7574EVER From United States of America, joined Jan 2004, 478 posts, RR: 5 Posted (9 years 2 months 4 days 15 hours ago) and read 4707 times:
I was on a Southwest flight yesterday afternoon and the two women sitting next to me were discussing the fact that SWA has no first class seats. One of them mentioned that Delta and Continental were going to be getting rid of their first class. Has anyone heard anything about this being true?
Right rudder....Right rudder...Come on, more right rudder....Right rudder......Aw forget it, I quit!!
JGPH1A From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 9, posted (9 years 2 months 4 days 15 hours ago) and read 4386 times:
Re: They'll never get rid of them on long haul. Good God no. That would be suicide.
They already did. CO and DL don't offer First Class on international flights - their Business First and Business Elite products are Business Class, not First. Even domestically, neither operates 3-class aircraft, so they could call First Class (Domestic) Business Class, and stop trying to kid the world they offer First Class.
Dtwclipper From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 12, posted (9 years 2 months 4 days 15 hours ago) and read 4313 times:
ORD2PHL,
You're not making sense. Full fare coach, is paid by how many leisure pax who travel 120+ segments a year on an airline? Uh none. My full fare coach tickets, of say $760.00+ DTW-CVG more then over comes any loss, as a matter of fact, I would even say that I am subsidizing the discounted fares by paying for the flexibility I need in a full Y fare.
As a NW platinum elite, I am upgraded almost immediately on Domestic flights. At the gate, there are usually gold and silver vying for the remaining unsold F/C seats.
I don't care about the food, (the drinks are nice after a long day) but I use the space to work. I don't need to be kicked by Johnny behind me, or herded like cattle when I pay a premium price over the course of a year.
Krags From United States of America, joined Nov 2001, 47 posts, RR: 0 Reply 14, posted (9 years 2 months 4 days 14 hours ago) and read 4233 times:
I don't see how you could manage this. You would have certain planes with first class and then certain planes without. You would never be able to sub aircraft. It would be a mess. Besides, Delta is slowly giving all short haul flying over to Delta Connection. They will never come out with a press release stating this but if you look at their schedules you will see that is what is happening.
Businessboy From Norway, joined Mar 2004, 211 posts, RR: 1 Reply 15, posted (9 years 2 months 4 days 14 hours ago) and read 4217 times:
Sorry, there arent any First Class on Delta and Continental, only Business Class.Still, on the short haul, does Continental have Business or First, i know they dont have both...
Airbazar From United States of America, joined Sep 2003, 6890 posts, RR: 7 Reply 16, posted (9 years 2 months 4 days 14 hours ago) and read 4185 times:
First class doesn't make much sense. Hardly anyone pays for it and it costs the airlines a bundle. A lot of airlines are getting rid of it, even the all mighty SQ, and going with expanded business class and premium economy instead. Everyone knows that airlines make 60% of their revenue from business passengers so it only makes sense to expand the business class service.
There will always be first class, but that will be limited to a very small number of routes.
With the cost of private/semi-private jets continuing to go down, people who can affort $10,000+ for a ticket, will not put up with the herds and airport non-sense to fly on a regular carrier. You're seeing that happen today already.
Actually, as someone pointed out, in the US domestic market first class is no more than a fare category or a label. No one really offers first class service anymore. Most domestic F cabins I've seen on AA, UA, DL, don't look like first class to me at all.
Drerx7 From United States of America, joined Jun 2000, 4906 posts, RR: 9 Reply 17, posted (9 years 2 months 4 days 14 hours ago) and read 4122 times:
This is one of the most rediculous threads ever. Delta or Continental will never get rid of first class, or some type of premium carrier. As a previous member posted--you would have too many different configurations--it would be a financial disaster.
EA CO AS From United States of America, joined Nov 2001, 12562 posts, RR: 64 Reply 19, posted (9 years 2 months 4 days 14 hours ago) and read 4021 times:
95% of the First class seats on short hauls are upgrades or non-revs.
Source, please? And "I heard that somewhere," doesn't count.
"In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem - government IS the problem." - Ronald Reagan
BoingGoingGone From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 20, posted (9 years 2 months 4 days 14 hours ago) and read 4006 times:
They already did. CO and DL don't offer First Class on international flights - their Business First and Business Elite products are Business Class, not First. Even domestically, neither operates 3-class aircraft, so they could call First Class (Domestic) Business Class, and stop trying to kid the world they offer First Class.
Both Business services trump first on a majority of carriers.
AR385 From Mexico, joined Nov 2003, 4848 posts, RR: 27 Reply 21, posted (9 years 2 months 4 days 14 hours ago) and read 3958 times:
I find it hard to believe they will get rid of their first class cabin. First of all, it's not a losing proposition. It's a good marketing strategy and a competitive advantage. Second, if they are on their way to joining Skyteam, and at least CO unoficially did already, no premium passenger would fly them as all the other carriers in Skyteam have first class except maybe CSA and Alitalia, which anyways have some form of European premium class. They would become the Southwest of Skytema and who wants that?
BoingGoingGone From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 22, posted (9 years 2 months 4 days 14 hours ago) and read 3935 times:
As a cost saving measure, it makes sense to do so on short hop flights. However, it doesn't make sense to do so on longer haul flights. As an example....
You may only have a coach option for the short hop from SFO-SLC, but from SLC to MCO, you'd have the option of the Business or First product. Another example... From SFO to CVG you would have the Business or First product available, but not for the quick hop from CVG to ORD.
ManchesterMAN From United Kingdom, joined Sep 2003, 1192 posts, RR: 1 Reply 24, posted (9 years 2 months 4 days 14 hours ago) and read 3918 times:
I can understand why they do it, but calling the seats up front "first class" on domestic routes is a bit strange when you consider they are not as good as the business seats on the long haul aircraft. With CO you fly Business on a 767 and get a better seat than first class on a 737! Same with the rest of the US carriers.
25 XJRamper: I know for a fact that NW does sell first class seats, however, only 2-4 seats are actual first class tickets. The rest of the persons sitting in 1st
26 Tcfc424: First of all, if you will look at the websites and play with the schedules, a full Y fare is MORE than a discounted F fare...where's the cost problem?
27 FlyingDoctorWu: Both Business services trump first on a majority of carriers. That statement is completely not true... I have flown BusinessFirst, BizElite, World Bus
28 MaverickM11: "95% of the First class seats on short hauls are upgrades or non-revs. It's a losing proposition cost wise. " If there is no where to upgrade, then wh
29 777gk: "Believe none of what you hear, and half of what you see." - Tony Soprano First class isn't going anywhere on Continental any time soon. We believe we
30 UnitedFirst: FlyingDoctorWu, That statement is completely not true... I have flown BusinessFirst, BizElite, World Business, Envoy- whatever you want to call the pr
31 Dalmd88: Dl has already finished the test marketing on elimating premium cabins on short haul flights. When the 737-800 was removed from the Shuttle they moved
32 BoingGoingGone: You cannot compare Singapore Airlines First Class to any U.S. carrier's international Business Class service, that's for sure! True. As was the rest o
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