over 50 pounds is supposed to do? It seems that the industry allowance has been 70 pounds per bag for the longest time. Is this another poor decision by management on customer service? The cash-strapped airlines conducted a similar stunt with extra fees before and failed-- I can't see this as a positive thing for your customers... It'll probably slow the 90 second check-in time as the cash register gets rung for the extra bucks... and finally, what if I had an oversized guitar case on Song I wanted to check, how much are they going to charge for that???

 

[Yahtzee]

Nice ads

Hmmmm. Well, first of all there won't be any old hags on Song, because everyone who wants to be at Song, except the Pilots, will have to be re-interviewed or first time interviewed---which means no Bit@hes allowed. Only "fun" ones allowed----so you probably will see different attitudes than some of the old sky hags.

One of my UAL friends told me about a Quantas billboard in Australia that said "Would you rather fly to your grandmother or with your grandmother?" in reference to older FAs on UAL's 747-400

According to my friend at UAL, UAL FAs promptly complained and the billboards were removed...to the disapproval of many who knew this was billboard was clever and downright funny.

Best Wishes to everyone at Delta and JetBlue....and Southwest too!

Yahtz

P.S. Speaking of ads, our local Air Force Base paper will feature a nice little gem tomorrow. One of the new classified ads reads "Wanted: Large quantities of Girl Scout cookies. Call xxx-xxxx between 7 & 9 P.M."

The xxx-xxxx is the home phone number of a Lt Col in my squadron. I can neither confirm nor deny any involvement with this ad.

 

[NYRANGERS]

General Lee, what do you think about Delta's industry leading institution of charging extra for bags weighing over 50 pounds is supposed to do? It seems that the industry allowance has been 70 pounds per bag for the longest time. Is this another poor decision by management on customer service? The cash-strapped airlines conducted a similar stunt with extra fees before and failed-- I can't see this as a positive thing for your customers... It'll probably slow the 90 second check-in time as the cash register gets rung for the extra bucks... and finally, what if I had an oversized guitar case on Song I wanted to check, how much are they going to charge for that???

Now it seems you are reaching for straws. What does this have to do with Song. This policy does not apply to our medalion members. I guess it most likely has to do with the fact that ticket prices are what they were in 1987. Not sure who to blame with that, but it doesn't really matter. We are working on the revenue side as well as the cost.

This policy may not last too long but it is atleast a revenue side of the puzzle.

 

[Jeff G]

All I am saying is that Delta is not doing as bad as AA or UAL, and that we seem to have a plan, unlike the others.

LOL! Go Delta! We're not as bad!

Sorry, that just struck me as funny.

We have the resources and we have a target in our sights---Jetblue. Now, will we win right away? I don't know, but we are going to go after them.

Look General, the last I looked this wasn't a game with winners and losers. If Delta and JetBlue both make money, both "win". If your focus is "going after JetBlue" instead of on your customers, you'll lose in the long run no matter how much damage you inflict. Bragging rights are fine and dandy over a cold one at the lounge on a layover, but don't let the whole "airline war" concept go to your head. "It's the customers, stupid."

 

[Lifter]

Jeff G

Failure to take the customer in mind when making business decisions will endlessly result in ineffective and/or inefficient operations.

Maybe that's why Song is destining to have the same problems as Delta. You are right; competition between JB and Delta isn't the goal or end result. The winner is who will provide the customer with the best service at the best price. The best price isn't always the cheapest. Song might be able to under cut JB ticket prices in hopes to strangle JB's sustainability, but in the end, without providing the service to the customers; Song will be left without a customer base to operate.

It appears JB's management is dedicated to its customers, both in service and fare prices. Hopefully, after the March interviews I might be able to confirm this with actual experience.

Instead of announcing "Song" was created to offer what the customers in NY want or need, they have apparently targeted JB's demise as their goal. If for some unseen reason, they succeed in hurting JB, and carry a dominant role in the snowbird travel, they invariably will revert to their old game plan, dominate a market and charge whatever price they want, and ignore the service they provide.

