Originally Posted by
AlaskaBound
Definitely not a myth. Delta cares more about the HVPs than anyone else out there. Their business accounts, which make them ridiculous amounts of money, matter more to them than the leisure traveler from SEA-HNL. Look at the amount of time, money and effort spent trying to make these medallion members happy. The leisure travelers fill up seats in the back and help pay for the gas. Baggage fees from the peasants help cover the rest of the operating costs (yes, I'm being fiascos but you get my point).
And the EJet is better than the CRJ captain tony.
Totally a myth.
Yes, of course DL cares about business travelers. Maybe even more than most or anyone. But my point stands. Take away all non business pax and every US airline liquidates instantly. Just because you focus on certain passengers/markets doesn't mean you're not competing hard for the others. Thats like saying Ford only cares about the F150 and they have no problem surrendering as much of the rest of their lineup as the competition wants to take, whenever they want to take it.
Yet here come the LCC's lobbying the gullible airport boards with their own money thinking they have cracked the code with the "Southwest Effect" dujure. Pulling demand out of thin air, all from Greyhound, if you build it they will come, blah blah blah. Nevermind that a large amount of their routes are between well established, extremely highly saturated markets but I'm sure they'll be manufacturing millions of new customers per year in each one LOL!
Yes DL cares about business pax. Of course. But they care deeply about leisure and infrequent passengers as well because they add up to numbers so big you can't run an airline without them. They are every bit as mission critical.