This is a multi-part message in MIME format.
------=_NextPart_000_0063_01C2E494.35A69EC0
Content-Type: text/plain;
charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Delta Plans Aggressive LAX Growth, Song Overlap Flight As Others Invade
By Steve Lott
<http://www.aviationnow.com/media/images/x.gif>
<http://www.aviationnow.com/media/images/news/LOGOS/Avd.gif>
Delta this summer plans to flood the Atlanta-Los Angeles market with
close to 50% more capacity than it currently operates, partly to try to
fend off AirTran and JetBlue, both of which plan to start low-fare
service on the route.
Separately, Delta's new Song subsidiary yesterday said it plans to start
service in June from New York Kennedy to Atlanta, a route that is
already served by Delta mainline and two of its regional subsidiaries.
The service will start June 1, and Song will operate two daily flights
with its reconfigured 199-seat Boeing 757s. "We plan to truly
differentiate our service," said Delta Chief Marketing Officer Vicki
Escarra.
She noted that the Song service will be aimed at customers who want low
fares and point-to-point flights, while the mainline service will be for
customers with connecting itineraries and those who "demand more
flexibility" and have international connections. Establishing a presence
in Atlanta also will "enhance" Song's operational reliability by
providing greater access to aircraft maintenance and a 757 pilot crew
base.
After the Song flights start, Delta and its subsidiaries will offer nine
roundtrip flights on the JFK-Atlanta route. In addition to Song, Delta
mainline will operate two flights, Comair will fly three flights and
Atlantic Southeast will have two services on the route.
One analyst believes Delta's announcement was a warning shot to the
low-fare competition. "As neither JetBlue nor AirTran flies this route,
we suspect Delta's move was to pre-empt the low-cost competition," said
Morgan Stanley analyst William Greene. "However, by putting Song in a
route where no low-cost competition currently exists, we suspect Delta
may simply be cannibalizing its own revenue on this route."
Greene added that he would prefer to see Delta use Song to compete
against higher-cost carriers like US Airways, "as a smaller or
liquidated US Airways would have a much more positive effect on Delta
than a slightly slower growing JetBlue." Song on April 15 will launch
its first route from JFK to Fort Lauderdale.
Apart from the new Song route, Delta this summer will boost its mainline
capacity to the Los Angeles market. Between May 1 and August, Delta will
add five new roundtrip flights on the Atlanta-Los Angeles route and one
additional flight between Atlanta and Ontario, Calif. The airline also
will upgrade one current flight between Atlanta and Ontario to a
252-seat 767 from a 183-seat 757.
Escarra believes "there is strong passenger demand for our Atlanta-Los
Angeles service." She added Delta has been "reviewing opportunities to
add larger aircraft and additional frequencies to the market." JetBlue
will start service on the Atlanta-Long Beach route on May 8 with three
daily flights. AirTran this week unveiled plans to start two nonstop
flights on the Atlanta-LAX route, effective June 4.
------=_NextPart_000_0063_01C2E494.35A69EC0
Content-Type: image/gif;
name="x.gif"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: base64
Content-Location: http://www.aviationnow.com/media/images/x.gif
R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAP///////yH5BAUUAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==
------=_NextPart_000_0063_01C2E494.35A69EC0
Content-Type: image/gif;
name="Avd.gif"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: base64
Content-Location: http://www.aviationnow.com/media/images/news/LOGOS/Avd.gif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------=_NextPart_000_0063_01C2E494.35A69EC0--
