motytrah

It's not a union thing. It's an older person set in their ways thing. The leads/pursers are used to giving the speak by memory (on TATL flights, usually in multiple languages by memory.) Now they have to learn a new deal, they complain. It's not a big deal, but that's not going to stop some who see it as a union rally point.

DL's changes to in-flight is a mixed bag. There are some positive and negative things. NWAFA brought up some interesting things about service, which I think makes DL worse when stuck on the plane.

orlandodlplat

Good morning/afternoon/evening, welcome aboard Delta Air Lines, a founding member of the Skyteam Alliance. This is Flight xxx, with Boeing 7x7 jet service now non-stop to yyy.

What's so wrong with this?

nwacked

<<<<<<Now they have to learn a new deal, they complain...

I was at a gate yesterday in DTW and some foo' sitting in the slouchy black seats calls out to the GA, "What do you think of the switch to Delta?".

She just kind of got that fingers-in-the-light-socket look, waited till the initial surge passed, and then said, "It's change. I don't like it when things keep changing."

She went about her business looking just as stressed as before the question was asked.

lotalota

I don't really care what you think either, but what we think isn't important. What does matter is that DL doesn't seem to care about us, the $ spending frequent flyers who were loyal to NW. Shouldn't they be trying to convince us that we're welcome at DL and that we should be excited about joining the DL Medallion family?

nwacked

>>>>>we should be excited about joining the DL Medallion family?

There's a choice?!? http://tinyurl.com/cfp4xd

indufan

I suppose so. But I will say that the programs aren't merged yet but that is a copout to a point. However, make mistakes about it, difficult decisions have to made every day in every company (and especially of late) that may make the consumer less than happy. Some of those difficult decisions would had to have been made anyway. Having said that, could Delta have done better at communication. Yes, I think they could have. But I hardly think it's horrible either. And it is apparent that some wouldn't have liked anything that they would have done...other than increasing benefits across the board.

szerfam

Really care less what you think as well, first if you don't care what we think go back to your own board. Second it is DL shortsightedness about the value of FF's and what they think. They are p###ing off a group that contributes a large percentage of revenue to the company and apparently could care less. Just b/c you and your ilk have accepted inferior service and perks...my I love the 12gr of peanuts that replaced our mixed nut snacks in F, yum..., doesn't mean I or any of the other WP members who care to complain have to. For the record I'm taking my 150K of domestic travel and moving on a soon as I can burn off the miles, which of course whould be easy using the enhanced benefits of the three tier award chart.


[QUOTE=indufan;11573783]Honestly, I don't care if former NWA fliers "get over it" or not. It just seems to me that might be a better practice for them. Or if not going to get over it then move on. Now, I absolutely know there is a difference between love it or leave it.

tvnwz

I have no complaints about the merger so far. I still get a comfortable seat up front, with good service and a snack basket. I like the water waiting at the seat--but I was surprised at how narrow the First Class seats are on the 767. Expecting wider.

I like the blankets in plastic. I might stop carrying my old TWA blanket.

I get there on time, usually with a smile. In my world, that's a major thing.

Justin026

Whatever the grousing from NWA employees feels like these days, any of us with years on them cannot forget the years-long griping that went with the Republic-NW merger. And that was two union carriers fighting over their arcana of lists and work rules and mixed crews and whatever.

And I remember getting stranded in Spokane for a few days as a teenager during an ugly, almost-a-year-long NW strike in 1970.

The web site thing is just the grass growing greener. I liked Delta's site, then I liked NWA's, then I liked AirTran's and now I think I like Delta's better again. But a couple of months ago AirTran got multiple credit cards and automatic copmpanion upgrades. Don't we like what we use and learn to finagle with?

Thought Deltalina loked just fine when she worked TUS-ATL a few months ago. That face sure ain't melting. The finger wag is obviously in jest or is Southern humor too sophisticated for the folks up North?? I complimented her Internet fame and told her she had fans at a factory I had visited in Slovakia in November. You say Delta and they say DELTALINA from Youtube.

