Any yet DAL management continues to pay lip service to the concept of DAL having a unique "brand image." Nothing "unique" about 10 service providers chosen on a lowest cost basis. I guess DAL management was absent the day "brands" were discussed in school.

Scoop

Some thoughts on Brands:



Brand is the personality that identifies a product, service or company (name, term, sign, symbol, or design, or combination of them) and how it relates to key constituencies: Customers, Staff, Partners, Investors etc.
Some people distinguish the psychological aspect, brand associations like thoughts, feelings, perceptions, images, experiences, beliefs, attitudes, and so on that become linked to the brand, of a brand from the experiential aspect.
The experiential aspect consists of the sum of all points of contact with the brand and is known as the brand experience. The psychological aspect, sometimes referred to as the brand image, is a symbolic construct created within the minds of people and consists of all the information and expectations associated with a product or service.
People engaged in branding seek to develop or align the expectations behind the brand experience, creating the impression that a brand associated with a product or service has certain qualities or characteristics that make it special or unique. A brand is therefore one of the most valuable elements in an advertising theme, as it demonstrates what the brand owner is able to offer in the marketplace. The art of creating and maintaining a brand is called brand management. Orientation of the whole organization towards its brand is called brand orientation.
Careful brand management seeks to make the product or services relevant to the target audience. Brands should be seen as more than the difference between the actual cost of a product and its selling price - they represent the sum of all valuable qualities of a product to the consumer. There are many intangibles involved in business, intangibles left wholly from the income statement and balance sheet which determine how a business is perceived. The learned skill of a knowledge worker, the type of mental working, the type of stitch: all may be without an 'accounting cost' but for those who truly know the product, for it is these people the company should wish to find and keep, the difference is incomparable.
A brand which is widely known in the marketplace acquires brand recognition. When brand recognition builds up to a point where a brand enjoys a critical mass of positive sentiment in the marketplace, it is said to have achieved brand franchise. One goal in brand recognition is the identification of a brand without the name of the company present.

 

Here's the info we were looking for on RJ codeshare agreements.
It is buried in the notes to the consolidated financial statements:


Look at pages 86, 87 and 88. The outsourcing agreement details and durations are on page 88.

The really stunning number is that we are on the hook for $16.6 billion in "minimum fixed obligations" to our contract carriers over the life of those agreements. That's some serious cash. And it doesn't even count Comair, Compass or Mesaba.

http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/da...2e10vk.htm#137
.
.

 

Check;
Yep that is the value of canceling those contracts. That is why it is a lot smarter just to get a commitment no to renew, extend amend, or create any new ASA contracts. Let the suckers expire than bring the "flying" that is not aircraft specific back in house.

 

Thanks Check. Looks like 2016 for CHQ & 2017 for Pinnacle. I wonder what will happen with all those 50 seaters. Between CHQ, 9E, & ASA you're looking at almost 300 RJ's.

 

Slow,

Take a look at these numbers which are operated under capacity purchase agreements with regional air carriers:
(in millions, except for number of aircraft operated) 2009 2008 2007 ASMs
20,852 17,425 17,881 RPMs
16,424 13,899 14,005 Number of aircraft operated, end of period
450 443 349

You can call me stupid, or whatever, but the way I see it mainline was contracting significantly while DCI was growing. I've been at DAL for over 20 years and I can't recall us (DAL mainline) ever growing 20% in one year. (ASMs from 2008 to 2009 above)

I'm afraid I also don't consider an aircraft returned to flying from storage a "growth" aircraft.

I want a union (or "association") that represents the best interests of the Delta pilots only. I cant stress "Delta pilots only" strong enough.

As such, I've sent in my card to DPA. They may not be the best option, but I think they're the first step in eliminating the ties to ALPA national.

Fire away...

 

slow-
You're using selective statistics to create your own "spin".
How do you square your assertion of decreased outsourcing with this:

The following table shows the available seat miles (“ASMs”) and revenue passenger miles (“RPMs”) operated for us under capacity purchase agreements with our regional air carriers (excluding Comair, Compass and Mesaba) for the years ended December 31, 2009, 2008 and 2007:
(in millions, except for number of aircraft operated)
.........2009......... 2008 .........2007
ASMs...20,852 ......17,425...... 17,881
RPMs...16,424 ......13,899 ......14,005
Number of aircraft operated, end of period
..........450........... 443........... 349


edit.. I see Wasatch Phantom beat me to it.

 

FWIW, those 767-300 domestic birds that are returning were slated for retirement, and now they are not. That imo is a good thing.

 

Easily. I use September 30, 2010 data, not 2009 data. The statistics aren't selective. They're fact. The number of DCI hulls is down substantially, and in a greater percentage than the decline in mainline. DCI ASM's are down 3% (10Q), and DCI stage length is shrinking (OAG). While mainline block hours did shrink domestically in 2008/2009, that flying is returning more rapidly due to the merger and economic recovery. DCI's block hours are declining.

Why do you have trouble with mainline growing vis a vis DCI?

 

So is that some of that off-balance sheet financing that some say is supposed to make a balance sheet look "better" to banks, Wall Street and retail investors?

 

You might want to look at the 10-Q, page 13 for more recent info. You'll see that CHQ can be terminated without cause anytime after May, 2010. There is a termination clause for Shuttle America as well, but it's not until January, 2016. The Compass and PCL/MAH CPA's were renegotiated in June, 2010 during their sale. That data isn't reflected in the 2009 annual report.