More cuts in MEM
 

Can't post the article but it's on the front page of the Commercial Appeal. Jax, Bhm nonstop gone. Tul, Stl, Rdu, Mco reduced-again. Can't remember the others but the Mem departures will be down to about 95...
The base will probably follow with a closure and I'm not sure how the pilots will be able to commute when there aren't any flights. Keep up the good work...

The writing has been on the wall for quite some time unfortunately.

Here's an article. I don't think Delta will have MEM as a hub much longer.

Delta cutting more flights in Memphis in January - Memphis Business Journal

lots of local businesses are ****ed at DL....and FDX isn't very happy.

What's DAL supposed to do? Fly unprofitable routes to keep the mayor happy?

Has nothing to do with routes being unprofitable. Memphis was developed by NWA as a counter to Deltas hub in Atlanta, Continental in Houston, and American in DFW. Now that NWA and Delta have merged, there is no need for Memphis, as all those passengers that were routed on NWA through Memphis are now routed to Atlanta. The only service left in Memphis will be what is supported by local Memphis traffic, just like CVG. Everybody with a clue knew that the day the NWA/DL merger was announced CVG and MEM would lose flights and be de hubbed. Well, everybody except the politicians who believed the Delta execs when they said the merger would not affect any of the hubs. Too bad they didn't get that in writing.

More cuts in MEM
 

Sounds like what AA did to STL after TWA

Who cares if FedEx is upset?

Perfect timing for the new upgraded terminal, a new parking garage and resurfaced ramps.

Don't slam me, just stating a fact. Nothing about the mayor or the city or DL profits. Local businesses do not equate to the Mayor. Maybe if you lived here and knew several businessmen/women like I do that fly all the time you'd get the point. And by the way, everytime I flew some of those routes they were asking for volunteers since they were overbooked.

Full flights don't equal profits.

And Memphis business folks that feel entitled to non-stop flights anywhere they need to go may need to learn how to make connections like the rest of the country.

Delta will still serve MEM. You are just going to have to connect thru ATL, MSP, DTW or NYC. The majority of MEM traffic already connects so this isn't any huge setback for the customers. Like someone else said, who cares what FedEx thinks. I don't think Delta is telling them how to run their operation.

It was meant as a rhetorical question. No slamming intended.

no problem with the large number of keyboard warriors on here who shoot the messenger I seem to have lost lots of my sense of sarcasm/rhetoricality :confused: and can't separate the fun posts from the serious ones anymore :)

I was in MEM the day after Thanksgiving, and looking at the boards, there were about 20 flights scheduled out of there all day. The only non hub flights were ORD and LAS. That's the future of MEM, CVG of the south.

try a SAT night. a few weeks ago I came in on a saturday at 6 pm from ATL and the only other arrivals on the board were DTW and IND. Maybe LAS too.

Its looking like CVG is the MEM of the north.

There are a lot of big companies that have HQs in MEM and have talked about pulling out of MEM if Delta does the same. Its not just the MEM pilots, FAs etc that will be hurt. Property values will take a dump if these large companies pull out. Just to name a few International Paper, AutoZone, Holiday Inn, and many more.

its true that business disappears when the airlines go, but is it deltas responsibility to cater to mem and AutoZone, holiday inn etc? They have their own company to worry about. Those companies face a choice; expand your flight department or move you HQ to atl, clt etc. I didnt see AutoZone running to the rescue when delta went into bankruptcy. I feel for the FedEx commuters though.

I was trying to figure out why FedEx would care. I can't imagine that it makes that much of a difference to the company, but for the commuters I'm sure it is making things more difficult.

FDX deadheads thousands of pilots out of MEM on Delta to start their trips in a different city (on FDX dime not a commuter/nonrev thing). Having to go thru ATL or another hub eats up lots of their duty time and they can no longer fly on DL AND do their FDX trip the same day. So FDX pays them for another duty day/hotel etc. Its gotten so bad that FDX have been deadheading crews on their corporate lears.

This is all a part of the consolidation game. Why have a "hub" in MEM when ATL is not far away. I doubt an RJ full of business ppl non stop to STL makes any money. If people were willing to pay the fares it would take to make money maybe Delta would stay. We all know what would happen though, everyone would flee to orbtiz and the flights would be 1/2 full.

A company that employees 200,000 people and is based out of Memphis isn't going to care when the airline providing major air service to the city pulls out? Of course they care, it isn't just pilots that travel. I don't understand how this would be that hard to figure out.

Really, what bid pack is that in?

I believe that began in the November A380 bid pack.

FedEx doesn't have A380s. BUT THANKS FOR TROLLING.

They are only booked full when I need to go there ;). All kidding aside though, as a MEM native I hate to see what is happening but we all know that MEM is more of an airtran or SWA city than DAL. It is just one of the lower income cities and people don't travel much. When they do travel they demand ultra cheap fares and it just isn't supporting the hub.
I know DAL wouldn't pull out if they were making a profit......Wait this sounds about like the cargo birds a few years back...aww shucks :rolleyes:

Either way it sucks for those of us left trying to make our way to work.

Exactly your a quick one :rolleyes:

Sounds like FedEx's problem, not Deltas.

So commuting FedEx pilots might have to do a double leg commute. I'm sure they will have a hard time attracting future pilots due to this recnt development. They can always choose China or Alaska for a base if the double leg commute it too much. Whatever it takes to avoid living in Memphis.

I would think not taking care of your customers IS delta's problem.

So Delta is supposed to continue service on low demand, unprofitable routes simply so Fed Ex doesn't have to 2 leg crew members? Maybe Fed Ex should just start chartering airplanes, unless they want to cover the losses on the routes.

This isn't a customer service issue. It's all about maximizing fleet usage and efficiency. Delta is extremely good at this. If planes can be used better elsewhere than thats what Delta is going to do. Delta just swept all 10 categories in the annual Business Travelers News rankings so I'd say Delta is doing just fine in taking care of their customers. Here is the header if you want to google the article, "Delta repeats as BTN survey champ, sweeps all 10 categories"

Is Delta Breaking A "Promise" On Memphis?

and yet another story on this subject.

If Fed Ex wants to pay more for tickets or buy more of them I'm sure DAL can offer them service. However flying airplanes at a loss is never good business. I have said for quite a while "It doesn't matter what business your in, you must charge enough on the product to turn a profit" It doesn't matter if you have customers wrapped around the block if your selling at a loss...unless its some kind of firesale to liquidate. I don't think we are there yet.

And yet the politocos in MEM as well as CVG will sell their souls for a "LCC" to come in there in a lame attempt to revive the superhub status and/or the nonexistant "Southwest effect." All that will do is cause the legacies with far superior networks to further cull capacity, routes and frequency. Enjoy your hand full of flights a day to a LCC hub or two. Hope it was worth losing another couple dozen non stop destinations, smaller planes and lower frequency.

Eventually though they will get subsidized foreign 777/380 service to a big fancy international market, simply because those ponzi scheme airlines will have no other place to put their vastly overpurchased metal, and the bellys of those beasts will be full of ultra cheap cargo capacity, further hammering FedEx and DHL respectively in addition to the mean old legacies.

Heres what it comes down to. Memphis Sucks. Therefore, the airport... to fall in line with the rest of the city... should have an amount of service that sucks.

Except Lenny's. Oh sweet manna of life!

Apparently you need a lesson in sarcasm.

I miss Lenny's. I loved flying to MEM simply becuase of Lenny's. :(