Where Were Everyone Else's Widebodies And 757s?

[WorldTraveler]

Where Delta Was
Wall Street Journal, September 12, 2005 10:59 a.m.

As the executive responsible for Delta Air Lines' flight operations and the pilot who flew the first Delta rescue flight into New Orleans, I feel compelled to provide a more balanced and complete answer to Scott McCartney's Sept. 2 column, "Where Was Delta?"

Before, during, and now in the aftermath of this catastrophic event, Delta and its employees have responded responsibly and wholeheartedly: Right before the New Orleans airport was closed, extra wide-body service was added in time to remove the nearly 250 customers at risk of being stranded. When government rescue efforts delivered some 140 evacuees to the New Orleans airport, Delta flew a day-one relief mission to provide much needed supplies and to get those rescued out and to the final destination of their choice.

Since then, and in close coordination with national relief organizations, Delta has helped evacuate and fly to safety almost 3,000 victims -- more than any other carrier -- on more than two dozen rescue flights. As victims were being flown out, Transportation Security Administration workers, sky marshals and Federal Emergency Management Agency personnel were being flown in. Delta has volunteered several aircraft and through "Operation Air Care" our donation of air travel and participation in emergency-relief efforts continues.

The thousands of Delta employees who are opening their wallets, their homes and their hearts to those affected are multiplying our company actions. As of this writing, more than two million Delta frequent-flyer miles have been contributed through the SkyWish program, to the Red Cross, and to the Salvation Army.

This isn't about acknowledgements and "thank-yous." In light of the incomplete information in your column, it is about reassuring our people, our customers and the communities we have the privilege to serve that Delta shares their deeply held values of compassion and caring.

Joseph C. Kolshak
Executive Vice President
Delta Air Lines
Atlanta, Ga.

 

[lostplanetairman]

But to put it in perspective, Delta has a whole lot of airplanes. A lot of much smaller airlines contributed a great effort in proportion to this. For example, tiny Spirit Airlines flew more than 1,000 people out of New Orleans (and was the first flight in to do so per the FAA). Their employees, too, worked for free. You can repeat that story with every other airline that participated. And most of the other airlines don't even serve MSY. They did it because it was right. And some didn't advertise it either.

 

[B.O.B.]

But to put it in perspective, Delta has a whole lot of airplanes. A lot of much smaller airlines contributed a great effort in proportion to this. For example, tiny Spirit Airlines flew more than 1,000 people out of New Orleans (and was the first flight in to do so per the FAA). Their employees, too, worked for free. You can repeat that story with every other airline that participated. And most of the other airlines don't even serve MSY. They did it because it was right. And some didn't advertise it either.

[post="299717"][/post]​

Actually, AA was the first flight into MSY. They brought relief supplies and took pax out on a 757! AA's employees from the flight attendants, pilots to the ground employees and everyone in between, worked for free as well.

All airlines who flew into MSY get props and thumbs up!

 

[lostplanetairman]

Well, then I guess Mineta sent a letter to every airline telling them they were the first. I've seen one from him and it wasn't to AA.

 

[B.O.B.]

Here is your answer:

American Airlines and American Eagle Employees Help Raise a Half-Million Dollars During Katrina Telethon


PRNewswire All PRNewswire News

FORT WORTH, Texas, Sept. 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- More than 500 American Airlines and American Eagle employees helped raise a half-million dollars for Hurricane Katrina relief volunteering to answer phones at American's reservation office in Fort Worth during last weekend's telethon that was broadcast nationwide. This was one of the many efforts by several companies and organizations to help with the telethon.

Volunteers answered more than 8,200 calls bringing in $500,000 in donations. Employees and some of their family and friends volunteered their time for the effort, while American donated the use of its Southern Reservation Office just south of Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.

"We consider ourselves very much a part of the communities we serve, and we care deeply about the people who were impacted. It is important to us to assist those who are in need," said Bella Goren, American's Vice President of Interactive Marketing and Reservations. "We have a long history, as a company and as individual employees, of pitching in to help out on many levels in the communities where we live and work."

In addition to volunteering for the telethon, American and its employees have also taken a number of other actions to assist with hurricane relief efforts, including:

* American operated the first aircraft back into New Orleans after the
hurricane and just hours after the FAA certified the runway for use,
delivering relief supplies and evacuating people at no charge. Since
then, the airline has flown additional relief missions. The flights
have been staffed by volunteer employees

* Evacuees from the rescue flight were given food, water, medical
supplies, and transportation upon their arrival at DFW, and pet food
was provided for all of their pets.

