The Flying Critic News

Delta Air Lines to cut U.S. flying by 13 percent for rest of 2008:

Delta Air Lines Inc. said Wednesday it plans to reduce its domestic capacity 13 percent during the second half of 2008, a bigger cut that it had previously revealed.

Judge blocks Delta's termination of Mesa contract.

Delta flight attendants unsuccessful on union vote

Delta nonstop flights to Kuwait start Nov. 7, 2008

PointNiner blog reports on a Delta CRJ that caught fire on taxiway yesterday. No one was reported injured.  Link has a picture.

Delta pilots approve contract revisions

USA Today: Delta CEO: 15-20% fare hike needed just to break even

Delta Air Lines Reports 1Q Financial Results: $6.4 billion loss.  But $6.1 was write down of goodwill.  Only $274 million from non-special items.  Delta reports $3.6 billion in unrestricted liquidity and another $1 billion available in a line of credit.  IE. they aren't going anywhere next month.

American Airlines CEO says AA doesn't need to merge - but that doesn't mean they wont.

Delta to close several Crown Room Clubs on April 30.  Apparently new global airlines don't like providing lounges to customers in secondary markets like for example Phoenix, where Delta and Northwest leave from the same terminal and have 49 daily departures.  No reason the 2.8 million passengers per year who fly Delta and Northwest in Phoenix would like lounge access.

Northwest e-mailed their frequent flyers yesterday to reassure them that their miles will be safe after the merger.  Of course it didn't discuss how Delta's frequent flyer program is not nearly as good as Northwests.  Whoops.

Delta and Northwest take merger promotion websites to a new level.

Northwest and Delta to merge.