And yes, ASA counter service at ATL does mean you are descended to a lower circle, the one with the winged harpies. If there is any chance the commuter terminals at MSP or DTW could be models for the messes at Delta's hubs...

indufan

I don't have my "own board". It's FlyerTalk. And these two forums are very much connected now and will be merged themselves before we know it. I am afraid your phrasing seems to be exactly part of what the problem is.
Maybe Delta has shortsightedness and maybe you over value those views.
Trust me, Delta cares. But they have to draw a line. This industry can't continue to be what it was. They net profit in the entire industry since the times of Orville and Wilbur is ZERO. Nadda. It MUST change...and that sometimes might not be good for the consumer.
See that is the thing, I believe that Delta provides superior service. In fact, it's the service of those front line people (TAs, GAs, FAs, SMS) that keeps me with them.
So, where are you going that is better? Don't get me wrong, I understand leaving something out of principle. The reality is that Delta has a superior domestic network now. And it's not even close anymore. Hubs in MSP, DTW, SLC, CVG, MEM, and ATL give lots of options.

rtarbuck

Not if your new airline could not give a s*** about a previously loyal customer. If they do care they certainly have not shown me any welcome and I am almost a 2 million miler with my old favorite.

tonypct

Ah yes, but is that good or bad?

gsupstate

Back to the original thread topic, I think DL should expedite getting some form of IFE on the NW planes, so all they have to do is just run the safety video - problem fixed! Plus, inflight offerings will then be that much more integrated between legacy DL and legacy NW a/c.

mnredfox

You're right, I don't know. But if the way NW treated elites prior to the merger was any indication, I would say that you're wrong. If anything, NWA prided itself with the advantages of keeping elite benefits and did so publicly. While other airlines were removing benefits for elites, NW kept them. I honestly felt valued by NW then. Now with DL, I don't really feel that special as a PE. Do you honestly think that NWA would have fleeced their customers to where we are now had it not been for the merger? Had Bob Soukup stayed in charge of the FFP at NW? Doubt it, and I think if you took a vote on FT you'd lose.

I can't really say that the merger occurred because of bankruptcy (I guess I'm not informed enough). They were both bankrupt because of turmoil in industry. But bankruptcy wasn't an means to the end of merger (if you ask me), it was a means to shed debt and renegotiate labor contracts.

indufan

You are operating under a premise that I think that the customers are being "fleeced" now. I despise that word. It is thrown around like it is candy here. It means to defraud of money or property. Delta hasn't defrauded me of anything. I pay the money to fly someplace and they get me there. You don't have to like the deal that they give, but it ain't fraud.

A vote on FlyerTalk? That has absolutely nothing to do with reality. There are so many ways that FlyerTalk is a great cross section of the flying public. But there are about as many ways that they are completely different too. Honestly, there are things that people here care about that 90+% of even elites could care less about.

If Bob Soukoup was still in charge would things be different. Well, maybe is the best answer you can get from me. Do I think he is better at communicating that Jeff Robertson is? Yeah, I do. But we don't know what kind of pressures that Jeff has received upstream. Bob could have certainly received those same pressures and saying that "you must cut this and you must cut that". In every business, there have been decisions made by middle and upper management that have been overturned because it adversely affected the bottom line too much.

I am not saying all these things are good for the consumer. Bob or Jeff or whoever NEVER does things that are only good for the consumer. If they are, then they aren't doing their job correct. They work for the airline and have to do what is best for the shareholders. Now, the best that we can hope for is something that benefits both of us.

How about this to chew on? Do you think there is any airline out there that wouldn't COMPLETELY ELIMINATE domestic first class upgrades if they thought they could sell 95% of the seats? That wouldn't be good for the consumer that could only buy coach, would it? Do you think they would still do it anyway? You bet your ... they would. Could anyone blame them? Now, of course, that example is extreme and isn't going to happen.

They make decisions every day and they have a balance to factor. This will make us XXX but it will cost us YYY. When XXX > YYY then, in general, they do it. Now, XXX and YYY are never absolute known numbers, so yes, one can still have a good argument about whether it's property or not....and the closer XXX and YYY are together...the better the argument. AND, a new policy when implemented, XXX and YYY become clearly and more known. That is why sometimes we, as consumers, WERE right and changes get rescinded.