Delta Inherits DC9s

[Silver02ex]

Originally Posted By: L_Sludger
Originally Posted By: Tremo
Looks like Delta will be keeping those DC9s for some time. Just flew one MSP to EWR. They've put WiFi in the things and spruced up the interiors. Pax compartment looks nice. Cockpit looks ancient.

the pilots love the steam gauges and the fact that there are fewer gadgets to "tell" on you


Depends who you ask. I'll take the EFIS in my RJ over the steam guages any day. Who care about stuff that "tell" on me. The company CANNOT pull the data and use it against a pilot anyways. That's not what that CVR and Data recorder are for.

 

[Tremo]

Man, whassup with flights these days? DL has gotta be making money. Every time I book a flight a full 2 weeks in advance, there's only like 2 or 3 seats left on the whole plane! Durn near every flight is leaving completely full.

I do note thay've put smaller planes on most routes. In the old days, the SFO-ATL runs were all in L-1011s. Then when those were retired it went to 767-400s. Now it'a all 757-200s.
What's next, the DC9s?

Where did the 767s go?

 

[Bill in Utah]

Cutting how many and then the size of the plane for each route.

Most 767 are seeing international service as are some of the 757.

The Dc9 would have a major problem doing SFO-ATL. But if they can't do it with the 757 (not enough passengers) a 737-800 would do it with ease.

Bill

 

[dkryan]

Speaking of Delta, I flew from CVG to MEM (Memphis, but you knew that, didn't you?) last week on a lovely CRJ50 courtesy, of Comair.

Now, I've lived here at WKRP for the past 26 years and I was really impressed with Comair and the fact THEY caused the regional industry to perform a wingover with the introduction of the regional jet into their fleet. I was even impressed with the performance of their stock until DL purchased Comair. Talk about a tailspin!

That flight to Beale Street and the Flying Saucer was on a CRJ50, crammed to the gills! In spite of the fact Bombardier helped "revolutionize" the regional industry, I'm happy to see the CRJ50 head to Arizona for final disposal.

On a sad note, CVG looked like a deserted ghost town. It was sad, as I recall Comair constructing Terminal C solely to accomodate the plethora of RJ flights in and out of that airport. DL's main terminal, Terminal B, was packed night and day, as was the Crowne Room. The line at Starbucks was 10-15 people deep, everyday, all the time. Terminal A was expanded to accomodate the ever increasing flight schedule.

Today, Terminals A and C are closed completely. Terminal B had only a few gates "active" on the day I traveled. I hit Starbucks, with no waiting in line and only two employees on duty. They actually said they were bored to tears and happy to have a customer.

In the past I infrequently saw an occasional Northwest DC-9 arriving or departing and even then, it looked ancient.

In spite of loving to fly (private pilot or passenger), I think I'll pass on the "re-modeled" DC-9, thank you.

 

[Silver02ex]

Originally Posted By: Bill in Utah
But if they can't do it with the 757 (not enough passengers) a 737-800 would do it with ease.

Bill


The 737 is mostly doing DTW to the west coast. SEA, PDX, LAX and SFO. where the Airbus got sent to ATL and SLC. I'll see a Airbus or 757 once in awhile on my commute home.

As far as 50 seat goes, Comair is losing more than half of their fleet by 2012. That plane can make money if it's put on the right route. Most people don't care about comfort, they are just happy to save $5.

 

[Tremo]

I find those Bombardier CRJs to be uncomfortable. Even the CRJ900. Seats are cramped and the overheads are really small. That ERJ175 from Brasil is much more comfortable and has bigger overheads.

The SFO runs have been getting 737-800s and 757s. SMF and SJC are getting only 737s, A320s and CRJs now. They were running A320s from DTW to SFO as well. Occasionally a 757.

Last time I connected in CVG it was also ghost town. I remember when it used to be crowded.

When I go online to book flights to east coast, everything is now connecting in either ATL, MSP or DTW. Connections in CVG and SLC are now very rare. DL needs a west coast hub.

