notEnuf

And more profit (sharing) able. It's here to stay. JV + equity stake is the international "merger" of the future. The ME3 have caught on and United is looking at Avianca.

WhatNow

Still not seeing what you are saying. Eastern was never a big international airline. In 1985 they were bigger in Atlanta then Delta. PanAm had no real domestic at all and as airlines like Delta, United and American started international flights they quickly took their customers and crushed their yields. They flew protected routes in their good years. They were never able to compete when the protections were gone.
TWA had its treasury plundered by Carl Icon and never recovered. If that was not enough to kill them Google Karabu ticketing arrangement that allowed Icon to rape them all the way to the grave!
What will put Delta back into chapter 11 or kill the airline is letting its costs get out of control. The current management team is doing a good job on cost control with the exception of management saleries. They can't seem to get a handle on that have let it spin out of control.

Whereisalpa

Are you a pilot? For Delta? Did you take a 40% pay cut, lose your pension, have your peers at other airlines fly the same jet same seat and make 100k more than you (with a guaranteed pension)??? The only thing out of control is a troll like you. Let me guess, your wife makes the money in your family and you just like to fly.....
Well, mine is a lunch lady, I say give me back what you stole from me!!!

WhatNow

If you can't argue with the facts then call names!
I took a 42% pay cut to be exact.
Wife won't work. Give me a hint on her getting a job.
My pension was converted into multiple pots of money not lost.
A. MPP plan
B. Note money
C. Claim Money
D. PBGC benefit
E. Merger stock
F. DC plan going forward
I have not had any peers making 100k more then me and for at least the last 4 years Delta has had a higher average wage then any US passenger airline.
I do remember when Delta was on the verge of liquidation. We have come a long way from then. If in 2006 I told many pilots where we would be in 2016 they would have said not one chance in a hundred we would make the kind of recovery. Most were so sure of the airlines demise that those who could jumped ship!

capncrunch

Just for everyone watchting, Sailingfun was specific when he didn't mention cargo. That wasn't an accident, his argument would fall apart otherwise. Actually I take that back, his argument is bad, this is just one of the many parts that doesn't hold up.

DALFA

Yeah Delta has a made a great comeback that's for sure...but mostly on the backs of the employees. The busted all the unions the could with the NW merger and had union leadership at ALPA & PAFCA that kissed their ass the entire time. Well...almost...up until last year it seems.

WhatNow

And yet we quickly went back to leading the industry. We will be back there again when the contract is signed. We just won't be leading it by 30%.

WhatNow

I never sat on the airplane and had the passenger next to me say I should have taken Fedex.

JamesBond

Pan Am had no domestic network and a revolving door management. Eastern and and TWA were torpedoed by corporate raiders. and woefully mismanaged. Not even close in comparison.

JamesBond

And THAT is wht we need to somehow leverage into money.