Originally Posted by flyallnite

Here is what I think about that:

U.S.-LHR: We won't lose what we have now. By coordinating schedules with VA and eventually pricing, we'll be able to move much more traffic onto the DL system, where we make 100 percent of the profits. The passenger in England is no longer obliged to take BA and therefore American to get to Des Moines. In the long run, it may allow for larger aircraft and more flights for us to LHR. Do I want that VA A380 in Atlanta? The answer is a qualified yes. Yes, if we don't reduce our service in that market accordingly, because I want that A380 full of passengers that otherwise would have flown AA or United to be on Delta when they connect.

Asia: VA not really a big player there, and LHR isn't really a big connecting point from the US to Asia. That's why Singapore sold their share, it just was too far afield to do anything with.

Caribbean: I think we stand to gain. DL flies all over the Caribbean, and by gaining access to the huge, number one market in England, we now are able to fill those flights with more people- see ATL above. I don't think VA can really feed their network into or out of the Caribbean without us.

Africa: AF/KLM provides more service to the Continent than anyone. If you are traveling from the US, DL has direct service. So I don't think Africa will change much at all as a result of the JV with VA, not a gain or loss there.


Will Virgin Atlantic grow as a result of this? Probably yes. Will they fly to more US markets? Probably yes. But I do think we'll see some growth as a result also. Some of that will be more narrow bodies flying ATL to Jamaica. Some will be bigger profits. Some I hope will be new service to LHR from previously unserved markets. Some will be bigger corporate contracts.

Sir Richard was notably absent from the press conference. He is a visionary, a maverick, and a hell of a showman. But he's not an airline executive. He has dyslexia. The last thing he wants is some analyst asking him questions about a spreadsheet. He built a great brand. His genius is knowing that he needs an expert to save it. Delta is arguably the best run airline in the world today. RA is arguably the best CEO. It speaks volumes that Sir Richard was not present at the announcement. We just picked up a brand that is loved and admired around the world, and slots at the most desirable airport in the world for the price that UCAL paid for 4 flights to LHR, and now they are dead last in the market and the music has stopped.