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Any "Latest & Greatest" about Delta?

Old 03-07-2011 | 01:14 PM
  #61011  
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Default oil, and other related and unrelated topics

I think this is pretty good info on the oil Market:

"Managed money accounts on the NYMEX own a record 268,622 contracts (i.e. 269 MMbbls) of WTI crude oil. The storage capacity at the NYMEX hub in Cushing, OK is only around 45 MMbbls. In other words, speculators own nearly 6× the capacity currently available at Cushing. It does not get any clearer which way Wall Street is trying to take oil.

Bottom line, NYMEX WTI aside, light sweet crude oils (e.g. LLS, Brent, and Bonny Light) are trading comfortably above $115 a barrel. At this level retail gasoline works out to around $3.70 a gallon. The national average for gasoline as of last Monday was $3.39 a gallon. Thus, at the current rate Americans face the prospect of another 30 cent increase at the pump this summer.

We know from recent history that demand inelasticity, be it in the U.S., Europe and yes, even China, begin to wane at these retail prices."

Other info:
CVG pireps feb newsletter stated that we were projecting a $1.5B profit this year, and that was with oil at $90, and the crack spread on jet fuel another $25 on top of that. The spike would have to be not only extremley steep, but protracted to wipe that out. Not saying that can't happen, but fundamentals certainly don't support it without something extreme happening.

Unrelated:
JG flt ops 411 this week talked more about the RFP, and stated they are looking at "anything and everything" that might fit our network needs in the future. This included Boeing, Airbus, Embraer, Bombardier (specifically mentioned C-series,) as well the new Russian, Japanese, and Chinese jets.

Last edited by Razorback flyer; 03-07-2011 at 01:17 PM. Reason: compulsion...
Old 03-07-2011 | 01:16 PM
  #61012  
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Originally Posted by DAL 88 Driver
I don't know if that's it. It seems like they have a similar ratio of spares as any other fleet. And from what the fNWA guys have told me, the airplane just didn't break all that much prior to the merger. In my limited experience, it seems that they usually have had the part needed... and when necessary, they often find us another airplane. But it still results in significant maintenance delays at a much higher rate than I've previously experienced on any aircraft at any of my three airlines. My understanding is that these maintenance delays and/or cancellations didn't happen as much prior to the merger.
Well, I guess NWA knew how to do it better.
Old 03-07-2011 | 01:42 PM
  #61013  
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Originally Posted by forgot to bid
Interesting to see SFO and other west coast flying on ATL 88 for April.

---
FWIW, I heard the other day that a 73NG breaks even after about 25 days of use per month. 88's B/E is 5 days.

Heard it second hand so it might not be true but it came from a presenter at the LCA meeting so it'd be interesting. Maybe even with high oil the not as efficient 88 can hang ar.... mentioned oil. Sorry.
I heard that first hand from a network guy at a base-ops visit in SLC early last year (when there still was a MD90 base in SLC)

A pilot asked about the what the difference was between the 160 seat MD90 and the 160 seat 738.

Apart from "lower pilot costs" (yes he did say that in front of a whole group of pilots) he said the 738 takes 25 days to break even with 5 days of "gravy" whereas the numbers are reversed for the MD90....

Cheers
George
Old 03-07-2011 | 02:16 PM
  #61014  
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Originally Posted by johnso29
Well, I guess NWA knew how to do it better.
Yeah... very funny...

But seriously, I think that might be part of the problem. I don't have any idea if any changes have been made to the routine maintenance schedule on the DC-9 since the merger, but that wouldn't surprise me and I'm wondering if it could be part of the problem. Especially with an airplane that old, if the reliability was as good as everyone says, I think I would stick with what was working for NWA.

Any other ideas?
Old 03-07-2011 | 02:16 PM
  #61015  
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Originally Posted by Razorback flyer
I think this is pretty good info on the oil Market:

"Managed money accounts on the NYMEX own a record 268,622 contracts (i.e. 269 MMbbls) of WTI crude oil. The storage capacity at the NYMEX hub in Cushing, OK is only around 45 MMbbls. In other words, speculators own nearly 6× the capacity currently available at Cushing. It does not get any clearer which way Wall Street is trying to take oil.

