Competition in the Skies: Is Delta the Problem, or the Solution?

[blue collar]

Mental widgets? What, is it widget envy you have?
The best part of it all is that no matter how low you think of all of us, I'm sure we all think lower of you. Carry on with your madness.

 

[swamt]

BINGO!!!

 

[WorldTraveler]

Mental widgets? What, is it widget envy you have?
The best part of it all is that no matter how low you think of all of us, I'm sure we all think lower of you. Carry on with your madness.

 
mental widgets would be that airline forums.com specific disease that tries to find anything wrong with Delta Air Lines despite the overwhelming evidence that DL is indeed succeeding far better than other carriers in the marketplace.
 
You haven't forgotten that the whole thesis of the article being discussed is that competition is good for the consumer and that DL actually provides it while others run for cover trying to hide for protectionism from DL?
 
 
here are the opening lines of the post one more time
 
The decision to exclude Delta from the divestiture process in order to favor Southwest and other DLCs is not a decision in favor of competition. Instead, it is a policy decision favoring the DLC business model over the network carrier business model, even though the DLC business model cannot and does not serve all types of markets or all kinds of travelers.
 
Simply put, it is a decision that shields DLCs from competition with Delta. The Government’s plan to use the divestiture to “tilt” the market in favor of DLCs is contrary to the public interest, is based upon misconceptions about the nature of competition in the airline industry, and is an inappropriate Government manipulation of the market that will lead to anticompetitive outcomes in affected cities.

 

[eolesen]

mental widgets would be that airline forums.com specific disease that tries to find anything wrong with Delta Air Lines despite the overwhelming evidence that DL is indeed succeeding far better than other carriers in the marketplace.

Sometimes it's not the message, but the messenger...

 

[WorldTraveler]

of course it is... and if the message is true, then it doesn't matter who says  it.
 
If someone has to tell you something you don't want to hear, it is not likely to be pleasant one way or another.
 
The option is to be honest about yourself instead of having someone have to tell you the truth that you don't want to hear. 

 

[swamt]

Wt is describing himself to a "T".  He is the one finding ONLY faults with SWA when I post, with AA when someone is discussing AA and so on. I have in fact congratulated Delta for past accomplishments and even said that Delta is doing a fantastic job AFTER BK. I only respond to people that flat out lie or say misinformation about SWA. WT, as he says himself, loves to come on here and confront and stir the pot rather it is truthful or not. And I am actually shocked that he admitted it.

 

[WorldTraveler]

I have repeatedly posted the positive attributes of WN and have said that WN will successfully compete in the N. Texas market, including taking significant share from AA.
 
WN wants everyone to think they will create all kinds of new demand and the AA fan club is gullible enough to believe that AA won't be hurt by WN's growth yet with a cost structure that is not that much different from AA's, the only way for WN to win is to take share from AA... they can't price their product at a loss for the long-term. 
 
WN is not a price leader in the market any longer, even though the DOJ which argued that they didn't have time to properly prepare a defense to the AA/US merger thinks they understand the business.
 
They didn't do their homework regarding the AA/US merger, came up with some totally whacked out assumptions and conclusions regarding the industry, and are now trying to foist their ideas on the industry.
 
Thankfully, DL isn't willing to lay down and let the DOJ do that, even if WN will benefit mightily because of the DOJ's ineptitude. 
 
When you can accept the basic economic facts of what WN is really doing - pulling down the FL acquisition in order to grow a market where it will steal share from other carriers instead of create new demand, then we can talk about reality.

 

[swamt]

On and on and on and on. Blah blah blah blah blah.  keep up the good work...

 

[WorldTraveler]

why is it so hard for you to accept that someone else can defend their point but you should be free to come on here and proclaim all that is good about WN and remain unquestioned about WN?
 
No one has ever doubted that WN would do well post WA.  But I am not going to roll over and accept your notion that WN alone should be free to dominate DAL to the exclusion of other carriers including DL who had nothing to do with the AA/US divestiture agreement in the first place.  Further, WN's success at DAL and growth there has long been expected and other carriers including DL fully expected to be a part of the same process.
 
There is no legal basis for pushing DL out of the process and that point will be pushed into Congress and the courts if that is where it has to go to ensure that open competition really results in N. Texas and not just the creation of another duopoly in N. Texas. 

 

[robbedagain]

let us know when congress decides to act   last I checked  they have far more time on their hands then the rest of us!   and if it went thru the courts  it'll be forever n ever before theres a ruling.    the doj made clear they wanted an LCC   at DAL and they did make clear DL does not fit that criteria

 

[WorldTraveler]

I don't think there will be any doubt as to when the focus regarding the DAL and asset divestiture case shifts.
 
It is more telling that DL still has the same flights available for sale from DAL as it did before the DOJ's proclamation that DL isn't fit to bid.
 
That being the case, it seems that DL doesn't appear to be ready to throw in the towel and continues to have private discussions to either obtain access via another method or get everything in order to begin legal and/or Congressional challenges/changes.   

 

[swamt]

Robbed gets it.  And WT is just repeating again. Until he brings new information to the topic just ignore.  Although I will say his attitude has changed a bit, huh??

 

[blue collar]

With all that this congress has done in the last few years, I'm sure that getting DL gate space at DAL is at the top of their list. It should happen any day now...

 

[swamt]

I think he might be finally understanding that there are other ways to get gates at LF.  But he also still thinks Delta will sue and SWA will have to give up gates they have now to Delta.  That isn't going to happen-period.   Delta is free to lease one or both of the other 2 gates at LF owned by E.J. and leased to United currently.  If Delta wants gates at LF bad enough they are more than welcome to through a bid out there to try and out bid United for the leases.

 

[WorldTraveler]

no, it is precisely because the DOJ and DAL as an airport are in a very tricky legal position that they haven't told DL to pull their own flights.
 
This case was always about DL serving DAL.  The two gates are not the issue.  There is undoubtedly some flexibility in DAL's gate usage including the supposed 16 dedicated gates that WN thinks are their own that there might be some agreement that allows common use. 
 
If UA doesn't want to give up its lease, there isn't anything that DL or anyone else can do about it.   But there are and will be concerns about access to DAL and about the DOJ's proclamation that 18 out of 20 gates at least at an airport that is as large as DAL is will be given to supposed low fare carriers (even though the evidence is overwhelming that WN does not provide below average fares from DAL to the markets it already serves) that is the problem.
 
I am actually quite confident that DL will be at DAL on Oct 14, 2014 and the fact that the flights are still for sale says that they aren't giving into the airlineforums rhetoric pushed by swamt that DL should just pack it up and head home.
 
I'm still looking very much forward to being on one of the very first 717 flights from DAL and will make very sure that swamt knows that WT is in the building.