Tag Archives: 767-3P6

Delta makes changes to its SkyMiles program

Delta Air Lines (Atlanta) has announced these changes to its SkyMiles program:

Delta Air Lines is updating the SkyMiles program with several changes to improve the program as members earn status and redeem miles for Award tickets. Beginning March 9, SkyMiles members will have access to a number of program improvements, including lower One-Way Awards, improved tools for Delta customers to book Award travel, and the ability to earn Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQDs) on partner airlines.

“We continue to adjust the SkyMiles program to give members more value and options, including making it easier to redeem more Award travel at lower prices,” said Karen Zachary, Managing Director – SkyMiles. “Delta is committed to providing industry-leading operational performance and on-board product and services, while remaining innovative in meeting our customers’ needs.”

Details of the changes to Delta’s SkyMiles program include:

New One-Way Award tickets beginning as low as 10,000 miles plus taxes and fees, available through Dec. 31, 2015 for travel in select U.S., Mexican and Caribbean markets. Customers can now fly to several popular Award destinations with a 21-day minimum advance purchase.
Improved Award redemption by expanding the number of airline partners that SkyMiles members can select to redeem for Award Travel on delta.com. Delta recently updated the Fly Delta app to give customers the ability to book Award travel from mobile devices. Since January, Delta has offer customers the ability to book SkyMiles Award travel through the Fly Delta app.
Customers can now earn MQDs, regardless of ticketing carrier, for travel on most of Delta’s airline partners, which will help them achieve Medallion status faster. SkyMiles members will receive retroactive credit of MQDs on eligible partner flights dating back to the beginning of the qualification year, Jan. 1, 2015. MQD earning varies based on carrier, percentage of distance flown as determined by Delta and fare class paid.

Additionally, this month, Delta launched refreshed cabin experiences with its Delta One, First Class, Delta Comfort+ and Main Cabin products. As part of these changes, SkyMiles Diamond Medallion members are now among the first board the aircraft along with Delta One/First Class customers. Diamond and Platinum Medallion members also enjoy complimentary upgrade eligibility to First Class as well as complimentary access to Delta Comfort+ seats at the time of booking. Gold and Silver Medallion members continue to enjoy complimentary upgrade eligibility to First Class and will now enjoy complimentary access to Delta Comfort+ seats starting 72 hours and 24 hours prior to departure.

Since January, Delta has made 50 percent more Award Seats available giving members more options when they travel. In 2014, program members redeemed more than 296 billion miles in the SkyMiles program for 12.5 million award redemptions.

Copyright Photo: Michael B. Ing/AirlinersGallery.com. Delta Air Lines Boeing 767-3P6 ER N1501P (msn 24983) climbs away from Los Angeles International Airport.

Delta aircraft slide show (current livery):

Delta to launch the Salt Lake City-Amsterdam route on May 1

Delta Air Lines (Atlanta) will launch a new international route from its Salt Lake City hub to KLM’s Amsterdam hub on May 1. The new route will be operated five days a week using Boeing 767-300 aircraft according to Airline Route. It will become daily service on May 17.

Delta Air Lines (current):

Mega Maldives Airlines to expand its fleet and destinations

MEGA Global Air Services (Maldives) Pvt. Ltd. (dba Mega Maldives Airlines) (Male) and it’s offshore partner, MG Holdings Limited, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with BB Airways Pvt. Ltd. of Nepal, whereby the companies agreed to collaborate on developing flights and sharing of resources for cost effective operation of both airlines. The two airlines plan to develop operations both within the SAARC region and beyond.

The cooperation between BB Airways and Mega Maldives Airlines will help both parties expand and open new markets.

According to CAPA, Mega Maldives plans to add four additional Boeing 757-200s and one additional Boeing 767-300 and add its first routes to the Middle East and Southeast Asia. The second phase of expansion will see the possible launch of services to Australia and Europe using a second type of widebody aircraft.

Mega Maldives currently operates regular flights throughout the year from Male to Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong. These operations include 6 to 18 round trips per month from these cities depending on the time of the year (see map below).

Mega Maldives also operates seasonal routes from Male to Gan, Chengdu, Chongqing, Hangzhou and Seoul (Incheon). Due to the seasonality of demands on these routes, Mega Maldives does not normally operate flights to these destinations in mid-December to early January and between March and May.

