Song
 

What's the deal with Delta and Song? I understand that Song offers a lot of new technology on their flights. A buddy of mine just flew on Song and confirmed the advertising about satellite TV on the headrests and the bank of mp3s to choose from and movies you can order. Still, there is an almost complete lack of information about this new "airline" on Delta's website and just as little information about the company on Song's own website. Where are they getting their pilots? It says operated by Delta so what does Song do to book these flights? How is it profitable? Just curious if anyone out there had any more information.

Ummmm, Delta announced that they are going to shut it down about a month ago. At least that's what I think I read.

If I remember correctly, Delta will shutdown SONG in May 2006. It will integrate and reconfigure all 757s into Delta Mainline (2 or 3 class of service). The entertainment system will remain and also be put into additional aircraft and called the Delta Song Experience. Some/most SONG routes will become Delta mainline routes. Which ones, I don't know.

Just my opinion....

FNG

FNG'''

Don't you mean the JETBLUE experience! What a joke. Often copied but never...... you know the rest. Can you believe what Delta is doing to the Song Flight Attendants. WOW!:eek:

Song is going to be reintegrated into delta mainline. They are keeping the entertainment stuff and adding back in the first class seats. Its all part of the delta and no money deal.

My, friend I flight instruct with is a song FA. She says May 2006 song will be gone. I guess it is suppose to be crazy intergrating the Song FA's with Mainline Delta FA's. I guess the mainline Delta FA's hate the Song FA's for going with Song and taking a lower salary. Should make for intresting work environment:)

Song was losing over $2million a day since it started. Song used mainline Delta pilots but forced their FAs to resign their senority in order to work there. Song charged pax for pillows, blankets, etc. They did have a good product, selling fun cocktails and drinks and a great attitude (compared to mainline Delta), however their reason for being was to directly compete with Jetblue even though Delta execs knew that it would lose money on every flight. They hoped that Song would pressure Jetblue to raise prices on the competing routes so that maybe Song would not lose as much. Their plan failed. Now Delta is planning to incorporate the Song 757s into the mainline fleet, sans the Song FAs, but add first class back into the planes. This will raise their CASM again since most of the first class seats are filled with FF upgrades instead of paying customers. I guess they con recoupe the difference from pilot givebacks though. That seems to be the best way to cover up Delta's mis-management and bad business decisions.

Song
 

I have 2 reasons why Song failed (Not all the reasons, but some).

1. One of Song's problems was the 757. The 757 is a great aircraft, and it is considered the most fuel efficient single aisle airplane (By % of seats filled). The problem with that is it was competing with A320's with over 40 fewer seats.

2. Labor relations personel at Delta got it backwards. They cut FA pay and kept pilot pay the same. That is backwards. When Shuttle By United was profitable, the main reason was the pilots did not make as much as the mainline 737 pilots. The fact is that in order to be a true low cost carrier, your pilots need to be paid less money! The one and only exception is Southwest. Their pilots WERE underpaid for a long time until they got fuel hedges, but as soon as those run out, I believe pilot wages will tumble.
Frontier, Alaska, Air Tran, JetBlue, Spirit, etc... To truly be a low cost airline, your pilots need to be paid less.

A career in Airline Management awaits you. They would love your thought process!

Fact, not opinion
 

Well, that is not what I feel should happen. It is more or less a fact.
Name me every low cost carrier.
Now name me every low cost that pays their pilots less than the industry leaders...

It turns out that EVERY low cost airline (Frontier, Alaska, AirTran, JetBlue, Spirit, etc...) except Southwest pays their pilots less than experienced captains at legacy carriers. (Southwest pilots used to be paid less, now they make a lot because of fuel hedges, but those will soon run out).

Believe me, I will be an airline pilot, probably in less than a year. I like the fact that pilots make a lot of money, but in order to be LOW COST, you need to cut labor costs, and the easiest place to look are pilot salaries.

Flight attendents make less than any other unionized group, and they do not make much money at all. Why Delta management would cut their salaries, and not the well paid pilots, is beyond me!