I see nothing wrong with JB and Song competing for the customers, there should be sufficient # of people to make both profitable. Hopefully, this won't turn into an operate at a lost and try to outlast each other. If Song can operate with a CASM in the low 6s, they should be able to make the same return on the Florida travel market, provided they can offer the same service JB is offering. The passenger will be better off in the end with either carrier.

Hopefully, JB will call shortly for their March interview, and I can join JB and keep the focus on the passenger. If that is the mission of the airline, combined with smart management decisions and an efficient operation, JB will continue to succeed well into the future.

JB hopeful

 

[Ty Webb]

You guys have hit the nail on the head. DAL would probably actually be making money if they focused on the customer instead of the competition.

DAl has said that we cost them $1 Bil every year by lowering fares on "their" routes. Funny thing is, we only took in $650 mil last year altogether, and some of our routes didn;t even compete against them at all. They decided to start putting RJ's into some of the routes, so we responded by getting RJ's as a defensive move. Now we have RJ's to use agianst them. Smooth move, Leo!

DAL would rather lose money on six flights a day to keep pax off of our three flights. The problem is, we are making money, and they are losing money . . . which means we can keep doing this forever.

This year, they have gone after us on all of our proprietary routes, and have been dumping seats into the rest. The result? They lose money, we made money, and I wouldn't be too surprised to start seeing us going into some of their other markets, like CVG . . . why not? What do we have to lose? They have already enetered all of our proprietary markets, so we really don;t have anythng to fear from them anymore.

Smooth move again, Leo.

 

[Dieterly]

Bragging rights are fine

A DBA pilot bragging? Never heard of a such thing...

 

[kwijybo]

Hey General, Sherman is coming...

If my airline was circling the drain, I would be grasping at anything afloat as well. I make it a policy never to rip an airline, just defend mine.

Hey General, as far as your 'Song', I can't imagine a more thorough vindication of the JB business plan than the almighty Delta airlines starting up the closest thing to a carbon copy they can. I suggest if Song is the best thing since sliced bread, why not drop the whole song project, and just make Delta into song. 30+ 757's - good, whole Delta fleet - best. Apparently that name no longer has the luster it once had. So there is now ASA, Comair, Delta Express, Song, and Delta. Geeze, quite the family of airlines. It seems like only the mainline boys are the ones losing money hand over fist.

If anything, I think this song will help JB in the long run. Keep us looking over our shoulder and believing all the press about us. Stay hungry and all.

I have always thought of Delta pilots sort of like the Delta boys from Animal House. 'What's that on your uniform, Mister, a pledge pin?' Rumor has it, a Delta pilot had an issue with a JB pilot that didn't have his hat on. Oops. For Delta pilots, everything else is just a plan B. That attitude wears me down quick. Is that just me, or do others have that opinion of the best brightest, and highest paid among us?

As for the General Lee, the doors didn't open, a guy named Hogg couldn't catch them, and Uncle Jessie was the one dropping the hammer on those shorts. As for being admired in, ahem, Hazzard, these are the same red neck hillbillies that are at Daytona right now watching cars turn left. Can't those toothless, inbred wonders at NASCAR figure out how to make cars turn right?

Keep up the funny posts General and don't grip the yoke so tight. A rising tide raises all boats, this isn't a zero sum game.

 

[NYRANGERS]

Re: Hey General, Sherman is coming...

If my airline was circling the drain, I would be grasping at anything afloat as well. I make it a policy never to rip an airline, just defend mine.

Hey General, as far as your 'Song', I can't imagine a more thorough vindication of the JB business plan than the almighty Delta airlines starting up the closest thing to a carbon copy they can. I suggest if Song is the best thing since sliced bread, why not drop the whole song project, and just make Delta into song. 30+ 757's - good, whole Delta fleet - best. Apparently that name no longer has the luster it once had. So there is now ASA, Comair, Delta Express, Song, and Delta. Geeze, quite the family of airlines. It seems like only the mainline boys are the ones losing money hand over fist.

