I think RA is great! Of course I compare all of our Leaders to Leo Mullin, and with this criteria they are all great.

Actually, like some others I will take the "wait and see" approach before making an assessment on RA. So far so good, but I want to see what he has in store for DAL long term. Eventually we are going to have to go head to head with the competition - the only other option is what we have mostly been doing (with a few notable exceptions) which is retreating.

I am tired of hearing that we can not compete with Alaska. Alaska is slowly spreading all across the country - where do we draw the line? I distinctly remember a lot of talk about how a combined DAL and NW would reach a "critical mass" and grow in contested markets. I specifically remember LAX and BOS given as examples of this, but so far I have not seen it. I have seen MEM shrink, as anyone with a brain saw coming, even though the mouthpieces said it would grow. How shocking!

Internationally we will have to compete with not only a resurgent UAL and AMR in a few years, but also with Emirates and all the other international carriers that seem to have many advantages over us. Either we figure out how to compete or the US aviation industry goes the way of the US shipping industry.

I am curious as to how RA plans on dealing with all of this. Time will tell and with the passing of time it will be easier to accurately weigh in on RA's performance.

Scoop

 

DUDE! I messed this up last month, do NOT enter them all on one--it's an all or nothing!
I ended up talking to the ALPA scheduling/PCS guy who explained it to me, it's even more complicated... If you were to put trip 1 on line 1, then trip 2 in priority 2, etc..., as soon as it awards ONE of the priorities, it stops for that PCS run!

SO, here's what you have to do:
1. Put all three on priority 1, that will be an "all or nothing" drop.
2. Put the two most important to drop in priority #2, this is the backup if priority 1 doesn't work. I'd leave the one out that you're most likely able to drop later or give away.
3. Put another combo of 2 in priority 3...
4. etc., another combo of 2 in priority 4, then worst trip as single in priority 5 and on.

Good luck.

 

Along those lines.....

RIP James Gandolfini.....aka Tony Soprano.....


Great role, but seemed like an even better real man

CH

 

Thanks RoadKill! Good info. I found some good gouge in the PCS guide and ended up doing exactly what you suggested. Thanks for taking the time to reply.

 

I agree - we sit here and watch everyone around us ordering new airplanes: Airfrance (350s), Korean (747-8), United (787-10). That's just this week!

Now I'm not for the company ordering 30 new airplanes and kill the yields to put them somewhere. But - if the GDP grows at an average of 3% a year (yeah, yeah, 2009 wasn't too good for GDP growth), with the fleet we have by NOT adding widebodies we are effectively shrinking at 3% a year when we compare it to other airlines.

Yes, domestically we are "growing" in aircraft # but (a) most of the planes we have come are scheduled to be replacements. In fact, the company ordered the 100 737-900s as replacements for 320, 757 and 767-300 Domestic planes. No growth there. (b) the 717s are DC-9 replacements and RJ replacements. Richard and Ed bang the "capacity restraint" drum every chance they get. The company is not increasing seats in a meanful way, and certainly not internationally (on Delta airplanes).

Yes, we're making money - but I think at the detriment of Delta shareholders and employees. Are we going to see magic stars and rainbows when we reach $10B in debt and listed on the S&P 500? Perhaps. Maybe they are playing the long game by paying $$$ now to reduce debt, then the lower cost of debt down the road will reap big $$$ in a year or two.

We can't expand our Codeshares and JV enough - We have an AF/KLM/Alitalia JV, a V Australia JV, and all the Skyteam stuff too. How about some Delta metal growth in the international markets?

 

Check it out:

Homebrewers Association | News: <i>Zymurgy</i>'s 2013 Best Beers in America

Scoop

 

Opppppsssss, it was the Iowa! So many Battleships, so little time.

That there odder comment Ill let slide right on by......and get off my lawn

 

When are we going to start codesharing with these guys:

 

Trailing edge flaps are for pu$$ies anyway.

AKA, stable approach at SWA.

Carl

 

Better than the rest of the CEOs.