* The airline immediately established the "American Giving Katrina
Relief Fund" to gather donations from employees, and the American
Airlines Credit Union has created a special "Katrina Red Cross Fund"
to accept donations from members on behalf of the Red Cross. To date,
the combination of donated and matching funds exceeds $300,000 and is
growing.

* American has partnered with United Way of America to create the
Hurricane Katrina "Miles to Move Forward " program, which will provide
assistance with air transportation for individuals displaced by the
storm. AAdvantage® members can donate miles through Dec. 31, 2005,
for evacuee travel needs. American kicked off the program with a
one-million mile donation.

* In addition, American established a program offering AAdvantage miles
for donations to the Red Cross. Through Sept. 30, 2005, AAdvantage
members will receive a one-time reward of 500 AAdvantage bonus miles
when donating $50 or more to the American Red Cross Hurricane Relief
Effort.

"American sincerely thanks our people and our customers for all of their generous contributions of both time and money in the aftermath of this terrible disaster," said Goren. "We will continue to do our part to offer assistance to help rebuild lives and communities devastated by this catastrophe."

For more information on how you can help with Katrina Relief Efforts, log on to http://www.aa.com/disasterrelief .

 

[WorldTraveler]

The letter from Delta's chief of operations was the first published claim Delta has made to participating in the relief effort in contrast to the dozens of press releases we have seen touting their good works. Even though the Louisiana Governor said air traffic at MSY was very slow on the Sunday morning before the hurricane struck, Delta somehow got singled out for not being there. Delta's not that big of a carrier at MSY to singularly account for air traffic falling to very low levels. And Delta sure was back at MSY just about as soon as it was safe to do so - right along with other airlines.

 

[mistified]

The letter from Delta's chief of operations was the first published claim Delta has made to participating in the relief effort in contrast to the dozens of press releases we have seen touting their good works. Even though the Louisiana Governor said air traffic at MSY was very slow on the Sunday morning before the hurricane struck, Delta somehow got singled out for not being there. Delta's not that big of a carrier at MSY to singularly account for air traffic falling to very low levels. And Delta sure was back at MSY just about as soon as it was safe to do so - right along with other airlines.

[post="300021"][/post]​

Well I guess we know what airline you work for eh?

 

[Ch. 12]

Well I guess we know what airline you work for eh?

[post="300262"][/post]​

Well give me a break. DL gets blasted for responding to an incorrect column and other carriers (*cough* AA...as we can see above) are using their efforts as a marketing tool. C'mon. Thumbs up to DL for not being so crass...even if it meant that ignorant writers wrongfully accused them of not being there to help. I hardly think that helping in this relief effort should need to be a marketing ploy.

 

[WorldTraveler]

thank you, Ch 12. It doesn't take working for an airline to recognize a few basic principles of human existence.

 

[mistified]

Well give me a break. DL gets blasted for responding to an incorrect column and other carriers (*cough* AA...as we can see above) are using their efforts as a marketing tool. C'mon. Thumbs up to DL for not being so crass...even if it meant that ignorant writers wrongfully accused them of not being there to help. I hardly think that helping in this relief effort should need to be a marketing ploy.

[post="300513"][/post]​

CH12
I agree with what you say.
My post was not intended to dispute that.

mistified

 

[eolesen]

Delta's not that big of a carrier at MSY to singularly account for air traffic falling to very low levels.

[post="300021"][/post]​

Uh, I believe DL was the #2 carrier at MSY after WN.

But keep trying to cover up the fact that DL was unable to operate any scheduled flights on Sunday due to unsafe conditions, yet they were still able to operate a charter for the New Orleans Saints in the same unsafe conditions....

It's a documented fact that AA was the only relief flight in and out on the first Tuesday after the storm. WN came in on Wednesday morning, as did NWA, UAL, and presumably DAL.

But you're right -- it's not about who flew in the first plane or who flew the most refugees out. It's about doing what you can to help these people adjust to losing everything they owned.

 

[WorldTraveler]

moderator,
I am fully aware that DL was the number 2 airline in MSY. MSY is not a hub for anyone, however, and I believe DL had about 15 mainline flights scheduled before Katrina at MSY. the absence of 15 flights/day does not make an airport go from being busy to very quiet as the governor decried - you know, the same governor who said she had to think for 24 hrs whether to accept help from the national guard.