Any "Latest & Greatest" about Delta?
01-13-2011, 10:25 AM
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Originally Posted by satchip
01-13-2011, 10:30 AM
Happy to be here
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Originally Posted by sailingfun
I have posted in the past that I did not expect any new narrow body aircraft in the fleet prior to 2016 and more likely 2020. There is a interesting memo today that suggests some new aircraft as early as 2013. The timing is however interesting since it matches our new contract time frame. I expect to see the company once again try and play growth against getting a lower cost contract. This is straight out of their past contract playbooks. In some cases they followed up with the promised growth and in other cases especially regarding the 100 seat size aircraft they did not. Here is the memo.
January 13, 2011
Delta is beginning to plan for the future of its domestic mainline fleet and is accepting requests for proposals or RFPs to replace more than 200 narrowbody aircraft to provide long-term mainline domestic growth.
Late December, Delta sent a RFP to several major aircraft manufacturers for the eventual replacement of aircraft such as the Airbus A320, the DC9-50 and the Boeing 757-200, and to provide for long-term mainline domestic growth.
The proposal marks the next phase of Delta’s mainline fleet strategy, as older domestic mainline aircraft begin to approach retirement age, smaller regional jets and turboprop are phased out and the airline works to grow its domestic business.
During the past year, Delta has focused on combining the Delta and former Northwest fleets and investing in existing aircraft, with improvements including WiFi on all two-class domestic aircraft, interior upgrades and the installation of additional first class seats. Delta also has made some strategic aircraft acquisitions, including new and used aircraft, supplementing DC-9s and other aircraft that have retired from service.
Since 2007, Delta has invested in 60 mainline aircraft, including 10 Boeing 777-200LRs, 12 Boeing 737-700/800s, five used Boeing 757-200s and 33 used MD-90s.
At the same time, the airline has removed more than 70 50-seat regional jets and 25 Saab 340 turboprops from the fleet.
“Our strategy has worked well, with the improvements to our existing aircraft and the cost-efficient airplanes we’ve added to the domestic fleet,” said Nat Pieper, v.p.-Fleet Strategy and Transactions. “We’re now starting to plan for the long term, to ensure that we continue to maintain a flexible, cost-efficient fleet that meets our customers’ needs in the years to come, replace retiring airplanes and provide for domestic mainline growth.”
The RFP asks for proposals to deliver 100 to 200 firm aircraft, with an option for 200 more, starting in early 2013. It asks the manufacturers to consider large, medium and small narrowbody planes to be operated by Delta as mainline aircraft.
Nat said that Delta also continues to look for opportunities to purchase used aircraft.
He added that the request for proposals is a first step, and no decisions have been made regarding future aircraft purchases.
“We’ll evaluate all of our options,” he said.
January 13, 2011
Delta is beginning to plan for the future of its domestic mainline fleet and is accepting requests for proposals or RFPs to replace more than 200 narrowbody aircraft to provide long-term mainline domestic growth.
Late December, Delta sent a RFP to several major aircraft manufacturers for the eventual replacement of aircraft such as the Airbus A320, the DC9-50 and the Boeing 757-200, and to provide for long-term mainline domestic growth.
The proposal marks the next phase of Delta’s mainline fleet strategy, as older domestic mainline aircraft begin to approach retirement age, smaller regional jets and turboprop are phased out and the airline works to grow its domestic business.
During the past year, Delta has focused on combining the Delta and former Northwest fleets and investing in existing aircraft, with improvements including WiFi on all two-class domestic aircraft, interior upgrades and the installation of additional first class seats. Delta also has made some strategic aircraft acquisitions, including new and used aircraft, supplementing DC-9s and other aircraft that have retired from service.
Since 2007, Delta has invested in 60 mainline aircraft, including 10 Boeing 777-200LRs, 12 Boeing 737-700/800s, five used Boeing 757-200s and 33 used MD-90s.
At the same time, the airline has removed more than 70 50-seat regional jets and 25 Saab 340 turboprops from the fleet.
“Our strategy has worked well, with the improvements to our existing aircraft and the cost-efficient airplanes we’ve added to the domestic fleet,” said Nat Pieper, v.p.-Fleet Strategy and Transactions. “We’re now starting to plan for the long term, to ensure that we continue to maintain a flexible, cost-efficient fleet that meets our customers’ needs in the years to come, replace retiring airplanes and provide for domestic mainline growth.”
The RFP asks for proposals to deliver 100 to 200 firm aircraft, with an option for 200 more, starting in early 2013. It asks the manufacturers to consider large, medium and small narrowbody planes to be operated by Delta as mainline aircraft.
Nat said that Delta also continues to look for opportunities to purchase used aircraft.
He added that the request for proposals is a first step, and no decisions have been made regarding future aircraft purchases.
“We’ll evaluate all of our options,” he said.
Makes a lot of sense, and I am glad that they are doing this now.
I knew they could not wait that long
(Does not mean that anything will show up, just want to see what the viability is)
01-13-2011, 10:31 AM
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Big Guys Finish Last in 2010 Airline Rankings - WSJ.com
THE MIDDLE SEATJANUARY 13, 2011
The Big Guys Finish Last in 2010 Airline Rankings
By SCOTT MCCARTNEY
Big was bad when it came to airline service last year. Delta, American, United and its merger partner Continental placed last in the annual Middle Seat customer-service rankings of major domestic carriers in 2010.
