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ORAC
29th Jan 2003, 19:19
CNN - January 29 - Delta unveils new low-fare airline, Song

ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Delta Air Lines hopes its new low-fare airline, Song, will strike the right chord with cost-conscious travelers.

The airline announced the new venture Wednesday in New York, where Song's maiden voyage will originate on April 15, according to a statement posted on Delta's Web site. After that, Song will begin flying customers between the Northeast and Florida, with 144 daily flights by October.

One-way fares are expected to range between $79 and $399.

"It's our goal to make flying the way it used to be -- fun, exciting, interesting or simply relaxing -- whatever the customer is looking for that day," said John Selvaggio, president of Song and a 30-year veteran of the airline industry.

Song, which claims to be "the world's most innovative low-fare airline service," will have such amenities as increased legroom, personal touch-screen video monitors at every seat, digital satellite television, and digitally streamed MP3 audio programming allowing passengers to select a personal play list from an extensive list of audio files.

"Song represents an aggressive initiative to compete in the low-fare market," Selvaggio said. "It will not only offer low fares but lower operating costs, making it successful where previous attempts by other major airlines have failed."

Song, which has a fleet of 36 Boeing 757 aircraft, will fly to and from all three major airports in New York City (JFK, LaGuardia and Newark); Boston; Washington, D.C.; and Hartford, Connecticut.

In Florida, the airline will fly into and out of Fort Myers, Fort Lauderdale, Tampa and Orlando.

Globaliser
29th Jan 2003, 19:54
So the rumours about the name were right, and the corporate denials so much untruth!

Torquelink
30th Jan 2003, 15:38
Any JetBlue boys/girls wish to comment on likely impact on them?

ORAC
30th Jan 2003, 16:05
What fun for ATC, "Song, Song, Blue"........ :D

whauet
30th Jan 2003, 21:08
Saw a rendering of the livery this morning -- file sent to me from someone at Delta, so not sure if it would be appropriate to post.

Green tail with the 'song' logo and name in white -- then the green logo in various large sizes wrapped around the white fuselage. Very large version in the front 2/3 of the aircraft, smaller wraparound logo in the rear.. Kermit the frog would be happy with it... :hmm:

Couldn't help but think of the Calder days at Braniff.

TR4A
5th Feb 2003, 03:34
Anyone know when they are opening and if they are hiring?

They will have Delta pilots flying it.

Globaliser
5th Feb 2003, 08:42
From http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A57940-2003Jan28.html :-Flight attendants will not have to sing harmonies, but they will be regarded differently by management. Just as Walt Disney Co. calls its employees cast members, Song will refer to its workers as the talent. The talent in the cabins will dress in slightly more relaxed uniforms than those found inside Delta jets, but will be paid the same as their co-workers at the main operation. All Song employees will work under the same pay and union conditions as their counterparts at Delta. And from http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/business/delta/0203/02textbook.html :-Delta said more than 2,000 employees have applied for about 800 non-pilot jobs at Song, even though they will typically have to work about 12 percent more hours to make the same pay as their Delta jobs.

"We're actually having people audition for these roles," said Selvaggio. "We're calling them 'talent,' by the way."And from http://www.forbes.com/2003/01/29/cx_ld_0129delta.html :-Like every other airline, labor is the biggest expense for JetBlue, but its pilots and machinists do not belong to a national union. For 2002, labor costs represented more than 40% of sales at Delta, compared with about 25% of sales through the first nine months of the year at JetBlue. Delta will not pay lower salaries to pilots of its new subsidiary, leading some to wonder whether Song can really be competitive on costs.

"They're going to use senior Delta pilots because they don't want to alienate their unions," says Ray Neidl of Blaylock and Partners.

"We are a subsidiary of Delta, and we will respect our contract with Delta pilots," says Geagan. "They're the best in the industry."