Remember Delta/Northwest merger promises? Forget about ‘em
As the ink was drying on the Delta/Northwest merger agreement, executives from both airlines boasted that their union would be consummated without any loss of flights, hubs or personnel. After all, the simple act of merging would quell the effects of fuel price rises.
That may hold true for the airlines after the merger. But both Delta and Northwest are slicing their schedules just like the other airlines without merger partners. Delta has already announced two rounds of capacity reductions and their voluntary job cuts are increasing as the fuel crisis proceeds.
Northwest joined in the flight cutback frenzy as well with an announcement that unveiled a further round of capacity cuts that will contribute to the removal of 43 aircraft from its fleet this year retroactive to Jan. 1. The new cuts now will result in the removal of 14 757s and A319s/A320s, plus the reduction of the DC-9 fleet to 61 aircraft by year end from 94 at the start of 2008. This is all on top of cuts already announced back in April.
If the major Delta/Northwest hubs survive these service reductions, they may be called hubs but with significantly less capacity that previously anticipated.
The merger may make sense from the airline executive’s point of view, but reality is beginning to shine through for the Northwest pilots union and other unions as the deal proceeds through the merger mill.
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I suspect Delta may already be cutting flights for later in the year. I have a CO reward booked on DL from LGA to MSY in November. Originally it was direct flights on MD-80 aircraft in both directions. Now the return leg is on 757 aircraft via Atlanta, turning a 9.11 p.m. arrival in NY to a 11.54 p.m. The original flight is still available on DL’s website.