US Airways Dividend Miles - DL adding flights CLT-LGA effective July 11

Article (http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/07/06/3366883/delta-adding-flights-from-charlotte.html)

Delta Air Lines will start five daily nonstop flights from Charlotte Douglas International Airport to La Guardia Airport in New York on July 11, according to the Charlotte City Council’s weekly manager memo.
No Delta flights went from Charlotte to LaGuardia last year. Now, seven daily Delta flights will go to New York, including two to JFK International Airport. ...


Competition/choices ^

I know that airlines usually can't agree among themselves re: routes and pricing, but it seems kind of in bad faith for Delta to do this, after it and US swapped gates at LGA and DCA.

I don't see the frequent flyers of Charlotte switching to DL, however; US still has way more flights, on bigger planes, between CLT and LGA.

I know that airlines usually can't agree among themselves re: routes and pricing, but it seems kind of in bad faith for Delta to do this, after it and US swapped gates at LGA and DCA.

I don't see the frequent flyers of Charlotte switching to DL, however; US still has way more flights, on bigger planes, between CLT and LGA.

Huh? DL and US are still competitors and if there had been any type of quid pro quo about not competing on certain routes due to the slot swap, you can bet the DOJ would have had a huge fit.

Huh? DL and US are still competitors and if there had been any type of quid pro quo about not competing on certain routes due to the slot swap, you can bet the DOJ would have had a huge fit.

As I said, "I know that airlines usually can't agree among themselves re: routes and pricing"- no need to restate my point.

'Usually can't agree' is an odd characterization of relevant U.S. federal anti-trust law.

As I said, "I know that airlines usually can't agree among themselves re: routes and pricing"- no need to restate my point.

So if you realize that market allocation between competitors is a crime for which executives could be sent to prison, why did you say "it seems kind of in bad faith for Delta to do this . . . "?

Adding flights between LGA and CLT would only be in bad faith if DL had tacitly agreed not to do so. And agreeing not to do so would be a violation of the Sherman Act.

I'm pretty sure this was expected. DL's plan at LGA was to open flights up to all the major business markets.

DL and US compete on the shuttle and they do just fine.

The childish tit-for-tat is more clear on the SLC-PHL/CLT flights more than LGA-CLT.

US also operates mostly A321s on CLT-LGA route, with 183 seats compared with the 70 seats in the CR7/E170 mix at DL. US does operate some 50 seat RJs are for positioning flights only and will likely go away with the other RJ services. The CASM for the 321 blows the CRJ-700/E-170 away.

US also has a giant hub in CLT to connect traffic from the much larger NYC market. It's tougher to make LGA work as a connection point for DL from CLT, as there are very few destinations that are better served from LGA vs. ATL.

So if you realize that market allocation between competitors is a crime for which executives could be sent to prison, why did you say "it seems kind of in bad faith for Delta to do this . . . "?

Adding flights between LGA and CLT would only be in bad faith if DL had tacitly agreed not to do so. And agreeing not to do so would be a violation of the Sherman Act.

Because US and DL just worked out a major deal, and now DL is trying to take away business on one of US's main routes. To me, that's bad faith. Or if you want to phrase it as "rotten", you may do that.

Because US and DL just worked out a major deal, and now DL is trying to take away business on one of US's main routes. To me, that's bad faith. Or if you want to phrase it as "rotten", you may do that.

As part of the slot swap US has added/started service from DCA to MEM, CVG, and MSP. Shouldn't you be calling US "rotten" as well?

Because US and DL just worked out a major deal, and now DL is trying to take away business on one of US's main routes. To me, that's bad faith. Or if you want to phrase it as "rotten", you may do that.

Or you could just call it competition in a free market society.