Prof - good point!

Of course, in corporate communications Delta is sure to tell them they are not part of the team. Having worked for a DCI carrier, our President flat out said he did not care about fuel costs, or even if Delta went bankrupt. His attitude is we make money flying the airplane regardless and if Delta goes T U then we'll fly for someone else. Amazing ...

Worse, wait until you see how they handle IROPS. Delta did not include pax handling in the contracts and so the vendors don't want to spend a penny on handling a IROP pax. If you want to know why they try to make them spend the night on a jet, there is your answer. My former CPO literally screamed at me for letting passengers off the airplane on a diversion. The airline's plan was to keep them on the jet from 11PM until around 11AM the next day - no I'm not kidding - first name starts with a D, ends with OUG.

But that is what happens when you give operational control to a third party who does not share your common goals.

Frankly, this very poor management of outsoucing is why we now live under the Passenger Bill of Rights.