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Weekly Delta Roundup: LAX Hub? CS100 home? 2 Lap Kids is not OK! Seattle just keeps growing (be very afraid Alaska).

René by René
March 23, 2017
in Travel Related
11
Eye of the Flyer, a division of Chatterbox Entertainment, Inc. has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Eye of the Flyer and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.


Delta Bombardier CS100 Series jet PR release
Photo credit: Bombardier Aerospace

Wait, it’s not Friday and you are doing the weekly news roundup? Yes, I know it is Thursday but I have some rather BIG Delta news on the way and am waiting for a quote from Delta Corp people before I post so let’s do this today and stay tuned for the breaking news on the way tomorrow (or maybe later today).

RenesPoints Delta LAX Boarding lane Area mess
The mess that is Delta LAX

First off, everyone who loves the current setup for Delta in LAX please raise your hand (I see no hands, so we all agree). I think it is just great that Delta is moving to Terminal 2 & 3 in LAX. Not only will it give you access to the International terminal with the Korean lounge but also a much better experience in LAX all around. Now the question remains, will they redo the Delta One PVT check-in area that is all but pointless currently and make it something worth really using? Yes, LAX will be a mess during the transition but I for one am looking forward to May 12th to begin with and much more during the year. But beyond that, will LAX be the home “hub” where the brand new CS100s in 2018, that I first blogged that Delta was considering buying about a year ago, will call home? I cannot wait to fly this new jet with all its upgrades. This will be the standard all smaller jets will have to meet!

Tusday 5AM TSA Delta check point ORD chicago airport renespoints blog
Delta / TSA checkpoint ORD

Next up Alaska should be very afraid and had better keep doing what they do best i.e. an amazing frequent flyer program, great service and more because big bad Delta just keeps coming. They already have MKE-SEA direct service just north of Chicago but starting in June ORD-SEA will go live as well. Remember that Delta does not really like its Skyteam partners all that much and it really does not like those who once were their partners. Interesting times!

rene with kid on mileage run
Me, and kids. 🙂

Next up a touching story of one traveler helping another. A very warm story to be sure and I truly commend the offer to help out this mom with twins. But it is troubling to me that she made it to her seat before the issue was addressed by Delta since it seems, when her car seat was taken away, she had not paid for an extra seat for the +1 kid in the car seat? After all, like you see in the shot above with me next to a little one, the mom and dad each got a 1st class seat because they were well aware you cannot have two lap kids in one row even with two parents present because there is  only one spare oxygen mask per row – period. I feel for everyone involved in this story including the Delta people. Safety does come first. What do you think?

dal stock price 22march17
Screenshot from Yahoo Finance

Lastly let’s take a look at $DAL stock price this year to date and talk about travel and what is going on. With this I have my normal disclaimer – I do not buy or sell any airline stocks in my account or my wife’s accounts ever!

It has been an up and down year (no pun intended) for Delta share holders. The good news is that oil prices have remained around the $50 per barrel level (or close to it) for a very long time now. We know no matter how many creative ways Delta finds to charge a fee, or segment the exact same seat into a “unique experience” (think C+), if oil goes back to $100 it will mean a world of hurt for the bottom line. But more than oil, what worries me is:

  • The drive to sell cheap upgrades long term impact
  • The fight with other airlines for domination
  • The end of the cash cow of European flights

Delta is pushing for 20×2020 – that is, to only have 20% of 1st class seats open for complimentary medallion upgrades. This is good on the one hand as selling 1st class is what they ultimately want but if they are doing it super cheap they both kill the ability to sell them at a premium price as well as the loyalty of medallions who are working for upgrades on often expensive coach class tickets. Delta needs to remember folks may not just step up and buy 1st class now, they may move on to another airline and buy 1st class with them.

Lastly we have the fight with AA, UA & AS. You can only fly a route long term if it is profitable (duhh). But the airlines beating each other up in the past was one of the reasons they did not make money for years. Also, when you look at how cheap flights to Europe are becoming, it marks the end of this hugely lucrative market for Delta. Good news for flyers but not so much for $DAL investors.

So these were this week’s Delta stories that got my attention. Were there others that piqued your interest? Have any thoughts about the ones above? Feel free to comment below. – René

 

Eye of the Flyer, a division of Chatterbox Entertainment, Inc. has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Eye of the Flyer and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.


Responses are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.

Related

Previous Post

Rookie Wednesday: Why booking 1st class is no substitute for elite status!

Next Post

BREAKING: Delta is changing Medallion Gate Upgrades for the better & possible fix for C+ upgrades in Fly Delta App!

René

René

René de Lambert is a contributing writer for EyeoftheFlyer.com - He is an avid Delta and SkyTeam flyer who has held Delta’s top Diamond Medallion status for many years and flown millions of miles.

Next Post

BREAKING: Delta is changing Medallion Gate Upgrades for the better & possible fix for C+ upgrades in Fly Delta App!

Comments 11

  1. Steve says:
    5 years ago

    Hi Rene,
    Thanks for being concerned about Alaska. I don’t think they have anything to be afraid of especially reading the big story today on what the new Alaska/Virgin airline is going to look like. Add a much better chance to score F upgrades after reading your blog today. Add too aggressive west coast route expansion and the best frequent flyer program and outstanding customer care.
    I think the new Alaska airlines is going to turn some heads. I enjoy reading your column.

    Steve

    Reply
    • rene says:
      5 years ago

      @Steve – I do really love the AS FF program – a lot! 😉

      Reply
  2. dot cahill says:
    5 years ago

    the LAX stuff.. as our daughter and grandbaby were stuck in ASE (sat)(mechanical prob in LA) and then stuck in LAX (sunday)(what a Zoo the terminals are there) for hours..not sure why…We had to rush to another terminal but made our flight…thursday!!

    Reply
  3. dot cahill says:
    5 years ago

    awaiting your DELTA big news –hope it is good news!!

    Reply
  4. Johnathan says:
    5 years ago

    Hello Renee – can you link me your post on this:

    The end of the cash cow of European flights

    I must have missed it.

    Reply
    • rene says:
      5 years ago

      @Johnathan – All you have to do is look at BoardingArea home page almost any day. Norwegian Air or WoW flights or many of the new low cost airlines offering seats for a few hundred bucks round trip. Plus, as I did recently, even on Delta for about $400 RT.

      Reply
  5. Klever says:
    5 years ago

    Don’t know about cheap first class. Take a look at Delta One fares to all European Cites (LON, AMS, CDG for instance) during April and May..

    Reply
  6. Grant says:
    5 years ago

    Looks like Delta is adding a SkyClub at Austin. Article doesn’t name Delta just says a legacy is adding a club, if we eliminate UA and AA that already have clubs we are left with DL. http://www.mystatesman.com/news/transportation/more-parking-more-gates-more-amenities-austin-airport-grows/ng4N0NIzRPnbsBk6OGlp3M/

    Reply
  7. Mark says:
    5 years ago

    Do we have a clue when the airside connectors will exist at LAX between 2 3 TBIT.

    I know they are planned, but are we talking 2020?

    Reply
  8. Warren says:
    5 years ago

    Delta will not have direct access to the International Terminal until the connector is built, construction hasn’t even started, this may be years away.

    Reply
    • rene says:
      5 years ago

      @Warren – True, but it will happen one day. That IS good news.

      Reply

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