Posted on 10/28/2005 10:25:16 AM PDT by Turbopilot
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.
After May, Delta plans to refit the single-class Song airplanes to include first-class seating to make the planes 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.
Delta did not release figures on Song's profits or losses.
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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Delta tried to be both an old line airline and JetBlue at the same time. I had a feeling that Delta had to have both feet in one camp or the other, but stradling was going to lead to this.
Song sings the JetBlues.........
Maybe if they got some younger flight attendants?
Now I have to spend the rest of the day with that tune running through my head
Everybody: Delllllll-ta Dawn Whats that Flower you have on....
I hear you on that. I've seen some who were well into their 60's.
Delta Song what's that flower you have on?
With all due respect, my mother isn't on those flights to give you a show. There are undoubtedly gentlemen's clubs at both ends of your trip, if that's what you're into.
Could it be a faded rose from days gone by?...
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"And did I hear you say he was a-meetin' with you today?
" To take you to that airport in the sky?"
"In its prime they called it Delta Song
Prettiest jets that you ever laid eyes on..."
Rumor has it those 764's will re-start their PDX-transpacific routes. They were running MD-11's out of there to Osaka and a few other Orient cities. They still have a considerbal amount of gates there..
Too bad. Song is a great airline!
Union seniority cuts both ways!
They're -200s. The -300 is the stretched version, and I don't think a lot of American carriers are flying those (Continental?).
}:-)4
I thought the 200 had the engine with the larger opening in the back? while the 300 had the little cone on the back of the engine.
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