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Popular Travel Blogger Blasts D1 LAX-JFK Cleanliness and Food in New Video

Popular Travel Blogger Blasts D1 LAX-JFK Cleanliness and Food in New Video

Old Jun 9, 2019, 4:09 pm
  #91  
 
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Originally Posted by PotomacApproach
Most relevant comment is the NY-LA premium competition. Many flyer complaints wouldn't bother me as an investor. This one does.

I think one issue on this route is actually lack of competition. UA does not fly to JFK, so at JFK you've only got DL and AA for legacy carriers for people that don't want to go to EWR on UA. B6 is a good product, but without the global network or alliance to make them attractive to most truly frequent travelers who travel internationally. That really just leaves DL and AA. AA wins hands down on this route with their IFC product, but it's not like DL has tons of competition.
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Old Jun 9, 2019, 5:04 pm
  #92  
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764 jfk-lax d1

Seat 1D was disgusting 6 weeks ago, and just as bad on the same aircraft and seat 3 weeks later doing JFK-LAX.
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Old Jun 9, 2019, 5:06 pm
  #93  
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Originally Posted by paul4040
I don't think it is particularly defensive to point out that the WestJet video I released was 95% positive and cannot be called a "worst ever type experience" - although there is another vlogger friend of mine who recently released a far more negative review than I - we took the same inaugural flight. We look similar and have similar presentation styles, and are regularly confused with one another (tbh, I'm better looking ).
Believe me, it was your video report.

Originally Posted by paul4040
I didn't provide any incorrect information in my reply. I haven't released a video on BA for well over a year, although again my vlogger friend released a negative video on them recently. If you click on any of my BA videos - none of which were released in the past year as you claim (and I'm not sure how you have made that mistake!)
This is some of what shows up on your Youtube Channel (below) for BA - you also said this, "I haven't released any video on BA for God knows how long..."






Originally Posted by paul4040

It's one thing to say you don't like my presentation style or my vlog (and tbh FlyerTalk isn't my audience so I'm not too surprised there are people here that don't!), but allow me to correct in the most civil way I can, a possible misinterpretation so we can be sure we are talking about the same channel and the same videos, to keep the thread on topic.
As you can see from the screenshot, it's your channel I'm talking about, so yes, unfortunately my comments about you and it's not a case of mistaken identity. Anyway, as I said before congrats on getting what looks like some decent traffic. Anyone can play basketball, not many make it to the NBA. Getting good traffic in such a competitive market is definitely an accomplishment.
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Old Jun 9, 2019, 5:08 pm
  #94  
 
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Actually, that little speck of food in the crevice of the widget is like an amuse bouche. It's called Sky Leftovers.
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Old Jun 9, 2019, 5:09 pm
  #95  
 
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Originally Posted by jdrtravel
I think one issue on this route is actually lack of competition. UA does not fly to JFK, so at JFK you've only got DL and AA for legacy carriers for people that don't want to go to EWR on UA. B6 is a good product, but without the global network or alliance to make them attractive to most truly frequent travelers who travel internationally. That really just leaves DL and AA. AA wins hands down on this route with their IFC product, but it's not like DL has tons of competition.
I think that's a bit of a stretch. You basically have 4 carriers offering lie-flat transcon service to the same destination. I agree that JFK is not interchangeable with EWR, but it is pretty close to being the case - and if anything, EWR may be more desirable for most of the market in question (if you're going to midtown Manhattan, the commute times are comparable; if you're going to Downtown, EWR is favorable - the only benefit is that JFK has better subway connectivity, but people flying D1 transcons are likely using a car service unless they are landing in the middle of rush hour).

Discounting B9 - when they have the best hard product on the route - seems silly.

The pricing on this route concurs with my assessment. You can get a $1300 round-trip fare on this route even during a peak Monday-Thursday commute if you do a 30-day advanced purchase. Admittedly not the same thing, but that's what I pay for my 7-day advanced Economy bookings on shorter routes. That tells me there is plenty of competition.
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Old Jun 9, 2019, 5:32 pm
  #96  
 
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Originally Posted by jdrtravel
I think one issue on this route is actually lack of competition. UA does not fly to JFK
Yes, actually funny to see those ads on top of the NYC taxi cabs comparing time to get to EWR vs JFK.

That said, my destination is usually the Upper West Side or Chelsea, and I'll book either EWR or JFK. I've flown J or F UA, AA, AS, DL, and B6 in the past year. I have the Platinum Credit Card, and would book DL more if they'd make the 75s and 76s look more like the refurbed A319/320s. My #1 issue with UA isn't EWR, but their old 757s and their constant swapping out of the 78Js. The hard product matters a lot more to most of us free agents than hard ice cream.
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Old Jun 9, 2019, 5:36 pm
  #97  
 
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Originally Posted by ethernal
Discounting B9 - when they have the best hard product on the route - seems silly.
I don't discount them for their product, as I mentioned. But for folks who care about elite status in programs with access to a real global network, this does not cut it. And white I don't know the numbers, it does seem like this is a very significant percentage of business travelers. I think that lots of people choose to take D1 on a 767 to earn the MQM's over the private suite on B6. So much so that DL does not have to throw suites on this route right away (though they may eventually).
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Old Jun 9, 2019, 6:19 pm
  #98  
 