 

[Bill in Utah]

Originally Posted By: Tremo
DL needs a west coast hub.


Welcome to SLC!

This is as close to a "west coast" hub as its going to get for a long time.

Take care, bill

 

[fdcg27]

If you think that the Canadair is small and cramped, try one of the similar fifty seat Embraers.
These aircraft are so narrow that seating is three abreast.
If that seems okay, try a Beech 1900.
There are less spacious planes in scheduled service than the CRJ.

 

[dkryan]

Originally Posted By: fdcg27
If you think that the Canadair is small and cramped, try one of the similar fifty seat Embraers.
These aircraft are so narrow that seating is three abreast.
If that seems okay, try a Beech 1900.
There are less spacious planes in scheduled service than the CRJ.


Yeah, I've flown in the Embraers and the 1900s. Compared to the Cessna 152 I took most of my private pilot lessons in, those two aircraft are large!

But when you load up a CRJ50 with all fifty seats full on almost every flight, throw in pathetic seat pitch and seat width (I'm 6'3" - 205 lbs., so I ain't THAT wide), along with a two hour flight, and it begins to feel like the 152 again.

I have to give credit to the short-lived (unfortunately) Dornier 328 turboprop. I only flew on one once (USAir), but it was the most comfortable and spacious of the "less than 100 seat aircraft" I'd ever flown on.

 

[fdcg27]

We got to fly CLT-DAY on a US Air express 328 in April 2000.
It was comfortable, spacious and fast.
We were booked on a Delta express 328 Jet (same plane, turbofans instead of turboprops) DAY-CVG. Yes, at that time it was much cheaper to catch a flight from CVG by originating in DAY and being flown courtesy of Delta the seventy or so miles to CVG.
This was in December 2004.
Flight was canceled as a result of weather, and we ended up driving through a blizzard to IND, about 140 miles, to catch a Southwest flight to LAX via Phoenix early the next morning.
This was our first experience with Southwest.
Plenty of seat pitch, unlike most other airlines using 737s.
I found the whole thing so irritating that we drove to South Florida for our winter vacation the following year.
That reminded me that driving a thousand or so miles is not that great on the ride home.

 

[Silver02ex]

Originally Posted By: Tremo
I find those Bombardier CRJs to be uncomfortable. Even the CRJ900. Seats are cramped and the overheads are really small. That ERJ175 from Brasil is much more comfortable and has bigger overheads.



The CRJ-900 burns less fuel and has less MX problems and cost than the E-170/175. Delta has always been a bigger fan of the CRJ-900 than the E-Jets.

 

[Tremo]

Originally Posted By: fdcg27
We got to fly CLT-DAY on a US Air express 328 in April 2000.
It was comfortable, spacious and fast.
We were booked on a Delta express 328 Jet (same plane, turbofans instead of turboprops) DAY-CVG. Yes, at that time it was much cheaper to catch a flight from CVG by originating in DAY and being flown courtesy of Delta the seventy or so miles to CVG.
This was in December 2004.
Flight was canceled as a result of weather, and we ended up driving through a blizzard to IND, about 140 miles, to catch a Southwest flight to LAX via Phoenix early the next morning.
This was our first experience with Southwest.
Plenty of seat pitch, unlike most other airlines using 737s.
I found the whole thing so irritating that we drove to South Florida for our winter vacation the following year.
That reminded me that driving a thousand or so miles is not that great on the ride home.


I also noticed that the Southwest seating is more comfortable. Noticibly more room between rows. I fly SWA for all the short west coast runs. I don't know if I'd want to take them coast to coast though.

 

[fdcg27]

It wasn't a bad trip, and we had pretty tight connections there and back.
A real advantage of WN is that they normally have lots of flights through a station, as well as industry-low average load factors, so if you miss a flight, they can usually get you to where you're going with minimal delay.
The downside is that they can't interline you, although that doesn't always help either.
It will be interesting to see what happens at DAY once Airtran and Southwest are fully integrated.
We have always had good trips with Airtran, and their fares are sometimes dirt-cheap, obviously depending on seasonal demand and day of the week.

