Delta Air Lines reports record $4.8 billion in profit, $47 billion in revenues in 2019 (Atlanta: credit card, buying)

[DreamerD]

Originally Posted by citidata18

Until recently, the main drawback with Delta has been that they use a much older fleet of planes than the other carriers. Only just now are they phasing out their McDonnell-Douglas fleet.

That actually worked to that benefit though in a way, with this Boeing-737 fiasco everyone else is dealing with.

Also, Delta's loyalty program (SkyMiles) isn't nearly as generous as what the other airlines offer.

I haven't traveled in such a long time, but I used to travel with Delta because my father used to use them. I guess I got used to it and just stuck with it.

Originally Posted by Atlwarrior

Me too, Delta is always my first. I guess that’s the Atlanta homer in me. I don’t mind paying extra for better service.

I can't say that I've had the best experiences with any domestic carrier, but again, safety would be my number 1.

[JMatl]

Originally Posted by ATL Golfer

Claims? What claims are you speaking of? I said I like SW better and put "imo". Did I otherwise speak not in terms of facts? The only claim I see here is that SW people are flocking to Delta...source? Interesting take since SW was/is the newcomer in the market. Every single passenger is a swipe at Delta. Delta even adopted their model for the rear of the plane to compete. Let me know the customer growth rates of each airline when you stumble across them, particularly out of Atlanta.

Delta has its place with business travelers with expense accts and where their gouging fee policies don't impact individuals wallets.

You have been riding the anti-Delta agenda hard for some time now, it's nothing new.

And every passenger is a swipe at Delta, and they caused Delta to change the rear of their cabins to compete with Southwest?

That is hilarious!!! You can't make this stuff up!

If you want stats, the BTS Division of the DOT is a trove of info. Look it up.

[ATL Golfer]

Originally Posted by JMatl

You have been riding the anti-Delta agenda hard for some time now, it's nothing new.

And every passenger is a swipe at Delta, and they caused Delta to change the rear of their cabins to compete with Southwest?

That is hilarious!!! You can't make this stuff up!

If you want stats, the BTS Division of the DOT is a trove of info. Look it up.

Exactly, you can't make up facts. You're catching on.

You're the one that brought a claim. Shocking you don't care to back it up. The data I see shows SW out gaining Delta in customer growth. Maybe you care refute these stats since after all your claim states otherwise.

You gush over Delta because you work with them in your career. You have an obvious bias. I am simply a consumer stating what I observe as ridiculous, customer 2nd business practices.

Here's some interesting data. https://www.bts.dot.gov/airline-rankings-2018

2018

Passengers: (flocking to Delta in "Droves" lulz)

SW - 163.6MM
DAL - 152MM

Gross Revenue:

DAL - $44.5MM
SW - $22.MM

wait for it.....

Operating Margin:

SW - 14.6%
DAL - 12.4%


SW ....without baggage fees, change fare fees, price gouging on monopoly routes ....is able to drop more to their bottom line than Delta. Keep in mind those fees have no accompanied expenses. They are straight profit. That is a real head scratcher. Just where is all that money going? Oh yeah, bonuses.

[ATLTJL]

Just where is all that money going? Oh yeah, bonuses.

Unions.

[citidata18]

Originally Posted by ATLTJL

Unions.

As if...

[JMatl]

Originally Posted by ATL Golfer

Exactly, you can't make up facts. You're catching on.

You're the one that brought a claim. Shocking you don't care to back it up. The data I see shows SW out gaining Delta in customer growth. Maybe you care refute these stats since after all your claim states otherwise.

You gush over Delta because you work with them in your career. You have an obvious bias. I am simply a consumer stating what I observe as ridiculous, customer 2nd business practices.

Here's some interesting data. https://www.bts.dot.gov/airline-rankings-2018

2018

Passengers: (flocking to Delta in "Droves" lulz)

SW - 163.6MM
DAL - 152MM

Gross Revenue:

DAL - $44.5MM
SW - $22.MM

wait for it.....

