Dieuwer

Alliances are a thing of the past:

http://www.economist.com/blogs/gulli...orldoftomorrow
http://www.businesstraveller.com/new...liances-have-o

LarkSFO

(This happened in early December)
"DELTA DEDICATES NEW BOEING 737-900ER AS 'SPIRIT OF SEATTLE'
DEDICATION THANKS CUSTOMERS, EMPLOYEES AND PARTNERS FOR DECADES OF SERVICE IN SEATTLE"

http://news.delta.com/index.php?s=43&item=2195

"Today, Delta operates 35 peak-day departures to 15 destinations from its growing gateway in Seattle, including non-stop international service to Amsterdam, Paris, Tokyo-Narita, Tokyo-Haneda, Shanghai and Beijing. Additional international service is planned in 2014 to London-Heathrow as well as Hong Kong and Seoul, pending government approval. Delta will also expand Seattle service to Anchorage, Alaska; Las Vegas; Los Angeles; Portland, Ore.; San Diego; and San Francisco and also recently announced new service to Fairbanks, Alaska, and Vancouver, Canada, beginning in the summer of 2014."



"No. 7 on Our Top 10 Stories of 2013: Delta and Alaska Airlines battle it out in Seattle"

"“Alliances can be complicated. It’s likely that in the future there will be markets where it’s in our interests to work together with Delta and there will be markets where we will compete because it’s in the best interests of Alaska Air Group to do so,” he (Tilden) said."

http://aviationblog.dallasnews.com/2...-seattle.html/


How long can the coopetition between frenemies continue?

dliesse

And DL just announced the "introduction" of service to JNU in 2014. (No mention, of course, of the fact that this is not a new service; they punted it years ago. Gotta love marketing departments!) It'll be seasonal, naturally, but for how long?

dliesse

The overhead for the passenger is the experience of going through US Customs twice!

HongKonger

On a flight I just took the FAs began discussing this topic so I picked up some intelligence. Apparently DL handles AS baggage in SEA, but will no longer do so as of March 1. Also, among the front-line staff it is apparently common knowledge that RA is "going after" AS and "does not like codeshares."

I don't fly AS much but I've always liked it when I did. If it is enjoyable/convenient for you as a DL medallion to fly AS and earn MQM/MQD or redeem awards or whatnot, I'd say you better enjoy it while you can.

LarkSFO

This is from May 2013:

http://www.kplu.org/post/sea-tac-bag...gn-union-cards

"After a year of agitating over working conditions, more than 1,000 workers at Sea-Tac Airport say they have now signed cards to join unions.

The involved workers load and unload baggage, push wheelchairs and clean airplane cabins, among other jobs. They are employed by five companies: Menzies Aviation, BAGS Inc., Delta Global Services, AirServ and GCA."

So, it appears that if DL no longer handles AS' baggage, there are other contractors who could do so?

(2005 when AS stopped handling baggage of their own: Alaska Airlines outsources 472 baggage-handling jobs )

ND76

AS also has developed quite a network between several mainland gateways and Hawaii, serving HNL, OGG, LIH and KOA.

I was in SEA yesterday morning. Delta has a number of promotional posters in the AS part of airside.

I can understand why Delta covets the Seattle market; that is where the money is.

TTT

I think I read somewhere that DGS/DL will stop all ground handeling for AS in March.

LarkSFO

I remember reading that too, but could not find it again...

I wonder what the scale of DGS support to AS is? (100% of bags in SEA? or some smaller %age?)

TTT

I thought Menzies was the ground support in SEA but I have seen a few DGS trucks moving about the AS gates so I don't know.

Outside of SEA I know DL handles AS flights at ATL, IAH, SAT, SLC and possibly others.

andymo99

I hadn't realized that DL handled bags for AS. It is unusual for one airline to do so in another's hub. Anyway, AS baggage performance has always been leaps and bounds ahead of DL's at SEA. (to wit: 20 minute guarantee) Makes it even more surprising that DL handles.

ND76

DGS is AS's contractor at OGG. Interestingly, at DCA, where Alaska uses one of Delta's gates (Gate 18), AS uses Worldwide Flight Services, which is the contractor for Spirit at DCA. AS appeared to use Menzies exclusively at PDX and at SEA.

ND76

DGS's website indicates that they provide varying amounts of service at some 150 stations.

http://www.dalgs.com/

DGS appears to be a separate enterprise from Delta Air Lines; in order to keep their customers from defecting to the competition (i.e., AirServ, Menzies, Swissport, etc.), they need to do an outstanding job for them. If DGS didn't help AS meet their 20 minute guarantee and cost AS money, they'd presumably be in material breach of their contract and would be out the door rather quickly, I would imagine.

LarkSFO

But, do you know if it is true that DGS is severing their business relationship with AS? (or vice versa?)

Per this article (March 2013):

Worker unrest continues at Sea-Tac Airport

"More information:

Workers employed by 4 different multi-million dollar airport contractors at Sea-Tac will announce they have formed unions with SEIU Local 6:

Menzies workers handle baggage and provide ramp services for Alaska and other airlines at Sea-Tac. Menzies Aviation is a global provider of passenger, ramp and cargo handling services, operating in more than 132 airports in 30 countries. Menzies made $51 million last year in profits on $2.9 billion in revenue.

BAGS, Inc. workers provide passenger wheelchair services at Sea-Tac for Alaska and other airlines. BAGS employs 5,000 people nationwide and takes in approximately $100 million in revenue annually.

Delta Global Services (DGS) workers provide cabin-cleaning services for Alaska and other airlines. DGS is wholly-owned subsidiary of Delta Air Lines, Inc. which earned more than $1 billion in net revenue last year.

AirServ workers clean aircraft cabins and provide other passenger services at Sea-Tac. AirServ is a privately-owned company employing about 12,000 people worldwide, with revenue of approximately $300 million.

Additionally, workers for ground transportation company GCA will announce they have formed a union with Teamsters Local 117."

LarkSFO

Alaska Mileage Plan Raises Delta Redemption Rates

From Lucky / One Mile at a Time:

"Well, reader Pablo just emailed to point out that it looks like Alaska’s Mileage Plan partner award page for travel to Europe has been updated to reflect a price increase for business class travel on Delta between the US and Europe:

This seems to apply for tickets purchased on or after February 12, 2014. So travel booked now for subsequent dates would still qualify for the old rates."

Alaska partner award chart:

http://www.alaskaair.com/content/mil...rt-europe.aspx