To have a little humor here is my prediction on what types of ideas are floating around in the marketing and ops world of the new Delta. Remember it's just wild speculation but that is half the fun.
1. Delta smells blood in the water with Airtran. Last week their CEO, makes an unsolicited bid to tell Southwest that his company would entertain a codeshare agreement. Are you kidding me? Airtran CEO: "Hey Southwest do you want to come play in our sandbox with us?" With this in mind expect the 9's and 88's to go all over. Hey 9 drivers: I would start learning the Kory 3 arrival, enjoying the Park Plaza Hotel in BOS, and look forward to the Marine Air Terminal. You guys are the new shuttle operation if Delta doesn't sub contract it all out to a DCI. Marketing needs those 88's elsewhere to be compete even more directly with Airtran.
2. Boeing is in a pinch with the strike and they know it. Midwest Airlines just gave the keys back to Boeing on several 717's they lease from them. Boeing needs to move that product and offers them at firesale prices for Delta to lease them. That's the new 100 seat jet Delta has been looking for as a midterm solution to adjust lift away from still ineffecient 50 seat jets. And just like all the others for some reason they still call it a DC-9 type. Spin up with training and differences I would expect to be minimal and they could be on property by end of January if not earlier.
3. DC-9's will be in ATL to put more pressure on Airtran by direct head to head flights to various markets that Airtran is soft in and Delta wants to control market share.
4. I speculate that DCC will happen within the next two weeks.
More wild speculation for your enjoyment later this week........