 

[Tremo]

I just flew to SYR connecting in DTW. Saw a few aircraft there still in NWA colors. Mostly RJs and DC9s. All the bigger stuff has been repainted.

I hate friggin CRJ-200s.

 

[dkryan]

Originally Posted By: Tremo
I just flew to SYR connecting in DTW. Saw a few aircraft there still in NWA colors. Mostly RJs and DC9s. All the bigger stuff has been repainted.

I hate friggin CRJ-200s.


I'll take 'em over B-1900s!

fdcg27:
Originally Posted By: fdcg27
It will be interesting to see what happens at DAY once Airtran and Southwest are fully integrated.
We have always had good trips with Airtran, and their fares are sometimes dirt-cheap, obviously depending on seasonal demand and day of the week.


Yeah, with Jet Blue in Columbus and SWA/Airtran in Dayton (and SWA in Indy), there's little, if any, hope that CVG will get one of those three carriers in the near future.

Unfortunately, as DL continued to rapidly downsize at CVG, the Airport Director (John Mok) incessantly sang the praises of DL and the talking heads in Atlanta and made it clear to us he really believed the Emporer had clothes!

 

[Tremo]

Last time i was at CVG the place was a ghost town.

What about MEM? Cutbacks there as well?

 

[dkryan]

Originally Posted By: Tremo
Last time i was at CVG the place was a ghost town.

What about MEM? Cutbacks there as well?


Yeah, a ghost town in my opinion, compared to its "heyday" earlier in this decade.

As with all airlines, Delta is going to give sole loyalty not to its frequent fliers, but rather to its balance sheet and income statement. Their "[censored]" of Comair signaled the beginning of the end for a robust CVG.

I've flown into MEM two or three times in the past year and while it does not compare to CVG, it's beginning to mirror CVG in some ways.

ATL, DTW, and SLC are in the game plan for Delta nowadays. And as I mentioned in an earlier post, with JetBlue in Columbus and Airtran/Southwest in Dayton and Indy, CVG has a strong crosswind to fight to get anywhere near where they were six or seven years ago.

 

[Tremo]

Originally Posted By: dkryan
Originally Posted By: Tremo
Last time i was at CVG the place was a ghost town.

What about MEM? Cutbacks there as well?


Yeah, a ghost town in my opinion, compared to its "heyday" earlier in this decade.

As with all airlines, Delta is going to give sole loyalty not to its frequent fliers, but rather to its balance sheet and income statement. Their "[censored]" of Comair signaled the beginning of the end for a robust CVG.

I've flown into MEM two or three times in the past year and while it does not compare to CVG, it's beginning to mirror CVG in some ways.

ATL, DTW, and SLC are in the game plan for Delta nowadays. And as I mentioned in an earlier post, with JetBlue in Columbus and Airtran/Southwest in Dayton and Indy, CVG has a strong crosswind to fight to get anywhere near where they were six or seven years ago.


What do you think will happen to MSP and JFK? They still are pretty active.

 

[fdcg27]

I think MSP will stay pretty active, since Northwest was so entrenced there, and it is a pretty good O&D market, unlike Cincinnati.
JFK is both located in the stongest O&D market in the US, maybe the world, and remains a major gateway to Europe.
It stays without question.

 

[Silver02ex]

Originally Posted By: Tremo
I just flew to SYR connecting in DTW. Saw a few aircraft there still in NWA colors. Mostly RJs and DC9s. All the bigger stuff has been repainted.

I hate friggin CRJ-200s.


Get use to it. What did you expect DAL to use in and out of SYR? I just pulled up the loads out of SYR to DTW and it's about 40& - 90% full depending on the flights. If they can't fill up a CRJ, there's no way they are going put a mainline airplane on.