More 717s for Delta?

[Heavy Set]

I bet GL will be happy to read this. No doubt Anderson at Delta is salivating over these airframes... When will Delta approach Hawaiian for their 717s?

http://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/news/27667-finlands-blue-1-coy-on-b717-replacement-plans

 

[General Lee]

Well, that would be great. I think RA and others in management have figured out that the 717 is a good RJ replacement. The Regionals are having tough times maintaining current schedules due to dwindling pilot numbers, and it will only get worse. DL doesn't have a problem yet getting new pilots, and more 717s combined with fewer frequencies to smaller cities (3 daily 717 flights vs 6 RJ flights) will keep passengers flowing into DL hubs with the same number of seats. Genius move, and I hope DL goes after these particular planes, and continues to try to get as many 717s as possible. The combination of expensive RJs and fewer pilots available to fly them is a problem, and more 717s could definitely be a solution. Maybe some new C-series planes at mainline could replace 70 seaters next.(CR7s)



Bye Bye---General Lee

 

[Jim]

When will Delta approach Hawaiian for their 717s?

http://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/news/27667-finlands-blue-1-coy-on-b717-replacement-plans

They won't get them. We've never had a better plane for inter-island.

 

[Mercyful Fate]

Well, that would be great. I think RA and others in management have figured out that the 717 is a good RJ replacement. The Regionals are having tough times maintaining current schedules due to dwindling pilot numbers, and it will only get worse. DL doesn't have a problem yet getting new pilots, and more 717s combined with fewer frequencies to smaller cities (3 daily 717 flights vs 6 RJ flights) will keep passengers flowing into DL hubs with the same number of seats. Genius move, and I hope DL goes after these particular planes, and continues to try to get as many 717s as possible. The combination of expensive RJs and fewer pilots available to fly them is a problem, and more 717s could definitely be a solution. Maybe some new C-series planes at mainline could replace 70 seaters next.(CR7s)



Bye Bye---General Lee

Go tell that to marketing. With this kind of thinking why not just run one 757 into a smaller market once a day and cover most it. Just because you can cover seats, doesn't mean its a good idea to reduce schedules. Shocked with your vast knowledge you didn't already know that.

 

[General Lee]

Go tell that to marketing. With this kind of thinking why not just run one 757 into a smaller market once a day and cover most it. Just because you can cover seats, doesn't mean its a good idea to reduce schedules. Shocked with your vast knowledge you didn't already know that.

Uhhhhhh, look what the 717s are doing now. Expect that to continue. Cities that were once flown to by mainline 727s and 737s and were handed to the regionals after 9-11 and BK are coming back to mainline. It's Fannnnntastic!



Bye Bye---General Lee

 

[Mercyful Fate]

Uhhhhhh, look what the 717s are doing now. Expect that to continue. Cities that were once flown to by mainline 727s and 737s and were handed to the regionals after 9-11 and BK are coming back to mainline. It's Fannnnntastic!



Bye Bye---General Lee

Yea big whoop. Delta also back in the day had 737 and 727 into small Montana markets. Don't use that as an example to make your point. They will shuffle these 717's in and out of different markets from Atlanta every schedule rotation, and those pesky CRJs will still be around. And you will still be pretending to be a pilot as you sit at your desk at Delta doing crew scheduling or whatever the hell you really do there.

 

[General Lee]

Yea big whoop. Delta also back in the day had 737 and 727 into small Montana markets. Don't use that as an example to make your point. They will shuffle these 717's in and out of different markets from Atlanta every schedule rotation, and those pesky CRJs will still be around. And you will still be pretending to be a pilot as you sit at your desk at Delta doing crew scheduling or whatever the hell you really do there.

Uhhhh, look at this Summer from SLC to BZN, for example. DL I believe has 2 319s (actually a 319 and a 320, in AUG) between the cities plus some RJs, a lot better than all RJs. (And a 319 from SLC to BIL) Also, since the merger, not all connections to Montana need to be in SLC. From MSP there are 319s every Summer to FCA, BIL, BZN, and probably GTF. The RJs from SLC mean SLC isn't the only way to get pax to Montana. There are even nonstops from ATL to BZN and FCA. Amazing! (A full 717 won't make it nonstop, but a 319 will). Loads during the Winter may necessitate an RJ, but as qualified pilots leave the Regionals and head for the big 3 and the LCCs, it will be tougher to man those flights, and the legacies will have to fill in. Inefficient RJs and a serious shortage of pilots. Those two will accelerate the parking of RJs. You know that is true Percy.



Bye Bye---General Lee

 

[livin'thesim]

Here is the part I can never figure out:

I assume that it costs more to add a 717 to mainline than it would to increase the payments to the regional vendors to ensure that flights are covered.

Now, it makes sense if mainline wants more direct control over the use of the airframes, but I can't figure out why it would not be cheaper to just bump up the fees paid to the regionals that to add - as GL put it - and RJ replacement to mainline.

What am I missing from a finance standpoint here?

Is it that regional management is simply not competent at any price mainline is willing to pay?

 

[Mercyful Fate]

Uhhhh, look at this Summer from SLC to BZN, for example. DL I believe has 2 319s (actually a 319 and a 320, in AUG) between the cities plus some RJs, a lot better than all RJs. (And a 319 from SLC to BIL) Also, since the merger, not all connections to Montana need to be in SLC. From MSP there are 319s every Summer to FCA, BIL, BZN, and probably GTF. The RJs from SLC mean SLC isn't the only way to get pax to Montana. There are even nonstops from ATL to BZN and FCA. Amazing! (A full 717 won't make it nonstop, but a 319 will). Loads during the Winter may necessitate an RJ, but as qualified pilots leave the Regionals and head for the big 3 and the LCCs, it will be tougher to man those flights, and the legacies will have to fill in. Inefficient RJs and a serious shortage of pilots. Those two will accelerate the parking of RJs. You know that is true Percy.



Bye Bye---General Lee

Wow such smarts!! Adding more seats to one round trip to meet the demand of summer travel, and putting in direct flights for certain peak times. This is airline business 101, and not anything new. You should be freakin' Delta's CEO with these smarts. Psssssst, all this drivel you just spilled has ZERO to do with your 717 hard on you are sporting.

 

[madjack]

DL is doing everything right it seems....of the big 3 it has to be the top choice for those pilots seeking a career in the majors...anecdotally, on the van, I have seen HAPPY DL in-flight crews! I have also talked with ALaska crews that were worried about DL's inroads in it's SEA fortress hub...SWA will never be a threat to DL in ATL, this is reinforced every time I taxi past the vast DL maint facility in ATL...hopefully the DL pilots will be able to achieve pre bankruptcy pay and benefits...