SOBE ER DOC

I love how everyone here is screaming bloody murder when DL decided to make a business decision about their affiliation with the NRA. This is not a political issue, despite what people are trhying to make it into. An event happened. An organization spoke out in a way that millions and millions of Americans found to be very unsavory. DL made a decision that they did not want their brand associated with this rhetoric and pulled back their sponsorship. This is no different than when athletes do something and lose sponsorships or when a brand chooses not to advertise during certain programming because the program does not align with how they wish to have their brand perceived in the marketplace. How is DL's position with the NRA and different than Hobby Lobby choosing not to affiliate with or sponsor LGBT events? It isn't.

It would be lovely if people would just stop trying to read into everything and stop trying to make it political. The political aspect was the GA legislature punishing DL for a business decision that was entirely theirs to make.

gooselee

DL isn't going to gain or lose any meaningful net business because of this. The vast majority of people who are happy with their actions will still book UA/AA/WN when they are $5 cheaper, and vice versa. Flights will continue to go out full. People on FT will continue to debate the merits of FCM.

And the world goes on.

jinglish

How has this thread not been OMNI'd yet?

Fiordland

As someone who has been flying more and more on WestJet/Delta and less and less on AC/United, I would agree. Looking in from a foreign passengers perspective the role the NRA (an association of gun owners supported by gun manufactures) has in influencing public policy is just weird.

Delta is just trying to distance themselves from being perceived as having a role in this debate. All these airlines pick causes they like to support, at the same time they pass on many others. Sometimes it is pink lemonade in flight and collecting money for breast cancer. Others it is a Make a Wish type charity for sick kids. They also have to decide which issues they are going to stay out of completely. For example Alaska has participation in the LGBT parade as something they highlight in their Seattle home-town airlines commercial while Delta decides to be neutral on that issue.

It is also weird that the government is telling a private business what non-profits or charities it should support and what conventions the airline is required to give special price breaks on. Perhaps going forward, Is Delta going to have to start to submit its marketing and charitable giving plan to the local governors office for approval?

FBplatinum

I agree 100% with you.
When politician (or peoples with "political" power) begin to dictate the decision corporation and people must do --> It is the begin of dictatorship.

FBplatinum

#1 - I see/read no where anyone "bullying" Delta to go out of NRA... (can you show us any "evidence") ???

#2 - Delta say/write CLEARLY they want to stay NEUTRAL (not go to support any side on this).

#3 - Did Delta made anything AGAIN the NRA ???

#4 - The Georgia legislator must have stay NEUTRAL (same as Delta do), instead they choice to support the NRA (this are THEIR choice), but the worse is to force corporate to support NRA (this is very far from democracy).

#5 - “Freedom of Choice” is a fundamental right, grouped with a “Right to Privacy”. The Ninth Amendment alludes to it and the Fourteenth Amendment enforces it.

FF524

Delta fouled this one up for sure. Nowhere in their thinking did they think they would jeopardize that tax break, which was pure cash to the bottom line. They were blindsided and that is where I am humored here. Someone looked at the exposure, saw how few people were taking advantage of the discount and then, In their hurry to take a stand and look like they care, wham. I laughed when other “progressive” cities welcomed Delta to move their HQ. Delta enjoys the economic environment of the conservative GA legislature (as do you folks from ATL that seemingly forget that you live in Georgia and also enjoy said economics), but along with the fiscal policies that conservatives support, you get fierce protection of the 2nd amendment too.

kdonnel

Of course they were bullied by the sentiment and rush to blame that occurred. That is the way the world has worked for as long as I have lived.

You just have to look at the backlash (bullying) against FedEx for NOT making a statement that involved some sort of punishment to the NRA or it's members or a few posts up to the folks who say they would have taken their business elsewhere if Delta had not come out with a statement.

If Delta wanted to remain neutral and not an activist business they would have kept their corporate mouth shut. No matter how carefully worded the original statement, the act of removing a discount given to one and only one political organization is saying something against that one organization, actions speak louder then words.

If they really wanted to remain neutral they would have quietly removed all discounts from all politically charged organizations and NEVER made a public statement about the change. Instead Delta made the choice to be an activist corporation and will either reap the rewards or pay the price.

SOBE ER DOC

This concept of "activist" anything is just a trumped up (pun intended) was for people who disagree with something to try and radicalize the opposition and victimize themselves in the eyes of the world.

DL's customers have every right to lobby DL for or against support of / or engagement with any other organization. DL in turn has the right to respond based on their assessment of the business and social implications of their decisions. It can'r be allowed to be an issue when DL takes a stand one does not like but not an issue when an organization like Hobby Lobby takes a stand on contraception that one finds appealing. You can't have it both ways. And, quite frankly, once a company makes a decision we can support or condemn it all we want but the decision is theirs to make. Like it? Show your support with your wallet. Don't like it? Do business with companies who's values better reflect your own.

The issue here is not that DL or UA or FedEx made a decision. The issue is that the GA legislature decided to stick their nose in something they had no business trying to influence. For a body of government to punish a company in response for not bending to their social or moral will is tyranny at its worst and a frontal assault on American values and what it means to be a free society. This may be okay in Russia, but not in the US.

DL had every right to do what they did.

pvn

Wow, the snowflakes are triggered. You're right, they're saying something, what they're saying is "that organization is way too activist for anyone to remain associated with if they're trying to stay neutral."

flying_donkeys12

FlyingBeanCounter

what is this OMNI you speak of? I see it as part of the forum but it is not accessible for some reason.

javabytes

180 posts and 180 days. Four more posts and the door will appear to a new world which you will probably wish you never entered.

kipper

Assuming the person does not go on a posting run.

spamkiller

Is it really $40M less on the bottom line? They get to deduct state taxes paid on their federal taxes.