davetravels

I don't think anyone posted this before . . . .

Here's a new (I suppose) earning chart:

http://www.delta.com/content/www/en_...A006659_P0_PRI

Apologizing in advance, if it's old news!

mayhem

So ... I saw that a few weeks ago and booked JFK-PVG-SIN and CGK-PVG-JFK on them in J. Here's my 2cts before you are tempted to go after these cheap MQMs
- hard product on board is very good/new; great 773 herringbone full flat, and A330 equally full flat;
- service is so so
- food is HORRIBLE - on a 15 hr flight I barely had anything to eat because it was disturbingly bad + I had heard multiple stories of food poisoning on board Chinese airlines that I was very skeptical. The wine must have been fake; and the snacks were pitiful. I tried to sleep for most
- Lounge in PVG is a communist Chinese lounge; I only dared to drink the bottled/canned drinks
- Return flight (operated by GA) got turned around 2 hrs in flight back to CGK because we weren't authorized into Chinese airspace; and I got rebooked on ANA. I later noticed that my original flight ended up having 6 hrs delay and my connecting flight 4 hrs delay.

Overall conclusion is that I will not retry this again soon, even though it did get me the MQM for JFK-PVG-SIN at a very cheap price ...

laptoptravel

I agree the product is not on par even with US domestic expectations. With Delta's investment in a government-owned (and controlled) airline, the guys in Atlanta are looking for ways to expand their reach in Asia and so are giving some pretty hefty bonuses (up to 300% total for paid First Class U tickets)

I wonder how RA and the boys view their own criticism against the Gulf Coast Carriers and Open Skies in light of Delta's ownership / partnership with another subsidized airline? Hmmm?

Sabai

Self-awareness is not a strength of DL's management.

gooselee

I got that a few weeks ago after booking a DL award involving MU metal. So the earnings charts don't apply, but I'm guessing they just sent out to anyone with an MU flight booked (or perhaps anyone with a ticket through/near PRC).

Re: MU service/product - if you search FT for "MU 33E flyertalk" or "China Eastern 33E business class" (as I did because that's the equipment I'm on), you'll actually find a few TRs over the past couple years that are somewhat favorable of the improvements they've made.

I have no idea for myself, just want to add balance to this thread. MU has gotten pretty bad reviews in the past...but maybe they're just altogether hit or miss? I suppose I'll find out for myself in a few months.

OnTheSlopes

^ So true. @:-)

Every1 Get A Life

Government owned is not necessarily the same thing as government subsidized. If Chinese government owned airlines are run like profit-driven businesses then that isn't so big a hypocrisy. Etihad and Qatar have shown through filings that they lose billions and billions of dollars but continue to operate and massively expand only due to "capital infusions of their share owners" (aka not subsidies according to them) is a different thing.

sfozrhfco

Sorry...no...China Eastern is subsidized directly by the government. DL got a massive capital infusion from AMEX which kept them alive--not to mention years of not paying corporate income tax due to losses carried forward which continues to this day...

http://centreforaviation.com/analysi...or-hunt-188149

The strategy may be relatively fresh but it needs time (perhaps years) to incubate. China Eastern has some way to go before becoming fully commercial; for example, its 1H2014 financial results included domestic load factor gains at the expense of yield - while operating profit was boosted by state subsidies.

ATOBTTR

I'm not defending DL on the RA vs. the ME3 thing, and you may be right about China Eastern not being different than the ME3 (I don't know enough about it), but there's a difference between a private sector company (AmEx) using its own capital to invest vs. the government doing the backing.

No Smoking

Was recently on the A332 and found the reverse herringbone quite "cozy". Food and service was fine. Even as an avid window gazer I'd pick the centre seats next time thou - the vent / grate right at foot level frustrated me for at least 9 of the 10 hours. Well that and the first seat literally falling apart around me.

The bonus MQM and miles is a solid enhancement IMO. Just make sure you request the temperature adjusted from 26C to at least a bearable 22C.

lamont2718

It's nice that DL finally elevated MU to a "Group 1 Partner", but I would like to see Medallion benefits aside from earning mileage. Hopefully additional benefits like priority check-in, priority boarding, etc. are on the way to match Medallion recognition on most of Delta's other JV and/or equity partners (e.g., AF, KL, VS, VA, AM, G3).

Every1 Get A Life

To be fair i did say "if". I wasn't purporting to know the subsidy situation at MU. But it should be noted that there can be a distinction between government owned and government subsidized.

As to your claims about DL. Don't be absurd. AMEX pays Delta for SkyMiles. AMEX then gives them to their customers as rewards. Then Delta must accept those rewards for tickets. It is a business transaction. Money and/or value is exchanging hands for a product. If AMEX was willing to prepay for a ton of miles to either keep a valuable partner afloat and/or get a great rate on advance purchase of SkyMiles, that is a free market transaction.

And don't forget that everyone in the US that pays taxes is able to use losses to defer future taxes. All businesses and all tax paying persons. If you buy a bunch of stock for $100 and then you sell at $50, you can use the loss on that investment to offset future investment income taxes. Delta is not getting any special treatment here. And once Delta does begin paying taxes in the next two years, they will be at a massive global disadvantage to their competitors who have significantly lower tax rates in their countries than the US. The corporate tax rate in the US is one of the highest in the world.

BenA

I suspect the latter; I frequently travel to the PRC but have never flown or even booked MU, and I got the promotional e-mail today.

fly747first

GRALISTAIR