Bottom line, NYMEX WTI aside, light sweet crude oils (e.g. LLS, Brent, and Bonny Light) are trading comfortably above $115 a barrel. At this level retail gasoline works out to around $3.70 a gallon. The national average for gasoline as of last Monday was $3.39 a gallon. Thus, at the current rate Americans face the prospect of another 30 cent increase at the pump this summer.

We know from recent history that demand inelasticity, be it in the U.S., Europe and yes, even China, begin to wane at these retail prices."

Other info:
CVG pireps feb newsletter stated that we were projecting a $1.5B profit this year, and that was with oil at $90, and the crack spread on jet fuel another $25 on top of that. The spike would have to be not only extremley steep, but protracted to wipe that out. Not saying that can't happen, but fundamentals certainly don't support it without something extreme happening.

Unrelated:
JG flt ops 411 this week talked more about the RFP, and stated they are looking at "anything and everything" that might fit our network needs in the future. This included Boeing, Airbus, Embraer, Bombardier (specifically mentioned C-series,) as well the new Russian, Japanese, and Chinese jets.
The question is does this or a further spike in gas mean fewer leisure and businesses travelers as people curtail buying tickets as they adjust their spending habits thanks to higher gas and food costs among other things?

Or do people go towards airplanes as they can be a lot cheaper than driving?
Old 03-07-2011 | 02:36 PM
  #61016  
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Originally Posted by DAL 88 Driver
Yeah... very funny...

But seriously, I think that might be part of the problem. I don't have any idea if any changes have been made to the routine maintenance schedule on the DC-9 since the merger, but that wouldn't surprise me and I'm wondering if it could be part of the problem. Especially with an airplane that old, if the reliability was as good as everyone says, I think I would stick with what was working for NWA.

Any other ideas?

"...stick with what was working for NWA." sounds like a good idea.


No. Seriously, I think the DC-9 was one of the most reliable fleets at NWA. What is being done differently, I don't know.
Old 03-07-2011 | 02:40 PM
  #61017  
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Originally Posted by newKnow
"...stick with what was working for NWA." sounds like a good idea.


No. Seriously, I think the DC-9 was one of the most reliable fleets at NWA. What is being done differently, I don't know.

You sure about that? Nearly every mechanical delay I had while riding in the NW system involved a Saab, Pinnacle, or a DC-9....
Old 03-07-2011 | 02:42 PM
  #61018  
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Originally Posted by georgetg
I heard that first hand from a network guy at a base-ops visit in SLC early last year (when there still was a MD90 base in SLC)

A pilot asked about the what the difference was between the 160 seat MD90 and the 160 seat 738.

Apart from "lower pilot costs" (yes he did say that in front of a whole group of pilots) he said the 738 takes 25 days to break even with 5 days of "gravy" whereas the numbers are reversed for the MD90....

Cheers
George

Something smells about those numbers... Sounds like one of those things that changes everytime they need to sell something. I don't doubt that the MD-90 is a lot cheaper, but that doesn't quite pass the taste test.
Old 03-07-2011 | 02:49 PM
  #61019  
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Originally Posted by georgetg
AMR has some pretty big plans up their sleeve.
Offers $1B in private secured notes.

American Airlines Announces Private Offering of Senior Secured Notes -- FORT WORTH, Texas, March 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

Cheers
George
That's wild. All this time they have been trying to pay down their debt from the TWA merger. Another merger fund???
Old 03-07-2011 | 02:54 PM
  #61020  
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Originally Posted by TOGA LK
That's wild. All this time they have been trying to pay down their debt from the TWA merger. Another merger fund???
I hope so. Let them buy AK Air and we will build the West Coast Business grass roots. Maybe the 100 seater RFP is a contingency to the above scenario???
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