Delta Airlines cuts ties with the NRA, angers, alienates conservatives, risks major state tax break (codes, costs)

[primaltech]

Originally Posted by whodean

Delta isn't leaving.

Probably not, which just makes it more pathetic that our so-called "leaders" use them as a political punching bag, because they know Delta are pretty entrenched and not able to pack up and leave quickly.

Just plain pathetic. What irks me even more than Republicans' actual positions and stances, is their demeanor and style. And the general inconsistency and hypocrisy all the time in all their supposed beliefs.

[ATL Golfer]

I want to know why a company that...

1. Charges egregious baggage fees. (Remember when bags were free?)
2. Charges a $200 change flight fee.
3. Charges $150 to give you your hard earned miles back.
4. Doesn’t allow you to stand by for an earlier flight without raking you over the coals.
5. Splits their cabin into 4 different seating areas in order to nickel and dime their customers. Have you ever noticed how many fare codes they have?
6. Has devalued the SkyMile to the point they are worth less than half of what they once were. Yet their stock price has skyrocketed. Money over loyalty.
7. Shuts the 10 minutes before a flights scheduled departure when they know a passenger has checked bags and is in route to the gate.
8. Increases a fare 50% one week to the next 100 days before a flight because of demand....yet the flights for that day are still minimally 80% empty.

...needs a tax break. Has their stock and CEOs pay not skyrocketed enough?

[tikigod311]

Originally Posted by ATL Golfer

I want to know why a company that...

1. Charges egregious baggage fees. (Remember when bags were free?)
2. Charges a $200 change flight fee.
3. Charges $150 to give you your hard earned miles back.
4. Doesn’t allow you to stand by for an earlier flight without raking you over the coals.
5. Splits their cabin into 4 different seating areas in order to nickel and dime their customers. Have you ever noticed how many fare codes they have?
6. Has devalued the SkyMile to the point they are worth less than half of what they once were. Yet their stock price has skyrocketed. Money over loyalty.
7. Shuts the 10 minutes before a flights scheduled departure when they know a passenger has checked bags and is in route to the gate.
8. Increases a fare 50% one week to the next 100 days before a flight because of demand....yet the flights for that day are still minimally 80% empty.

...needs a tax break. Has their stock and CEOs pay not skyrocketed enough?

Yes. This is what everyone is forgetting in all this.

I heard conversation about this tax credit long before this NRA side show. It wasn't exactly popular, it was nowhere near guaranteed to pass. It had opposition from Democrats as the elimination of this tax directly impacted the funding of services in Clayton County. Why does a company as profitable as Delta need a tax break? Give ME a break.

(I promise I'm not a Delta hater, they're my preferred airline)

[ATL Golfer]

And for the record I hate the NRA more than I hate Delta.

Used to love Delta before the recession. They implemented a lot of things that hit customers hard during the recession. I don’t blame them for doing what they had to do to survive, but they have yet to curtail those measures in the good times.

[Gulch]

Is it bad if I have nearly zero sympathy for any of the parties (Delta, NRA, Cagle) involved in this?

[primaltech]

Originally Posted by tikigod311

Why does a company as profitable as Delta need a tax break?

They don't, necessarily. But they kind of deserve a little bit of special/favorable treatment like that, for being absolutely huge for the Georgia economy for all these decades. And as kind of that little extra something that keeps Delta here well into the future. It's just sensible practice.

And they had the break before, that was taken away for political reasons. Like, as part of a big nonsense spectacle for the GOP running for whatever offices. And that's exactly what this is now again.

It's not that they need a tax break, it's that it's simply a d- move to give them something nice as a show of good faith and good business relationship, then snatch it up, and take advantage of and bully Delta this way.

Delta are not attacking conservatives or attacking or Georgia, or even attacking the NRA. They are simply taking a politically neutral stance on this ongoing NRA debate, that respects the views on both sides of the ongoing social debate, held by their employees and loyal customers, all across the country.

Delta's move wasn't political, it was just good business. It was a reasonable and measured action. And that's why I commented, unfortunately reasonable doesn't fly around here, with these GOP right-wing nut-heads.

[tikigod311]

Originally Posted by primaltech

It's not that they need a tax break, it's that it's simply a d- move to give them something nice as a show of good faith and good business relationship, then snatch it up, and take advantage of and bully Delta this way.

Well, this tax break wasn't in effect, they were voting to re-instate it after being suspended for a few years (maybe a bit longer). The tax break did exist and was created when Delta was hit with harder times, post 9/11.Those conditions certainly don't apply any more. So at this point, we're giving Delta special privileges at the expense of revenue for a local county. It's unnecessary. I don't believe a good relationship between business and government requires giving up money like this.

and really, the only reason I'm saying all this is the lack of support for this tax break isn't just because of the NRA deal. The reaction of Cagle is frightening, compelling a company to support their cause. But the tax breaks weren't ever anything to cheer about in the first place.

[JMatl]

Originally Posted by ATL Golfer

I want to know why a company that...

1. Charges egregious baggage fees. (Remember when bags were free?)
2. Charges a $200 change flight fee.
3. Charges $150 to give you your hard earned miles back.
4. Doesn’t allow you to stand by for an earlier flight without raking you over the coals.
5. Splits their cabin into 4 different seating areas in order to nickel and dime their customers. Have you ever noticed how many fare codes they have?
6. Has devalued the SkyMile to the point they are worth less than half of what they once were. Yet their stock price has skyrocketed. Money over loyalty.
7. Shuts the 10 minutes before a flights scheduled departure when they know a passenger has checked bags and is in route to the gate.
8. Increases a fare 50% one week to the next 100 days before a flight because of demand....yet the flights for that day are still minimally 80% empty.

...needs a tax break. Has their stock and CEOs pay not skyrocketed enough?

ALL of the major Airlines do this with the exception of Southwest, and their fares are hardly ever lower anymore.

I'll be happy when Alaska, American, jetBlue and Southwest join Delta and United and cut their ties to the NRA as well. And it's coming, very soon. That will cover about 95% of all flights. They'll be forced to take Greyhound then, until they join the party as well.

I also expect every single major Hotel chain and Car Rental company to follow suit. This train has left the station, and it's only gaining speed.

Perhaps one day these neanderthal Politicians will realize they were on the wrong side of history, but the damage will have already been done by that point.

And Casey Cagle has finally shown his true colors. Moderate my @ss.

[cwkimbro]

Originally Posted by Mtnluver8956

What's stopping them? KCLT is right next door and is going through a radical transformation as we speak.... Nothing stopping them.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4v3FNHJ45Bs

BREAKING: Delta’s tax break may not take flight after Georgia Senate blocks it

Ummm.... I think you're in dream world. I don't know a nicer or fairer way to say it.

Alot would stop them.

The costs of shifting that much infrastructure to handle their flight loads that totals to the many tens of billions in infrastructure, both private & public, isn't going to happen. No to mention it would take decades to build, even with full funding, and they'd be moving into a farm smaller market with less efficiency and profit potential.

At absolute worse Delta might be able to move 5% of their passenger load utilizing other hubs across the US. Even that is unlikely, because there is a certain efficiency from using ATL operationally as heavily as they do.


CTL is a decent medium-large airport, but it is nowhere near ready to handle the load DL puts into ATL... much less with AA's operations in place as well.

ATL is the largest of the large hubs, and Delta is responsible 65m out of the 104m passengers that use ATL.

Interestingly enough, CTL has the same general airport layout ATL had pre-70s. ATL demolished the old terminal and started completely new in the '70s, so they could have an airport that is far more operationally efficient for the passenger loads ATL has grown to.

So yes... there is a ton of things stopping them and you're in dream land if you think CTL or any other airport nearby is ready to take on an additional 65m passengers.

That's already 20m more passengers than CTL handles now, assuming all other operations at CTL just go away and AA leaves overnight.

[cwkimbro]

Originally Posted by Born 2 Roll

In related news, FedEx stated on Monday that it would not drop the NRA from its discount program...



"FedEx won't drop NRA from discount program" (Reuters)
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/comp...cid=spartandhp

It probably should be noted that shippers like FedEx do much business with gun owners and gun merchants who often may not be able to transport or ship firearms in more conventional ways (like on passenger airline flights, etc).

I have to still blame Fedex for being short-sighted.

If that is true, then Fedex should have leverage and pricing power with gun owner's. Therefore, there is no reason to give them a discount program the others might not have access to at all.