Delta joins Northwest in flight cuts

[jericap Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close jericap]

For those traveling Delta/Northwest here is the full story.

Here are the highlights:

Delta estimates that fuel could cost $4 billion more in 2008 than in 2007

Northwest announced Tuesday it was cutting back on domestic capacity 8.5 percent

Delta and Northwest tout merger as justified, given the high fuel costs

[Carolinian Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Carolinian]

Several of the European LCC's are expanding capacity right now. One of the differences in their operations is that their aircraft are relatively new and fuel efficient while those of US legacies like DL and NW include a lot of older fuel hogs. Fuel is killing the cost efficiency of the regional jets, too, which DL in particular has relied a lot on. NW has a newer and more fuel efficient international fleet, but it still has a lot of DC-9's on domestic routes.

[jericap Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close jericap]

That's a good point to bring up. I wonder what the cost analysis is between new airplanes and gas consumption.

[Carolinian Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Carolinian]

NW is also the first US-based airline scheduled for delivery of the new super fuel efficient 787 dreamliners, which again are for international routes.