woodford02A

15 minute video: http://news.delta.com/delta-releases...rier-subsidies

No matter where you stand on this issue, it's an interesting story and I think this video does a good job explaining why DL is so frustrated. For many of us this is probably old news, but I think it's a good intro for folks that don't follow the industry closely.

PV_Premier

interesting content, but they really need to give it a rest IMO

DiverDave

Yes. Delta seems to be oblivious to the public's response to this entire ME3 campaign, which consists mostly of rolling eyes or blank stares.

I had thought this was a serious misstep on Mr. Anderson's part, and really thought Mr. Bastian would not continue to beat this dead horse.

Kind of reminds me of about 10 years ago I was trying to get my boss to agree to something. He kept saying no, and I kept thinking that I was not explaining it properly. Finally realized I was explaining it just fine and the problem was that my boss just didn't agree.

readywhenyouare

It's time to let it go. Emirates isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

pbarnette

This campaign isn't aimed at the general public. I continue to be unclear as to why that concept is so hard for FTers to understand.

cmd320

Who is it aimed at then? They have an ad for it in their own in-flight magazine for God's sake.

apodo77

No desire to watch but put me in the camp of not giving two craps what DL thinks of the ME3 and needing to give it a rest.

pbarnette

Ummm... Politicians and regulators. Employees to some extent. Heck, the press release includes the following:

Like I said, I continue to be unclear why many FTers have so much trouble grasping the obvious. The end game is not to get flyers to boycott the ME3 and never has been. The end game is to get the US government to limit their ability to fly to the US.

motytrah

Since DL doesn't have unions they need to have the employees advocate their position to the politicians. DL is one of the few majors where the employees don't have a lobbyist on the hill to represent them. It's as simple as that.

Paki81

If delta had a better product, people would travel more on it.

SFO777

I must have missed the part in the documentary about all the subsidies DL have and continues to receive... fuel tax breaks, bankruptcy protection, dumping pension obligations on the government. As Paki81 notes, if DL had a better product, more people would fly them. Give it up DL, stop acting and whining like a 2 year old.

CJKatl

DL had been running anti-ME3/Turkish ads on local Atlanta media. Radio stations, cable TV and the AJC have all run DL ads about employment abuses on those airlines, government subsidies, etc. The campaign is very much aimed at getting average customers in this market not to fly those airlines. IIRC, the ads have specifically asked the flying public to avoid the airlines. The ads have recently been pushed off the air by the non-stop Handel/Ossoff ads, but now that we've left or two months of punishment for whatever we did, the DL ads will likely continue.

CJKatl

In the past year I've flown the ME3 carriers, Turkish, Aeroflot, El Al and Vietnam. DL has fallen very far behind on its economy product compared to those state owned and/or financed carriers. I've also flown Korean, KLM, AirFrance, British and various Asian LCCs. DL would be equal to those. On a recent flight to TLV, DL would have been $2,600 while Aeroflot was well under $1,000. Aeroflot was fantastic, with more distance between the seats, better service and even better blankets.

It's also noticeable that the cost of flying to South America, which doesn't have this type of competition from ATL, is much higher than flying to Europe or Asia, where there is this type of competition. The prices seem wrong on both ends. Europe and Asia seem artificially low, but without the competition, carriers like DL seem to be taking advantage on the South American routes. If DL wants help with the European and Asian markets, perhaps they should start by showing they won't gouge if given the chance by cleaning up the South American mess.

exwannabe

DL is a minor player in S America.

On the ME3, this is a typical trade argument that happens all the time. The difference is that it is public. Do you have equal views on how WY feels about Canadian timber?

As a consumer I am quite happy if dumb ... foreign governments want to subsidize my travel, or even my lumber.

aero0729

Right or wrong.. who cares? The US3 have bullied other companies unfairly at times here in the US. Merged together, probably collude on price and major industry changes. these guys a CROOKS in different ways than the ME3 but they have no business making a documentary like this. Pot calling Kettle black since we have received subsidies as well. The US3 just want to raise price and erase service and the ME3 are keeping them in check.

-3 airlines in the US working almost as 1
-Price in many markets in the US is 100% unaffordable. My company wont let me go to Arkansas to visit our dealers there often enough because flights are too expensive.
-FF benefits being erased evenly among all 3 carriers.
-SCAMS left and right aimed at mid leading consumers. ie: Basic Economy is a "new lower airfare" or so United said.

OH and wait... doesn't Delta OWN part of China Eastern (state subsidized trashed up airline)