Bad News for Delta Song users

Iakona

Member
Original Poster
This is bad news for those of us that use Song or JetBlue. One less competitor for JetBlue.

Delta to eliminate discount carrier Song

By Mike Stobbe, Associated Press Writer | October 28, 2005
ATLANTA --Delta Air Lines Inc., which is reorganizing under protection from the federal bankruptcy court, announced plans Friday to discontinue its discount carrier Song and incorporate Song's fleet into Delta's regular service.
Song will continue to fly as a separate brand until May 2006, Delta officials said Wednesday.
In the interim, Delta plans to include first-class service on Song's 48 planes in an attempt to make the flights more attractive to business travelers and to conform with Delta's regular service.
Joanne Smith, currently president of Song, has been named vice president of consumer maketing for Delta, effective immediately.
Atlanta-based Delta filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection from creditors in New York on Sept. 14. Song filed for bankruptcy protection the same day.
Any layoffs that occur will be counted as part of the 7,000 to 9,000 job cuts Delta announced last month as part of its bankruptcy restructuring, a Delta spokeswoman said.
Song was created in 2003 as a hip travel option for leisure travelers, with amenities such as increased leg room, preflight meal ordering and even a music service. It was designed to compete with JetBlue Airways Corp. and other low-cost airlines that emerged in this decade.
Song has 48 Boeing 757-200 aircraft. It flies from 16 locations, including Boston, Hartford, New York, Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Atlanta, five cities in Florida and three Caribbean vacation spots -- Nassau, San Juan and Aruba.
"We've learned a lot from Song and have already incorporated many of its positives into Delta," said Jim Whitehurst, Delta's chief operating officer.
"Features like new leather interiors, new uniforms, a simplified fare structure and faster turn times have resulted in 11 consecutive months of year-over-year improvement in customer service ratings at Delta."
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BeachClubVillas

Well-Known Member
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO :mad: :cry: :(


I love Song! It's so fun and bright, and the crew is so funny.

There was an article in the Boston Globe earlier this week about how a local chef is creating new dishes for Song, and how great Song is because of the food and entertainment is has.

This is really bad. :mad:
 

s25843

Well-Known Member
Delta is just a bloated legacy carrier, and Song shows that with every move. If they were trying to compete with JetBlue & Southwest, they really needed to simplify the logistics, and they could not do that.
 

Thrawn

Account Suspended
BeachClubVillas said:
Except that ticket prices will most likely go up and more people will be laid off. And that's probably just what will happen right away

If they are going to run the same flights, they can't lay off the people that work on those flights. The execs, well, who cares?

Prices might go up, but that was going to happen anyway because of Delta's bankruptcy status.
 

Mystic

Well-Known Member
We had that happen to Air Canada. They had a discount carrier called Tango and when they went into Bankruptcy protection Tango got swallowed up by Air Canada. Now what happens is they have multiple fare categories, one of which is Tango. So you can still get the same cheap fares but you're on a regular Air Canada flight.
 

Iakona

Member
Original Poster
Thrawn said:
If they are going to run the same flights, they can't lay off the people that work on those flights. The execs, well, who cares?

Prices might go up, but that was going to happen anyway because of Delta's bankruptcy status.

I think this (price increase) was a foregone conclusion when Song was included in the filing. I think there will be layoffs because this is essentially merging two companies. They may replace Delta planes with Song planes that currently run those same routes, but they would then have 2 crews. I would bet the Delta proper staff would be gone and the Song people kept.
Also, now JetBlue has less competition. While Delta will maintain a presence they are not as flexible labor wise (right now) as Jet Blue.
 

mkt

Disney's Favorite Scumbag™
Premium Member
Mystic said:
We had that happen to Air Canada. They had a discount carrier called Tango and when they went into Bankruptcy protection Tango got swallowed up by Air Canada. Now what happens is they have multiple fare categories, one of which is Tango. So you can still get the same cheap fares but you're on a regular Air Canada flight.

I remember Tango!!!

Don't you guys have Westjet anyway? The Canadian Jetblue... or is Jetblue the american Westjet?
 

nickcarraway

New Member
Word. I'd rather Delta go away and Song stick around. This news is rather ironic as I was just telling myself after I flew AirTran on my trip last weekend (the first and last time) that, from here on out, I will only fly Song or JetBlue when I have a choice (and Song and JetBlue know I have a choice when choosing an air carrier and they apperciate I chose them). Looks like it's purely JetBlue for moi.
 

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