Best among major airlines: smaller carriers. Alaska Airlines and AirTran Airways had the highest percentages of on-time flights and generally lower rates of lost bags, cancellations, passengers bumped from oversold flights and complaints filed with the Department of Transportation. Those two airlines were the only two majors to decrease their complaint totals in 2010—the rest shot higher.
Southwest Airlines is flying into many of those big-airline headwinds as it grows. The low-fare carrier used to be an on-time machine, regularly providing flights so punctually that it was a major marketing point for the airline. But Southwest ended 2010 in sixth place among the nation's nine major airlines in on-time arrivals, according to data compiled by FlightStats.com, a flight-tracking service, and the DOT.
As Southwest has pushed into more big-city hubs often plagued by delays, it has increasingly struggled to avoid late flights and resulting problems like misconnected baggage. Southwest ranked No. 6 in baggage handling and seventh in the frequency of involuntarily bumping passengers from its flights.
THE MIDDLE SEATJANUARY 13, 2011
The Big Guys Finish Last in 2010 Airline Rankings
By SCOTT MCCARTNEY
Big was bad when it came to airline service last year. Delta, American, United and its merger partner Continental placed last in the annual Middle Seat customer-service rankings of major domestic carriers in 2010.
Best among major airlines: smaller carriers. Alaska Airlines and AirTran Airways had the highest percentages of on-time flights and generally lower rates of lost bags, cancellations, passengers bumped from oversold flights and complaints filed with the Department of Transportation. Those two airlines were the only two majors to decrease their complaint totals in 2010—the rest shot higher.
Southwest Airlines is flying into many of those big-airline headwinds as it grows. The low-fare carrier used to be an on-time machine, regularly providing flights so punctually that it was a major marketing point for the airline. But Southwest ended 2010 in sixth place among the nation's nine major airlines in on-time arrivals, according to data compiled by FlightStats.com, a flight-tracking service, and the DOT.
As Southwest has pushed into more big-city hubs often plagued by delays, it has increasingly struggled to avoid late flights and resulting problems like misconnected baggage. Southwest ranked No. 6 in baggage handling and seventh in the frequency of involuntarily bumping passengers from its flights.
01-13-2011, 10:35 AM
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Originally Posted by acl65pilot
Makes a lot of sense, and I am glad that they are doing this now.
I knew they could not wait that long
(Does not mean that anything will show up, just want to see what the viability is)
I knew they could not wait that long
(Does not mean that anything will show up, just want to see what the viability is)
You can't fly a memo.
01-13-2011, 10:43 AM
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...and here is the little sentence that shows you the memo is probably More "M. Campbell" than "R. Anderson":
"...The RFP asks for proposals to deliver 100 to 200 firm aircraft, with an option for 200 more, starting in early 2013. It asks the manufacturers to consider large, medium and small narrowbody planes to be operated by Delta as mainline aircraft..."
Why on earth would you include such a stipulation, other than to drive negotiations? Does Airbus fail to include pilot cupholders if it's not a mainline airplane? Does Boeing not put sheepskin on the seats?
"...The RFP asks for proposals to deliver 100 to 200 firm aircraft, with an option for 200 more, starting in early 2013. It asks the manufacturers to consider large, medium and small narrowbody planes to be operated by Delta as mainline aircraft..."
Why on earth would you include such a stipulation, other than to drive negotiations? Does Airbus fail to include pilot cupholders if it's not a mainline airplane? Does Boeing not put sheepskin on the seats?
01-13-2011, 10:50 AM
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Originally Posted by Sink r8
Let's not get carried away: all they are actually "doing" is writing a memo, and sending out RFP's.
You can't fly a memo.
You can't fly a memo.
(Just ask the '91-'93 peeps.)
01-13-2011, 11:18 AM
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I did notice the memo says the word "mainline" at least 10 times. Seems encouraging?
01-13-2011, 11:37 AM
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Airbus recently announced the new 320 with a GTF, and I think that got us a lot closer to a NB order then many think. DAL can't wait much longer. Our fleet is getting old, and fast.
01-13-2011, 11:47 AM
seeing the large hubs...
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Originally Posted by sailingfun
The RFP asks for proposals to deliver 100 to 200 firm aircraft, with an option for 200 more, starting in early 2013. It asks the manufacturers to consider large, medium and small narrowbody planes to be operated by Delta as mainline aircraft.
Airbus would offer, I'm assuming, the A321, A320 and A319. The problem is that the neo (new engine option/offer) isn't supposed to be available until 2016, which is a little outside the 2013 date. That's the efficiency they would want to buy. Cheaper to buy used A320s.
Boeing could offer the 737-900 as a 757 replacement (large narrowbody), and I guess the 737-800 as a medium narrowbody, and the 737-700 as the small narrowbody. Again, not very efficient, older technology.
I am discounting Embraer as they only have the EMB-170 to EMB-195 series, which aren't big enough on the top end. They might offer the EMB-195 as a DC9-50 replacement. I think that would get kinda political whether Delta would want to fly that here.
Bombardier only has the C-Series at the top end, which could be on offer, as it enters service in 2013. But, the largest one holds 120-145 seats - likely they would use a two-class configuration which would be closer to the bottom end of seating. Same thing with the politics of flying the plane here vs a regional.
I don't think the Russian (Sukhoi Superjet 100) or Chinese (ARJ-100) airplanes have a chance. Little support and I wouldn't want to buy any manufacturers first airliners.
01-13-2011, 11:48 AM
seeing the large hubs...
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Originally Posted by FlyZ
I did notice the memo says the word "mainline" at least 10 times. Seems encouraging?
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