I flew to India on Wednesday. I had a Delta ticket and had to re-route due to a change in plans out of Detroit and they offered me
a direct flight on their partner Air France and I took it. I checked a bag and
the baggage tag was issued by Northwest, another partner. Ironic that both
Delta and Northwest filed for Chapter 11 protection that very morning. It hit
me that all the major airlines which represent the US flag abroad, other than American
Airlines, are in or have come out of Chapter 11 protection. They cannot compete
domestically and so are trying to survive in less competitive global markets.
I think it is lousy for the US to have these weaklings carry
our flag abroad. As I have written about Delta on the India route
before, they are losing market share in one of the hottest routes going given
all the technology and other trade going there. As they look for assets to sell
as part of their bankruptcy clean up, we should be encouraging – pressuring – these airlines to start shifting these routes
to newer US players. I have written about Southwest’s operating efficiency or the
tech savviness of Jetblue – airlines like them would do a much better job of
representing US interests and image around the world.