HAHA, this should be on the back of your "Captain Happy" shirt.

I was thinking that if they were all leased DAL wouldn't park them without a plan...ie other a/c to replace them...something they 1)haven't announced and 2)would use as negotiating tactic against ALPA.
It looks as if the 4 being parked are the 4 we own out right, if not other scenarios could be in play.

Should be a very good meeting. No one can explain, or argue for, resolutions as well as the author can.

Can you provide for us more information as to what you desire?

My suspicion is that we are parking them and something is going to replace them.

A) Delta hasn't said (and nothing has appeared) in the press about parking them. That's 1/4 of the 747 fleet. If we are focusing on capacity and yields you would think that it would come out pretty quick, and boost the stock price

B) We are still hiring a bunch - no word that we are going to hire less because of parking some planes that were not supposed to be parked so early.

C) Because of A, I think we'll see a Press Release with an order for new airplanes announced coinciding with parking the 747 fleet, "the first of which are being retired this Fall"

I think it's some sort of 777 to replace the 747. But not new because it basically takes 18-24 months from ordering to delivery of new Boeing airplanes for us. If we are starting a draw down now, that's too far away to lose all that capacity. We need a long range plane with lots of seats for some of our markets.

It may be part of another order that are 767 replacements too. The 350 is too new, Richard doesn't like new planes, unproven and all that. A330neo is my bet for the 767 replacement.

I'll be there. What are your resolutions? PM me if you want.

iaflyer,

Yes, Delta's plans for the 747 withdrawal have been reported in the press.

CAPA openly guessed that we'd be a partner in China Eastern's long haul ambitions and noted they are getting their 787's starting this fall.

In years past Delta has been reluctant to partner too extensively with a State Owned carrier like China Eastern. The Chinese have been transparent about their ambitions; they desire our know how, they desire our software tools, they desire our passengers and revenue. When you read their musings you wonder, "what is in it for Delta" ?

I think, "cheap network expansion" might be that answer.

There truly isn't a market where long haul flying is easy money right now. It seems there is money to be made in domestic markets, but long haul service suffers from both the State Owned and Subsidized competition as well as the cost and complexity of simply providing that kind of product.

China Eastern is lately sounding more rational than SkyMark. They are the World's 6 largest carrier with around 100m domestic passengers yearly. Delta could find synergies connecting to that market (and you would think a 747 would be just the thing for the kind of volume required).

Who knows ... there is obviously a near glut of capacity fighting it out over the Word's oceans. I do not like the idea of 10 330's replacing at least that many 747's and 767's, but, if it was our business, that is likely the decision we would make as well.

I think we flow something like 20% of Gol and AeroMexico's passengers across each others' networks. It is accretive to our flying and block hours.

I didn't even realize that they hadn't done a press release yet. That moves it to certainty that there is another move to be made in the coming weeks. I think your ideas on aircraft orders/purchases are spot on.

It was on Yahoo and other internet news places the day we got the info. Not sure if that counts as a press release, but it's not a big secret.

Anyone check out Crew a Resources Sept update? They explain what happened on AE and how the 777 and 330 are gonna pick up. So what happens to the old guys now on the whale? Go to training or bounce on their own?

You're correct.

Delta to Begin to Retire Boeing 747s | Frequent Business Traveler