Search Results for "Delta".
Delta managed to obtain slots from Canada’s WestJet that the federal government had fought to keep out of its hands for 12 years.
It appears to be the culmination of Delta’s plan – laid out 15 years ago – to “win New York.”
Customers won’t choose an airline that doesn’t get them where they’re going. But those are table stakes. Delta and United have pursued a premium strategy. American isn’t. But with American’s high costs, they need to earn a revenue premium for their product. That means customers need to spend more – on premium products, and choosing them over competitors.
The airline’s first quarter losses, and continued financial underperformance compared to Delta and United, show that improved operations aren’t enough. They’re just a start. Airline management, though, doesn’t seem to understand this.
Delta SkyMiles rarely have much value for international business class travel. They charge 4-6 times more than their partners do for the same flights. And flights to Asia are usually even more expensive than to Europe.
Right now, though, there is amazing business class availability on their Seattle – Taipei flight. You can get 9 or more passengers in business on many flights. And pricing starts at just 146,200 miles roundtrip.
Delta Air Lines flight 520 from New York JFK to Los Angeles had a piece of the aircraft fall off during climb out this morning, with emergency equipment meeting the flight on arrival. Delta substituted another Boeing 767, and passengers were sent on their way – expected to land in Los Angeles three and a half hours late.
Delta Air Lines just announced a 5% across-the-board pay increase for its non-union workforce. It’s the third year in a row of pay increases, and follows February’s $1.4 billion profit-sharing payout.
The airline is also instituting a new $19 per hour minimum starting wage. Both changes go into effect June 1, and combine for an annualized expected cost of $500 million in increased wages. Minimum starting wage employees will earn $5,000 more per year than they currently do.
Delta Air Lines is working with the U.S. government so that connecting passengers arriving off of international flights won’t have to collect their checked baggage and drag it through customs themselves. Starting with flights arriving from Tokyo Haneda, and potentially by the end of the year, passengers will be able to check bags through to their final connecting destinations in the United States. Update: the pilot of this program will begin at Seoul Incheon airport, not Tokyo Haneda.
Delta may have tapped out the potential of SkyMiles. With 30% of active members already holding their credit card, that explains the move last fall to push their most engaged members to spend more on their cards – or lose the benefits of status. They can’t just add more cardmembers to grow, and there’s no more money to take from American Express for existing business.
A roundup of the most important stories of the day. I keep you up to date on the most interesting writings I find on other sites – the latest news and tips.
A Delta Diamond medallion booked his family on an international trip in premium economy. They were going to fly Delta’s Airbus A350 – but when the airline changed the aircraft they were planning to use to one of their ex-LATAM planes without that cabin the whole family was downgraded to extra legroom coach.
So he decided to upgrade himself and his wife, and leave their three kids in back.
A passenger sitting at the front of the coach cabin on the Airbus A350 saw a family of 5 seat themselves in the ‘Comfort+’ section. However two of those seats were already occupied. A flight attendant comes in to sort out the ‘duplicate seats’. But those weren’t the only stowaways – three others actually made it to Los Angeles.
Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel -- a topic he has covered since 2002.
Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »
