It's official: the long-anticipated merger of Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines has finally been announced. The combined carrier - already billed as "America's premier global airline", will be known as Delta and will be based in Atlanta. Delta CEO Richard Anderson would head up the new airline.A press release by the airline touted the benefits of the merger; it "creates a company with a more resilient business model that is better able to withstand volatile fuel prices than either can on a standalone basis." The release went on to say that "the merged airline will maintain all hubs at Atlanta, Cincinnati, Detroit, Memphis, Minneapolis/St. Paul, New York-JFK, Salt Lake City, Amsterdam and Tokyo-Narita... Delta customers will benefit from Northwest’s extensive service to Asian markets and Northwest’s customers will have access to Delta’s strengths across the Caribbean, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa."
Of course, the merger still needs to clear regulatory hurdles, and there's always the issue of the pilots at both airlines, which haven't yet agreed on seniority. But if the merger goes off successfully, it will create the world's largest airline. Also, keep a look out for a United-Continental merger, which has been rumored to occur if a Delta-Northwest merger was announced - it could be announced very soon. (Although United has favored a merger for some time, Continental has said it would consider it only if a Delta-Northwest deal went through.) More details of the Delta-Northwest deal will be revealed tomorrow at a press conference featuring both CEOs in New York, but until then, check out the website that Delta set up about the merger.
I've also posted below the internal memo sent out to employees today at Delta, which sheds a bit more light on the merger process (click on the images to view them at full size):
7 comments:
ok well this was a long time due, ever since that A** anderson was running nwa with his managment of chimpanzees watching people work with stopwatches. shutting down atl maint shops. with the amfa mechanics thinking their s**t don't stink pilots not realizing that deicing crews are actually saving their sorry lives. the heffers in the midwest thinking their company loves them. and unions crying only about dues and sending their children to work elsewhere in anticipation of this. is anyone so shocked that we are about to get shafted any harder? twice we took it with no vaseline and now they are gonna hit us with sandpaper shafts. known to many as Northworst here comes that little troll steenland promising a future. a future for yourself. bowling over thousands of others' live with that short bald man complex of yours.
Delta-Northwest Merge is good news.
But this my take on how the airline should operate: it should work like Air France KLM, they merge their operation, but they kept the major routes operating under two airlines, Most European airlines when they merge, keep separate airlines, this will save Millions of dollars, repainting planes, and changing over everything to just Delta. Atlanta and NYC hubs can the main hubs for European and Northwest can use their main hubs for Asia routes. Keeping the airline as two, well help with the issues with the pilots, they will still fly their routes, since Northwest do have planes that Delta pilots can’t fly like the 747s. Keep the two airlines, change the name to Delta-Northwest, and just merge the operations, in time they can work on streamlining the overlapping routes. By doing things like this, they will not lose important airport slots, but merging under one name. Some of the European markets they will be able to merge flights, have less flights but bigger plans. This will also save on cost!
Hey,
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-matt
I worked for NWA for 8 1/2 years. In that time I was unhappy and surprised that there were so many old bitter FA's that just wouldn't quit. I also have to say that the AFA SUCKS!!! For those FA's that are foe the AFA, my only question is "How many airlines have you worked for that had the AFA as a union?" Delta has a great partnership with their team and the union would just break that apart. Now, this is only my opinion so take it for what it's worth.
I was amused that on their website, Delta/NWA indicated that the merger was a win for their employees, customers, and communities. However, I bet many customers won't feel like this is a win when there are less choices for options to fly to their destinations. The airline industry is on the verge of collapse, and it will need to reinvent itself in order to survive.
Mike
I have a Question. Since Delta and Northwest Merged, does this mean that Northwest will not be in service anymore? I understand that it would be under Delta but, im asking, will we see anymore Northwest's beautifull scheme anymore flying around after the logos change?
Answer back if anybody finds out please.
Mike (hebronfireexplorer@yahoo.com)
DELTA / NWA MERGE LEADING TO CHANGES IN EXISTING RESERVATIONS:
As a result of the merger, Delta has already begun shuffling passengers. I have a reserved flight to Europe in June which I purchased two weeks ago. I received an email yesterday stating that my original outbound direct flight was "changed" to a flight leaving twelve hours before and stopping for four hours in Atlanta.
I have heard this same scenario from two other friends. It appears that Delta is changing one leg of passengers' existing reservations to a less expensive (and usually non-direct) flight. They email you the change (my change requires me to take a whole extra day off from work) and simply "apologize" for the change, without offering any alternative (eg, a full refund).
I know the whole industry is absolute crap, but unilaterally changing my outbound reservation two months ahead of time for a less expensive (and a nondirect, twelve-hour additional ordeal) reservation is ridiculous. No option was given to me - - take this new crappy reservation or pay the cancellation fee.
It appears as if Delta is doing this for reservations that are a "good deal." If you find a great price on Orbitz for a flight (let's say, $441 to Geneva from JFK roundtrip), and proceed to purchase it, don't be surprised if your reservation is changed the next week for a nondirect flight through Atlanta which, of course, would add an extra 12 hours of travel time.
Delta's great prices come with this catch now - - - your reservation will be changed for a less appealing one the next week.
Don't say you weren't warned.
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