Airline Pilot Central Forums - Any "Latest & Greatest" about Delta?

Airline Pilot Central Forums (https://www.airlinepilotforums.com/)

- Delta (https://www.airlinepilotforums.com/delta/)

- - Any "Latest & Greatest" about Delta? (https://www.airlinepilotforums.com/delta/36912-any-latest-greatest-about-delta.html)

Quote:

Originally Posted by brakechatter (Post 678806)

It certainly does appear as if a stage is being set, doesn't it?!?

It does, and depending on how it is agreed to in principle, it could very well be good for us. I would like the investment in JAL to be above 25% due to the triggers in Section 1 E.

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnso29 (Post 678792)

It appears from this statement that our pilot group would benefit from this, BUT we would still need to look over any agreement very thoroughly.

I would assume that if we enter in to this arrangement, we would not compete on the same routes. The has to be a quid pro quo for DAL to do this. JAL wants the benefits of the Skyteam. They want the European connection with AF.

Quote:

Originally Posted by RockyBoy (Post 678837)

True, but when the shares were given to ALPA the price was 8.99 so really we have just broke even.

I thought it was $7.99 @ distribution.

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnso29 (Post 678865)

I thought it was $7.99 @ distribution.

From JEDC 09-03

On the Company pay statements, DPSP/RSP and taxable ordinary income distributions are shown in dollars, not shares, based on end‐of‐day DAL share valuations.
•
Distributions made to the DPSP/RSP were valued based on the closing share price of DAL stock on March 3, 2009 which was $4.26 per share.
•
Distributions made as taxable ordinary income were valued based on the closing share price of DAL stock on March 4, 2009 which was $4.46 per share.

If you want to look at this further go to the DALPA site, select library, select MEC, select Committees, selects JEDC, then look at the memos there. This one is the JEDC 09-03 memo.

[quote=newKnow;678729]

Text of Sam's speech: :)

Cob: Crew present and accounted for, Sir!

Sam : Little ducks, there's trouble in Fargo. So they called us. And we're going over there and bringing the most durable flying machine ever devised. We're capable of flying more legs than has ever been conceived of in the history of scheduled air service. For one purpose alone: Keep our airline safe.

Sam: On the way your going to get wet because it's raining outside, a little sticky because we're going to deice, we're going to have random stick shaker operation at 500 feet, a dual presurization failure, and three pounds of baby sheet blue crap are going to fall off the glareshield, but don't worry about any of that, just keep your pubs away from the windows. This is one durable machine. :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by acl65pilot (Post 678853)

It does, and depending on how it is agreed to in principle, it could very well be good for us. I would like the investment in JAL to be above 25% due to the triggers in Section 1 E.

Here's "Cranky Flyer's" take, which I agree with.

I'd bet Delta will transfer out of the flying it is losing money on. A strategy which has been repeated again, and again, and again with DCI, Air France/KLM, and recently Alaska and MidEx. We have not seen NWA's network "rationalized" Delta style. Deep down, I believe Delta's management realizes the airline business is a lousy business to be in and figures, "let others be in that business. We'll sell tickets and make an easy, no risk, fee."

Not to be doom & gloom, I'm just pointing out that "Delta performing Delta Flying" would be a trend reversal. Further, I find it unlikely that Japan's politicians would be pushing a deal which would outsource work done by Japan's traditional flag carrier.

Quote:

Delta inherited its Tokyo hub from Northwest, and it actually has a decent intra-Asian operation from Tokyo – a legacy from the end of World War II. As they say, to the winner go the spoils. There’s even a subfleet of narrowbodies based in Tokyo to fly some these routes. My guess is that these routes absolutely suck wind right now. If Delta is really losing a ton of money as I suspect, they could eliminate all those routes and either use the slots to fly to the US or transfer them to JAL. The additional connectivity in Tokyo that they could gain from this link-up would add a bunch more traffic to feed all that US-Tokyo flying Delta does now. (You people in Portland could breathe a sigh of relief, because this could probably help that flight come off the edge of the cliff.)
This move could make a big, immediate difference on the bottom line. If Delta can pour some money in but get it back out very quickly in the form of improved profits, then it’s a no-brainer. Everyone in SkyTeam wins . . . except for Korean. Poor Korean would be demoted to second place in the North Pacific, and it would likely very seriously look at defecting to oneworld where it could take JAL’s place as top dog in the region (or only dog, as the case may be).
Of course, if JAL leaves, oneworld loses, so American has now come back with its plan to invest in JAL. American is pitching it as a strengthening of its partnership that has been in place for years. The airline would set up a joint venture similar to what we’ve seen over the Atlantic with the likes of United and Lufthansa, KLM and Northwest, etc. In other words, they’d split the revenues on flights between the US and Japan.
All this info is coming from magical “sources” and nothing has been confirmed, so we don’t really know any details about what’s being proposed here. There are also rumors that Air France/KLM is in the running, and that would be good news for Delta. Air France and JAL have actually had a legacy codeshare and frequent flier partnership that crosses alliance boundaries. It has strengthened in recent years, so this would add some more credibility to the Delta bid.

As I wrote years ago, Narita isn't an asset. The LR versions of the 777 made "technical stops" like Narita as useless as Keflavik, or dare I say Anchorage. Back then folks got mad at me and claimed I was NWA bashing. Now you can call it "Delta bashing" if you must, and I love Delta. It is what it is.

IMHO Delta is looking for a way out, while still hoping to capture some of the revenue they are leaving on the table.

Now about that China route authority... In the future Narita is just going to be a position report.

Bar; that is why as I stated, a JV may have some serious issues that we as pilots may need to fight against, but a 25.000001% stake in JAL or any foreign airline has some protections. Got read the PWA Section 1 Sub-part E

BTW welcome back from the world of the working ;)

Quote:

Originally Posted by acl65pilot (Post 678879)

Thanks and true. But nothing about this suggests M O R E flying and as George Costanza well knows, shrinkage is shrinkage - regardless of the explanation.

On a personal note - why do I keep getting in the airline business with people who don't want to be in the airline business? In some ironic ways I admire folks like Brian Bedford. When business gave him lemons, he made lemonaid. Then he discovered Doug Parker's Vodka and had himself a party.*

(joke paraphrased from Ron White)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bucking Bar (Post 678885)

I agree, that it may be counter intuitive for Delta to invest in a direct competitor in an area that we now have a great influence, but if it gives us access and coverage, with the adoption of Open Skies, it is a smart move.

Like I said, DAL better get something for half a billion bucks and it better work to our favor!

I agree, about the last comment, I wonder that at times to.