Operating Margin:

SW - 14.6%
DAL - 12.4%


SW ....without baggage fees, change fare fees, price gouging on monopoly routes ....is able to drop more to their bottom line than Delta. Keep in mind those fees have no accompanied expenses. They are straight profit. That is a real head scratcher. Just where is all that money going? Oh yeah, bonuses.

I suggest that you dispense with the insults, I won't say it again.

This data is totally flawed, the 737-MAX debacle didn't begin in 2018. And those are NOT Atlanta numbers, nice try at moving the goal posts - but what else is new.

[ATL Golfer]

Originally Posted by JMatl

I suggest that you dispense with the insults, I won't say it again.

This data is totally flawed, the 737-MAX debacle didn't begin in 2018. And those are NOT Atlanta numbers, nice try at moving the goal posts - but what else is new.

I don't remember insulting anyone. This is the latest data from a source YOU referenced. Is this real life?

I see your point now. People in Atlanta who never flew SW in the first place are flocking to the airline that as been in ATL for for nearly 100 years. Flocking. Is this your argument?

Even if the MAX being grounded does impact numbers for one year that is not representative of the bigger picture in which SW has been growing at a faster clip. The data goes back further than one year. Feel free to type in other years on that link.

[JMatl]

Originally Posted by ATL Golfer

I don't remember insulting anyone. This is the latest data from a source YOU referenced. Is this real life?

I see your point now. People in Atlanta who never flew SW in the first place are flocking to the airline that as been in ATL for for nearly 100 years. Flocking. Is this your argument?

Even if the MAX being grounded does impact numbers for one year that is not representative of the bigger picture in which SW has been growing at a faster clip. The data goes back further than one year. Feel free to type in other years on that link.

No, I meant network wide. You are incredibly bitter to interact act with, do you do business with all your 'flippers' in this condescending way?

[ATL Golfer]

Originally Posted by JMatl

No, I meant network wide. You are incredibly bitter to interact act with, do you do business with all your 'flippers' in this condescending way?

Why no.

Why do you love Delta so much again? From where I stand you show blind loyalty because they are based in Atlanta and you do some form of business with them. Their city of headquarters does not cause me to suddenly ignore their business practices.

My only contention is that Delta is not as customer focused as they once were. There are some companies that, imo, are still doing a great job at valuing their customers. That really bothers you for some reason. To the extend that you make false claims that are easily refuted.

[Born 2 Roll]

I have some mixed feelings about Delta's apparent financial prosperity during the late 2010's and into the early 2020's.

I am very happy that metro Atlanta's and Georgia's largest private employer (Delta) appears to be in extremely good financial health.

When Delta is doing well financially, that is a sign that metro Atlanta and Georgia are doing well economically.

I worked as a subcontractor for Delta back in the late 2000's right after they had declared bankruptcy and were trying to work their way out of bankruptcy during a time that also just happened to be during the descent into the Financial Crisis of 2008 and the resulting Great Recession economic slowdown of the very late 2000's and early 2010's.

So while I have always been a supporter of Delta and what they mean to both the greater Atlanta and Georgia state economies, I also did not necessarily have the greatest experience in dealing with them as a subcontractor while understanding that it was not a great time for them financially during their 2005-2007 bankruptcy restructuring that just happened to correspond with the local and national descent into the soul-crushing depths of the Great Recession.

With that said, even with all of Delta's obvious flaws, I remain very happy that Delta appears to be alive and well and that Atlanta still has a hometown-based airline of international importance that it can depend on to help bolster its economy and its standing as a city and metropolitan area of international influence.

I have family and friends who as kids in the 1970's and '80's in Clayton County used to get into fights on the playground with other kids because some of their parents worked for Delta and some of their parents worked for Eastern Air Lines (which had a major hub at ATL airport before it ceased operations in 1991).

… Which is something that illustrates and underscores just how much importance many metro Atlantans understandably place in having a major international airline based in their city and metro.

Delta is far from perfect, but having an imperfect major airline of international importance headquartered in the city is better than having none at all.