hmm... next time I go to Busan, I think I'll go on Korean.... next time to Guam on United (CM), and next time to Singapore on SQ. Not sure flying through NRT or HND is going to be competitive to these places long term for DL. Japan is in the Doldrums; just be glad Delta did not get that stake in JAL or the loss would have been close to catastrophic. On the flip side, ANA is doing well and capturing the available market share out of the country.
Didn't Delta shut the ANC operation because Cargo was not profitable enough? Even if you fly a half empty main deck on the 777, with a full cargo load from ATL-NRT, money is being lost.
If you think DL will post an overall profit this year, you are smoking the crack rock - ain't gonna happen. They dangle one or two good years every decade to keep employees coming back to work - and the rest of the time they are distributing the cash flow to management pensions, and cost savings initiative bonus's. For instance. The -9 will be gone by the end of the summer. A competitor, Republic, will fly more airplanes for Delta Connection (replacing DC-9's); meanwhile, a wholly owned subsidiary will lose jobs and tons of airplanes. How is that creating synergy? IT ISN'T!!! A lot of people here are looking through rose colored glasses on this message board. Two bases will be closed by the end of 2012 - an in order to close these bases with the politicians they made promises too, they have to be making a loss.
One good year of profits, and the rest of the time employees have to traffic drugs just to make it by. Pretty sad.
Talk about smoking the "ROCK", you need a drug test soon. I am glad you will be flying Korean to Busan. They are a SkyTeam member, you know. Actually, you can't, because flights to Busan on Korean are from the downtown Seoul airport Gimpo, vs Incheon their INTL base. Much faster to do it through NRT on DL. You would have to fly to ICN on KE, and then take a bus to Gimpo. You probably would look cooler on a bus anyway, and not an Airbus.
I am glad DL didn't invest in JAL. They and ANA are really getting weaker, because all of their operation is affected. Not the case with DL. And DL did close the ANC base, but not due to cargo yeilds. The planes flying the cargo were too expensive to keep fixing, they were old---747-200s. Since DL got rid of their 742s, Kallitta may have taken a few, but mainly as spares for their own aging 742 fleet. They, along with World Airways, and soon Southern Air, have decided to get 744Fs, since they are more fuel efficient. DL decided to keep the NWA 744s for pax ops. Now, without the mx expense of the ex-NWA 742s, DL can carry belly cargo and make more of a profit. With pax loads being lighter to NRT since the earthquake, that has allowed for more cargo no doubt, and Japan needs the cargo coming in.
Delta had a similar bad quarter in 2010, and pulled out a large profit for Q2 and Q3 that gave a yearly profit of over $586 million. There was $330 million handed out to employees alone in profit sharing. Q2 has already been very strong, and Summer will even be better. That will carry DL through with a profit for the year, even if Q4 is slower. Add to that proactive route planning and not going daily on unprofitable routes after Labor Day, all of that can only help achieve that goal. Delta is also hedged better than most, and fuel hikes have actually stuck, keeping up with higher oil. This is stuff even you can't refute. You can try, but you won't be able to. Will 2 bases be closed next year? If so, those planes would go to build up other bases. There are only so many 70/76 seat RJs allowed, and we all assume Delta will go to that max number. Why wouldn't they? But, you can't replace the exiting 50 seaters one for one with 70/76 seaters. You just can't, and 50s are bailing at a fast rate.
Republic is adding 6 E170s, probably for the LGA slot swap. It isn't official yet, but most are thinking that way, since the hold up was SWA asking for DCA slots, and now with Airtran has them. If the deal does go through, those slots from LGA are "regional" slots, to places like Elmira and Ithaca. That is why Delta would need them, not to really to replace any more mainline flying, because those slots necessitate RJs. LGA would grow though, and an extra terminal next to terminal 1. That means some extra mainline flying may arise, and maybe Dc9s could do some of the thinner routes.
As far as drug trafficing, I read the article but know nothing about it. I am glad NO OTHER AIRLINE has ever had that problem. Well, excpet your own problem that you need to deal with yourself. Maybe you and Lindsey Lohan can get help at Promises.
Bye Bye--General Lee