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Originally Posted by jdrtravel
I don't discount them for their product, as I mentioned. But for folks who care about elite status in programs with access to a real global network, this does not cut it. And white I don't know the numbers, it does seem like this is a very significant percentage of business travelers. I think that lots of people choose to take D1 on a 767 to earn the MQM's over the private suite on B6. So much so that DL does not have to throw suites on this route right away (though they may eventually).
We'll have to agree to disagree. I agree that loyalty programs and network makes a difference. But it is on the fringes. Based on pricing, B6 is clearly competitive with American. And I say competitive with American because Delta's fares are below both American and B6 on this route (which makes sense given that DL has the worst product - either the garbage 767 or the tired and tighter than A321 B757).

Admittedly B6 doesn't fly the same frequency as AA/DL on this route, but if B6 was having issues filling their planes, their fares would be lower. That slot falls to Delta. I am sure that if B6 increased frequency, they would run more into the "AA loyalist" or "DL loyalist" wall, but at least for now, there are enough free agents that it doesn't seem to matter.
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Old Jun 9, 2019, 7:20 pm
  #99  
 
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Originally Posted by Oakshadow
I saw Paul's WestJet video you were referencing and due to it I really want to try WestJet's new 787 Business Class product (and get 120% DL MQMs to boot).
The highest MQM earn on WestJet is 100%, not 120%. Full fare Y, Premium and Business all earn the same mqm (which is lame, but then again so is the whole notion of any real reciprocal benefits between the two carriers).
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Old Jun 9, 2019, 11:33 pm
  #100  
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Originally Posted by SamuelS
The highest MQM earn on WestJet is 100%, not 120%. Full fare Y, Premium and Business all earn the same mqm (which is lame, but then again so is the whole notion of any real reciprocal benefits between the two carriers).
Correct! I think for some reason I added the 20% MQDs earned to the 100% MQMs.
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Old Jun 10, 2019, 4:41 pm
  #101  
 
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Originally Posted by Nicoolio
This is some of what shows up on your Youtube Channel (below) for BA - you also said this, "I haven't released any video on BA for God knows how long..."
Ah, yes - on many devices YouTube rounds down to the nearest year, so a video posted between 13 and 23 months ago shows as "one year ago" - no idea why, as this is totally counter-intuitive!
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Old Jun 10, 2019, 4:47 pm
  #102  
 
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Originally Posted by ethernal
I think that's a bit of a stretch. You basically have 4 carriers offering lie-flat transcon service to the same destination. I agree that JFK is not interchangeable with EWR, but it is pretty close to being the case - and if anything, EWR may be more desirable for most of the market in question (if you're going to midtown Manhattan, the commute times are comparable; if you're going to Downtown, EWR is favorable - the only benefit is that JFK has better subway connectivity, but people flying D1 transcons are likely using a car service unless they are landing in the middle of rush hour).

Discounting B9 - when they have the best hard product on the route - seems silly.

The pricing on this route concurs with my assessment. You can get a $1300 round-trip fare on this route even during a peak Monday-Thursday commute if you do a 30-day advanced purchase. Admittedly not the same thing, but that's what I pay for my 7-day advanced Economy bookings on shorter routes. That tells me there is plenty of competition.
NYC-SFO/LAX is extremely competitive, I concur. The major carriers tend to price match to a certain extent in both cabins (I'm not sure how many people here check on ITA or Google Flights for competitors as many of you are "wedded" to DL for earning). I think that's why I was so surprised at getting a poor experience; carriers deploy decent products on this 5-6 hour flight and are quite aggressive at attracting marginal business with admittedly good pricing in premium cabins.
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Old Jun 14, 2019, 3:01 pm
  #103  
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Originally Posted by Offloaded Again
Sorry to drag this up again but I felt it was worth pointing out that it is one thing simply complaining about existing security practices as they stand and it is another to complain that an airline's proposal to invest and help fund a new security experience for premium passengers at hub airports, is being prevented. Perhaps the former might be more relevant here? The fact that some terminals in the US offer an easier passage through the formalities for eligible passengers, indicates that this is not a red flag for the TSA, or we would not see it at all countrywide. Therefore, it would appear that the issue is perhaps one between the airlines and the airport operators, with the thorny issue of investment and who will provide that investment, being stuck somewhere in the middle.
That's quite a conclusion to jump to. Yes, airlines and airports are two separate entities. But JFK and LAX are separate entities, too. LAX isn't any more likely to be flexible just because JFK is. Unless you are the station manager for DL at LAX, you have no idea what obstacles - financial or otherwise - DL may face in getting fast track there. Vloggers aren't in such a position to know, either, which is why I took exception.
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Old Jun 14, 2019, 7:09 pm
  #104  
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I don't really understand what the big uproar is about. DL is certainly not flawless in any way and seems to have offered a pretty poor experience in this instance. That may not always be the case, however the reality remains that it can be from time to time. IMO B6 offers a more consistent experience with a better seat assuming you can snag the throne seat (Mint Suite or whatever they call it).
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