As I wait for my 3:48 flight to Portland Maine to depart sometime after 6:30 due to a "mechanical issue," I was surprised by a Delta representative who came to ask if everything was all right. I told her that no, it was not all right, and that Delta's business decision has once again made me question whether to continue my relationship with the airline.
Like so many of its competitors, Delta outsources the small market routes to regional carriers. When those planes break down or the regional carrier can't provide crews, then it is Delta who is the bearer of bad news. Since I, as a customer, can't distinguish between Delta and the partner, my trust in Delta erodes every time I fly.
To contrast, I had a flight earlier this week between Atlanta and JFK. That flight had a new plane with in-flight television, on-time departure, and a friendly and attentive crew. Between major hubs, flying with Delta is often a great way to go, but not when travel to a smaller airport is required.
My ask of Delta (and the other legacy carriers) is that they stop pretending to serve us in the smaller airports. Leave that to the carriers who care about the smaller airports, like Southwest and JetBlue. Allow the regional carriers to stand on their own, and I bet we would see a drastic transformation in their level of service.
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