Articles tagged “delta air lines”

Since its merger with US Airways, American has taken a cautious approach with new routes. It has expanded to major Asian and South Pacific markets out of necessity but otherwise hasn't taken too many chances. It is nice to see the airline considering adding India and Africa.

Delta Air Lines wants U.S. regulators to award it a disproportionate number of slots at Tokyo's Haneda Airport, a preferred airport among business travelers. Other airlines disagree, but Delta probably does deserve better access, as it is the only one of the big three U.S. carriers without a Japanese partner.

Ben Smith is talking the talk right now, but unlike his predecessors who disappointed: Will he be able to walk the walk?

Forget board meetings and protocols, brands like Delta know they have to respond to a social media crisis almost immediately. Hesitation kills.

Many airline executives believe the most important driver of customer satisfaction is reliability. American Airlines hasn't been pleased with its customer satisfaction scores, so it is trying to improve the basics of its operation. That's probably the right move. But does it also need to improve its product or brand image?

Delta is losing about $25 million in revenue this month because of the partial government shutdown. For such a big company, that's not a big number. But clearly Delta would like the government to reopen, and executives spent a good portion of their earnings call discussing it.

Florida is a giant market for U.S. and even some non-U.S. airlines, with tourism, population, and economy all growing. But for some carriers, it’s a chief determinant of their financial performance.

Over the past couple of decades, most U.S. airlines have focused on transporting customers from point A to B in relative comfort. Delta wants to go beyond, hoping passengers will view it as a trusted consumer brand. If they do, Delta may be able to command an even bigger revenue premium over its competitors.

A skeptic might say airlines are doing so well selling premium seats because their standard offering is getting worse. There's some truth to that. But airlines have also gotten better at targeting passengers with the right offers for them.

A few years ago, Delta Air Lines expanded in Seattle and tried to take share from Alaska Airlines. Surprisingly, Alaska has held on to most of its customers. Now, Delta is trying a similar strategy in Boston. JetBlue has a big customer base there. Will JetBlue's loyalists stick around?