Delta forces Expert Flyer to pull all Delta flight info

[WorldTraveler]

and if they are alienating people who can bring them revenue, then it will show up on the bottom line... and they have no choice but to respond.

Despite repeated comments from people that DL would fail at one initiative after another because they were zigging when the rest of the industry was zagging, DL continues to perform above average in revenue metrics compared to its peers.

Either these things that are being highlighted really don't matter or are being overshadowed by other things that are more significant.

Could be a little of both.

And as much as there is a population of people who would like to see the data that Expert Flyer presents, it is a given that there tens of thousands who could care less or will adapt easily without that information.

If DL owns the data and ExpertFlyer has no legal recourse to continue doing what they were doing, then DL is no more abusing its power than you are in telling door to door salesman to not ring your bell.

And I have to say I can't help but notice the hypocrisy in saying that DL is abusing its power but yet it is apparently ok for AA to pull its fares and content from certain distributors every couple of years in order to force those distributors to agree to what AA wants - or not be allowed to continue distributing AA's products.

AA and DL both have the will to change certain aspects of the industry and I commend them both for doing so.

to argue that what DL is doing is abusive but it is ok for AA to do what they are doing is more than over the top.

 

[eolesen]

Comparing a distribution action like AA or DL's actions with OTA's is a red herring. The distribution actions being taken with regard to OTAs and other agencies are a direct contract between AA and the agencies involved. There is no middleman.

DL interfered in an agreement between EF and the GDS. That's an overreach when you're not a party to that agreement, or bring in a party who isn't part of the agreement between the GDS and the airline.

You keep saying DL owned the data. Arguably, that might not be the case. The data being accessed belonged to the GDS, who aggregated it from sources they legally had access to via AVS and other messages.

DL owns the inventory, but once it's broadcasted and stored downline? That's where it becomes the GDS's.

Since EF isn't a reseller, and they're not contracting with DL for the information they were accessing, it's an overreach.

 

[WorldTraveler]

it's a red herring only because you want to hypocritically see the world in a way that favors AA but not DL.

DL has no relationship with EF.

Period.

Get over the fact that DL owns the data, just as AA does which is why AA thru its channels which is why AA succeeds repeatedly in pushing distribution channels around to get its way.

If EF had legal recourse, they would have no problem forcing DL to allow them to use their data.

It is clear that DL is in the right because EF walked away.

 

[FWAAA]

DL asked ExpertFlyer to cease and desist and yet they continued.

It isn't any surprise that DL escalated the issue - which is what you do when a party doesn't choose to do what you ask in a civil case.

False.    When DL "asked" EF to cease display of the uprade inventory,  EF complied.     Don't know where you got the mistaken idea that "yet they continued."   
 
Same thing recently - when DL told EF that it could no longer display any information whatsoever about Delta, EF complied.  

As a practical matter,  EF had no choice - the GDS restricted the display of the data at Delta's demand.   Here's EF's explanation:
 
 
 

All of us here at ExpertFlyer just want to say thank you for the positive support we've been receiving, both on FT and via email.
Reading some of the posts on this thread it appears there might be some misconceptions on how airline data is distributed. To be clear, a GDS distributes airline data to its customers at the discretion of the airline. The airline-GDS contracts state that the airline controls the flow of data thru the GDS and if an airline decides that they don't want a particular GDS customer, agency or non-agency, to have their data the GDS must block data from being available to a customer if the airline asks them to. As noted in our quoted statement, Delta has already done this with many online travel agencies.

So as a practical matter, in the near term this meant that we had no choice and didn't "cave" as some have speculated, the DL information was going to be withheld with or without our participation. We continue to explore our options but for now, rightly or wrongly, the GDS-agency contracts allow for this as they have the right to modify the content made available to agencies.

 
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/23465105-post182.html
 
According to EF, Delta isn't pulling this data from EF - DL is pulling this data from other online distributors of the data.   
 
Nobody is arguing that Delta can't do what it's done or that it lacks the legal authority to do it - the argument is that Delta is being an asshat for doing so.   I don't agree with Cranky very often, but in this case I agree with him.   

 

[WorldTraveler]

and making money is not about pleasing everyone that wants to see your strategic plans.

DL clearly thought thru the implications of its actions just as they did with the money based frequent flyer changes.

The evidence of whether DL was excessively an ASS or not will be whether their revenues stop growing and outperforming the industry.

Despite multiple issues, including ones far more significant than EF, that has not happened.

 

[eolesen]

I'm sure DL put some thought into their actions. I'll disagree on the idea it was clearly thought out.

I've noticed first-hand at DL that it's increasingly a culture that doesn't say "that's a dumb idea, sir" to senior management, be it Glenn, Richard, or just about anyone else on Richard's leadership team. That's the same level of arrogance that infected AA back in the Carty days, and something that's existed at UA in the past as well.

I'm told there's still a little dissent that goes on at the analyst and manager level, but it gets quashed fairly quickly once a decision is made and the manager/analyst needs to come up with the business case to support it..

 

[WorldTraveler]

DL makes decisions based on numbers and analysis.

If it is dumb, no one needs to tell anyone.

It is obvious in the analysis.

As much as it slays you to admit it, DL does know what the value of cutting EF off was worth, just as they did with the upgrades on JFK transcons, and far more significantly, the spend based Skymiles changes.

DL is now well into a spend based Skymiles program. If it was the disaster that so many proclaimed it would be, it would be apparent - but DL continues to lead the US industry in revenue production.

DL knew what it was doing with each of these initiatives including EF and will improve their financial performance in the process.