What ACL said is the key to this whole thing. Don't think loads, think yield. Remember, yield management is one of the reasons you wanted us for and we may already looking at such stuff together. We had great loads to Brussles and from Bradley to AMS, both are gone now. In fact Brussles was gone after just a few months.

Sounds like you guys are killing in Africa. Also, lets hope Asia doesn't catch too bad a cold.

It had to be that way Finis, it simply had to be. I really hated always being the wet blanket to all these growth and hiring posts, but I hate even more for new pilots to wrongly get their hopes up.

Carl

This shows why stapling or current position ratios cant always be justified. It also can and likely will change on a moments notice. The DC9 was the threat portrayed by the DAL side this summer and now the threat looks like DALs large presence in the slowing European travel numbers. The 9s are going to be very helpful now since they are paid for and fuel is down. This is a merger of equals and the Asian flying we do will help offest some of the European flying in the slow times. Lets hope the combo of our two companies will be what makes us stronger.

Things are about to get very interesting.

blah blah blah...

What's the matter? Did the cat get up off the jacket and get your tongue ? ;):)

Being childish tonight huh? Why is that? :confused:

How is DAL's presence in a market comparable to an actual aircraft type? DAL has many markets it serves seasonally or where it decreases/increases seats available (by serving it more/less fequently or by using 757's instead of 767's) based on demand. Worst case senario you can take that 757/767 and move it somewhere where it makes money. Hardly a threat.

A DC 9 will always be a DC 9 and there is only so much you can do with it. I'm sure DAL has a need for them, but I don't understand how they will be anymore helpful than they were last week. They've been paid for for awhile now and low fuel prices continuing are not something to be bet on.

Your argument isn't very convincing.

It's pretty simple actually. You move the DC9 around just like you move the 757/767 around. When the DC9 does a flight that is 200-500 mi, the CASM is nowhere near what people say, because CASM is based off 1000 mi flights. A DC9 can also be custom fit to a route. It's been done for many years, and that will continue. Also, thanks for your info on the price of oil going up. I hope you shared your cyrstal ball with management so they didn't hedge too high.

I am not the one saying DAL is considering cuts in the international markets it serves look at your own side for that info. The DC9 has been portrayed by the DAL side as a threat, has it not? You did it again in the above post? Your side always presents it as negatively as possible while trying to make DAL out to be nothing but sunshine and rainbows. DAL has a weakness in the Atlantic region. Thats a fact right now. The other fact is the DC9 is more viable now than it was a couple months ago. It brings with it flexibility and will help the new DAL as a filler until a replacement at mainline is found and the credit market Free's up allowing more options. You said above "low fuel prices continuing are not something to bet on". That could go either way, people a couple months ago were betting on 200 bucks a barrel and look where that got them.;) I understand why you guys continue to portray the DC9 in a bad light because that helps your sides argument but the truth remains anything can happen. Your sides assumptions on the DC9s are nothing more than assumptions.

A couple months ago if we would have come on here and said DAL WILL be cutting international capacity next summer because of failing markets would your side have flamed us? That is nothing more that what is done in regards to the DC9. Everything is speculation and everything can change at any moment.

You're right though the DC9 will always be a DC9, it has been that way for a long time ;) The DC9 can and will be moved around into different markets just like the 757s will, no surprise there.

Regardless of whether a dc9 will always be a dc9 or a 757 will always be a 757, I think the point of the DAL argument is that why should DAL guys be on the hook for a possible furlough as a result of a dc9 reduction, in the near term. Just the same, NWA guys should not be on the hook for a possible furlough as a result of a reduction of DAL aircraft, in the near term.