Delta Takes Out the Competition: Clips 2 Planes and a Truck in 24 Hours

On Wednesday I wrote about a Delta 737 clipping an American Boeing 757 as the American flight prepared to take off for Dublin.

Less than 24 hours later an arriving Delta Connection flight from Chicago clipped the wing of a Delta Connection regional aircraft operated by GoJet Airlines which was parked at the gate. They aren’t just targeting their major airline competitors, their regional partners are playing hardball with each other too.

Then a mere hour later “the left wingtip of a Delta MD-88 jet touched a flatbed truck as it was turning into a ramp area” and the driver of the tug was sent to the hospital and released.

Under the leadership of former Delta CEO Richard Anderson the airline played hardball with customers, suppliers, and politicians. Under new CEO Ed Bastian their narrative is that they’re playing nicer. Apparently pilots at New York JFK haven’t gotten the memo!

About Gary Leff

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 »

More articles by Gary Leff »