What is Delta focused on? Service and new routes, stupid!

[Scrapdog]

General Lee - get a grip dude!

You probably also left a poop stain, but I guess that was our fault too. We should have found that piece of gum in the seat pocket between the 45 minute turns. Yeah, that was all our fault. You probably ate some of those Sun chips too.


Bye Bye--General Lee

OK General - I'm going to break this news flash to you...and I know it's going to be difficult for you to comprehend...but I'm going to do my best so as not to crush your airline-centric life. No one friggin cares dude!!! The average passenger getting on an airplane doesn't give a flying "poop" if they're on Delta, American, or Aeroflot...they just want the cheapest ticket that gets them there relatively safe. Hell, I bet more than 90 percent bought their tickets on orbitz and didn't give two sh*ts on what air carrier it is.

The fact that Delta is emerging from bankruptcy makes absolutely zero difference to the average passenger in the US of A. Delta can make commercials with snazzy new F/A uniforms and you can offer even more of your disgusting array of snack food that Delta so loves to give (some crappy cookie, Sun chips, or peanuts - even on a transcon for crying out loud) and it's not going to change one iota how the average person travels. If CAL's ticket costs 99 and Delta costs 98, they pick Delta. Actually caring on what air carrier a person traveled on went out the door in 1985. Now it's the days of flip flops and wearing pajama pants to the airport.

General, once you understand that and realize the average person doesn't care how good you look at Starbucks in your Delta uniform nor the fact you're emerging a "new, leaner Delta" you'll feel a lot better. Admittance is the first step to healing...catch a clue brutha and get a life!

 

[sleeves]

OK General - I'm going to break this news flash to you...and I know it's going to be difficult for you to comprehend...but I'm going to do my best so as not to crush your airline-centric life. No one friggin cares dude!!! The average passenger getting on an airplane doesn't give a flying "poop" if they're on Delta, American, or Aeroflot...they just want the cheapest ticket that gets them there relatively safe. Hell, I bet more than 90 percent bought their tickets on orbitz and didn't give two sh*ts on what air carrier it is.

The fact that Delta is emerging from bankruptcy makes absolutely zero difference to the average passenger in the US of A. Delta can make commercials with snazzy new F/A uniforms and you can offer even more of your disgusting array of snack food that Delta so loves to give (some crappy cookie, Sun chips, or peanuts - even on a transcon for crying out loud) and it's not going to change one iota how the average person travels. If CAL's ticket costs 99 and Delta costs 98, they pick Delta. Actually caring on what air carrier a person traveled on went out the door in 1985. Now it's the days of flip flops and wearing pajama pants to the airport.

General, once you understand that and realize the average person doesn't care how good you look at Starbucks in your Delta uniform nor the fact you're emerging a "new, leaner Delta" you'll feel a lot better. Admittance is the first step to healing...catch a clue brutha and get a life!

The people on here care even less. I do not buy tickets. I jumpseat as do most on here. It is great Delta, SWA, Jetblue ETC... has all these new programs but it means zero to me. I want to know about how we as a group are going to increase our paychecks.

 

[doh]

You need to fly Airtran instead, they sound like your type of passengers.

No AA or Continental are my preffered airlines. Unfortunately, Delta is sometimes the only alternative based on seat availability.

 

[aerobato]

I can see why anyone would be proud to work for Delta. Bankruptcy gets you out of debt....come out and screw the retirees by xing the pension. Oh, and then triple the retiree's health benefit prices. Screw all of the people that own Delta stock....and then paint all of the airplanes for a new look at an enormous expense.. I'd be proud

 

[Noserider76]

Small ones?! Hell, they have been kicking your a$$ for so long now you wouldn't know what small is...or maybe you would.

Sorry to break it to you but Airtran and Midwest will still be a small airline. Ask your boyfriend, I'm sure he knows what small is.

 

[ivauir]

Delta Airlines Focused On Service, New Routes, CFO Says


DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
June 13, 2007 7:49 p.m.


By Paula L. Stepankowsky
Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES


After a 19-month bankruptcy restructuring that fixed the balance sheet and reduced costs, Delta Air Lines Inc. (DAL) is focused on giving premium service and designing its route structures for maximum profit, Chief Financial Officer Ed Bastian said at a global transportation conference in New York Wednesday.

Delta's reputation for service suffered as it struggled with financial problems, but now it is focused on the customer - something that will pay off in increased revenue, Bastian said in a presentation broadcast over the Internet.

He said Delta's on-time rankings have improved to the point where it has been in first place 25 out of the past 26 weeks. It is also deep-cleaning its aircraft more often, as well as improving its baggage handling.

"This is a great opportunity for us to continue to reduce costs," Bastian said. "We will spend more than $100 million a year on lost baggage."

On the route front, Delta has ordered new Boeing 777 aircraft for use on new Asian flights, including, it hopes, to China, Bastian said. Delta is also working to increase flights to Europe, Africa and the Middle East, he said.

Earlier Wednesday, the Atlanta-based carrier said it would change its accounting for its SkyMiles frequent-flier program. This would add $72 million to revenue for the two-month period ending June 30 and $186 million for the eight-month period ending with December. For the latter period, Delta forecasts $43 million in pretax income, a turnaround from its previous estimate of a loss of $145 million.

Delta estimated a second-quarter operating margin of 11% to 12%, as domestic capacity is expected to fall by 4% to 6% and international capacity is expected to rise by 14% to 16%, compared with the same period in 2006. Mainline nonfuel unit costs are forecast to drop 2% to 3% in the quarter from the previous year.

How much of that money came out of your wallet genital lee?

Delta also amended its Visa/Mastercard card agreement to eliminate a $1.1 billion withholding requirement for Delta tickets purchased on Visa or MasterCard. While the airline was going through bankruptcy proceedings, the credit-card processors withheld paying Delta for an amount generally equal to potential liability for tickets purchased with Visa or MasterCard that hadn't yet been used for travel. Bastian said this savings will help reduce Delta's estimated $7.6 billion debt by the end of 2007.


Bye Bye--General Lee

So this plan is going to be better than Song?

 

[ivauir]

And we will be the ones acquiring. We will have the advantage. Sure you do. I can't wait to buy you a 1$ beer in LBB..... if you pass the preferential interview.But, we will enjoy it while we can!! That USAir/Delta proposed merger sure did well in Congress, didn't it! You sure seem to know what will happen! Any lottery numbers you can share with us??!!!


Bye Bye--General Lee

So this plan is going to be better than Song?

 

[ivauir]

You probably also left a poop stain, it looked like yo mama but I guess that was our fault too. We should have found that piece of gum in the seat pocket between the 45 minute turns. how much did they pay you during the turn, genious? At SWA you'd have been half way to the hotel by then - or even better half way home.Yeah, that was all our fault. You probably ate some of those Sun chips too.


Bye Bye--General Lee

So this plan is going to be better than Song?

 

[optimater]

General,

Let me preface this by saying that while growing up, Delta was my dream job. I interned there and it was the only place I ever wanted to go.

Recently,I had the good fortune of jumpseating on both Airtran and Delta as many members of my family were on Delta tickets. After a return trip, I discussed with my wife that in the future we would buy tickets on Airtran. The service on Airtran was above and beyond the Delta service. They were personable and the crews, gasp, actually introduced themselves to me. On an ASA flight (I know, not Delta, but the average pax won't differentiate) as they were boarding, my wife said the jumpseater and the 2 FA's were loudly discussing being up late, partying, and being tired while throwing in mild profanities. She could hear this from row 4! All this, while seeming to be annoyed that there were actually passengers on the flight.

I enjoy reading your posts, even though I think you are possibly the biggest kool-aid drinker on here. But that's okay, it's good to have pride in your company. I just wanted to give you an assessment of mine, and make you aware that just because it's put out in a press release doesn't mean that's what is happening on the line. And since the service was subpar, the competition will gain.

 

[cessnapilot]

You probably also left a poop stain, but I guess that was our fault too. We should have found that piece of gum in the seat pocket between the 45 minute turns. Yeah, that was all our fault. You probably ate some of those Sun chips too.


Bye Bye--General Lee

Yes, it is Delta's fault. Who should clean the gum? If they miss cleaning the gum on a 2 hour sit or a quick turn, it is still their product and their fault its not cleaned. It's not just a Delta thing. Fly foreign airlines if you want clean planes and good service.

 

[Champ42272]

To Scrapdog and Optimater:

IMHO the two best posts I have seen on FI.com for a long time.

I (and my DAL pilot wife) would love to have the kind of pride in Delta that it deserved and enjoyed in the past, but those days, regrettably, are long gone.

I hate to be cynical, but the airline industry is not frequented by the upscale, luxury traveling public that made this career the envy of all others. Management has Wal-Mart(ed) this business and downscaled the entire traveling experience in the name of cost reductions (labor), and market share vice revenue. Going to the airport these days is probably one of today's least enjoyable experiences.

Finally, combine a discouraged and disenfranchised work force (and poorly trained as Optimater's observation) with the stressed out, manic, great unwashed masses in the cabin and you have a very volatile mix. Through in a crowded National Airspace System (even with RVSM) and some thunderstoms or freezing rain and ice pellets, and it's no wonder everybody is pi$$ed off.

I wish it were better, but I see little hope of change in the future.

Just my opinion, I could be wrong.

Champ42272