According to the privately owned airline, “Mega Maldives Airlines is the privately owned international airline of the Maldives and serves the Chinese market with the greatest number of frequencies of any nonstop carrier. The airline operates Boeing 767 and 757 aircraft in a multi-class configuration. Mega, founded in 2010, carries up to 30% of the Chinese market to Maldives and up to 14% of all traffic to the Maldives. The airline plans to take delivery of several additional aircraft and expand to several new points over the coming year.”

Copyright Photo: Paul Denton/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 767-3P6 ER 8Q-MEG (msn 24496) of Mega Maldives Airlines prepares to depart from its Male base.

Video:

Current Route Map:

Mexicana: “financial and labor situation is no longer sustainable” (files for protection)

Mexicana Boeing 767-3P6 XA-MXE (msn 23764) MEX (AirSpeed), originally uploaded by Airliners Gallery.

Compania Mexicana de Aviacion (CMA/Mexicana Airlines) (Mexico City, a subsidiary of Nuevo Grupo Aeronautico (NGA), informed the media and general public that the company’s financial and labor situation is no longer sustainable. Here is the full statement:

NGA’s CEO Manuel Borja called a press conference and gave several interviews informing the public of the situation CMA is facing and reassured passengers that it has not and will in no way affect the operations, flights or itineraries of MexicanaClick and MexicanaLink. Although they are also subsidiaries of NGA, these airlines operate under completely different business models; CMA is focused on the international market, while MexicanaClick and MexicanaLink cover the domestic market, said Borja.

The situation has forced CMA to make some minor adjustments to its international flight schedules.

Despite of investments of over US$300 million in credit lines and resources put up by NGA and its subsidiaries, MexicanaClick and MexicanaLink, CMA explained that its current financial situation is no longer tenable. Concerted efforts have been made over the last four and a half years to restructure costs, efforts that have translated into savings of some US$800 million as a direct result of investment in IT systems, new routes and more efficient aircraft, but have not been sufficient to offset its crew costs.

Although the airline’s operating costs excluding crew labor costs are 30% lower than the average of legacy airlines in the United States, these non competitive labor costs are the main reason why the company has continued to suffer losses, to the extent that it is now financially non-viable. According to company sources, CMA’s pilots earn 49% more than the average wage paid by legacy airlines in the United States and 185% more than the average pilots flying Airbus A320s for other Mexican low cost airlines like Volaris or Interjet. Likewise, Mexicana Airlines flight attendants earn 32% more than the U.S. average and 165% more than their Mexican counterparts employed by the same airlines.

Numbers confirm, that if the CMA’s collective contracts had been more competitive, instead of registering losses of US$350 million from 2007 to date, the company would have posted profits of US$350 million, illustrating that CMA does indeed have the potential to be a profitable, financially viable carrier.

However, in light of the current situation, CMA has presented its pilots’ and flight attendants’ unions with two alternatives.

The first is the option to enter into a new collective contract to secure the CMA’s long-term financial viability. This would imply accepting cuts of 41% and 39% in wages and fringe benefits for pilots and flight attendants, respectively. This alternative also calls for additional cost-cutting measures, including downsizing 40% of the airline’s pilots and flight attendants. On the upside, it incorporates a profit-sharing plan whereby the unions would get a percentage of any operating profits that exceed 5% of the company’s total revenues.

As a second alternative, stockholders have offered to sell CMA to its unions for the token sum of $1 peso, proving them convinced of the vital role these labor organizations will play in the future of the company. As the only entities capable of turning the situation around, CMA’s management have stated that it would be willing to transfer control of the airline to its unions. The transaction would require further and more detailed negotiations with the unions, but in broad terms would require NGA to assume liabilities of US$120 million in bank credit lines, while the unions would have the option of retaining a BANCOMEXT loan for US$80 million or transferring this credit line and its respective sureties to NGA. The unions would also be given a six-month permit for the use of the Mexicana Airlines brand name, among other measures designed to allow for a smooth transition.

In response to statements by representatives of the pilots union (ASPA) to the effect that both proposals outlined by CMA would be rejected, the company said that it is time to acknowledge reality, that the paradigm of commercial aviation has changed worldwide and that only airlines that operate at competitive costs can hope to survive and continue flying. CMA will continue to negotiate with its unions.

As a result, Mexicana filed for creditor protection on August 2 in both Mexico (Concurso Mercantil) and the USA (Chapter 15) after the company and the unions failed to agree on wage and staff cuts to keep the debt-ridden airline flying.