If anything, I think this song will help JB in the long run. Keep us looking over our shoulder and believing all the press about us. Stay hungry and all.

I have always thought of Delta pilots sort of like the Delta boys from Animal House. 'What's that on your uniform, Mister, a pledge pin?' Rumor has it, a Delta pilot had an issue with a JB pilot that didn't have his hat on. Oops. For Delta pilots, everything else is just a plan B. That attitude wears me down quick. Is that just me, or do others have that opinion of the best brightest, and highest paid among us?

As for the General Lee, the doors didn't open, a guy named Hogg couldn't catch them, and Uncle Jessie was the one dropping the hammer on those shorts. As for being admired in, ahem, Hazzard, these are the same red neck hillbillies that are at Daytona right now watching cars turn left. Can't those toothless, inbred wonders at NASCAR figure out how to make cars turn right?

Keep up the funny posts General and don't grip the yoke so tight. A rising tide raises all boats, this isn't a zero sum game.

Come on, there are like 5 or 6 Delta pilots who post here. We are just supporting what we think is a good business plan. Your airline may have the TV thing as your legacy, but you hardly started the concept of the traditional LCC. Keep patting yourself on the back and taking shots at us.

I think your management runs a good airline, but you can hardly compare Delta to Jetblue. Once Song is up and running you can take shots at us. That will be a much better guage at how we try our hand at the LCC thing (and no Delta Express is not a good example, it succeded tremendously in it's objective of bypassing the ATL hub).

And I guess the technological advancements and enormous popularity of NASCAR has bypassed what you remember. This is not just Bill France's car anymore.

As I said to a good friend of mine earlier..........it's getting harder and harder to root for you guys.

Fly safe.

NYR

Rangers blew it today. NYR1 PHL2

 

[kwijybo]

NY Rangers, my post was mostly directed at Gen Lee, his posts are killing me. A week after announcing the 'name' he basicallyy posts that JB's days are numbered. As for the rest of Delta, I know I was painting with a broad brush, everbody and everything has good and bad in it.

As for NASCAR, popular doesn't make it good. Soccer is the most popular game in the world and it is horrible on so many levels, and the Backstreet Boys have sold more records than the Beatles.

Who is winning Dale or Ricky? that covers about half the field.

It is all good. Don't take my potshots at NASCAR too seriously, they are good dudes. Better than most pro-athletes these days according to police records.

 

[NYRANGERS]

NY Rangers, my post was mostly directed at Gen Lee, his posts are killing me. A week after announcing the 'name' he basicallyy posts that JB's days are numbered. As for the rest of Delta, I know I was painting with a broad brush, everbody and everything has good and bad in it.

As for NASCAR, popular doesn't make it good. Soccer is the most popular game in the world and it is horrible on so many levels, and the Backstreet Boys have sold more records than the Beatles.

Who is winning Dale or Ricky? that covers about half the field.

It is all good. Don't take my potshots at NASCAR too seriously, they are good dudes. Better than most pro-athletes these days according to police records.

I would try to argue with you but you got me with that Backstreet post. I thought we lived in a predominantly just world.........then the Backstreet boys spawned.

I know we mostly have fun here giving eachother the business, but you have to rember that Song is the only bit of sunshine us Delta boys have seen in a while. We are just trying to cheer up on a bit of semi-positive news (it all depends on how this Song thing works out). And I can assure you I mean no disrespect nor would I like any pilot to loose his career (i know you should never start a sentence with "and", but I sucked at grammar).

I went to school with a few management types over at jetBlue, and I know a good many pilots who are there. I don't have a bad word to say about any of them. You are in good company.

Happy flying to you,

NYR

Barnaby didn't even get 2 PIM