Art imitates life, which imitates art in a vicious circle that never ends. Work interferes with life, ranting, and blogging…updates coming soon, or at least at the moment, breathing hard ;)
Dear Delta,
Please explain to us why this:
Has now become this:
Delta (DL) and Northwest (NW) announced a merger several months ago, back in the Bush-43 years. They did everything they could to lobby the public to support the merger (or at least not lash out against it). Of course, the Bush-43 Justice Department and Department of Transportation approved the merger. It's only today that we are all beginning to reap what that corrupt Justice Department allowed Delta to proverbially "sow" for us.
The screen shots above are from www.newglobalairline.com. The top picture was captured on or about the date of the announcement of the desire for the two companies to merge. The bottom picture, captured today.
Delta promised us routine updates via the website…well those are gone. The merger, while technically complete, is far from resulting in a "new global airline". I guess Delta feels the word "routine" has a far different meaning than I do! I haven't gotten anything on the merger in months….with the exception of the merging of the frequent flier programs. Of course, they have to find a way to move the loyal NW customers over to being loyal DL customers.
Someone that works in the air transport industry asked me today what I thought about the merger today, here were my comments:
Being a Northwest Platinum elite, I have a very sincere love of NWA (now called by some "Delta Red"), their service, policies, and overall product. Having lived in the Atlanta, GA area for 2 years and flown weekly from Hartsfield (several times on the "old Delta" or "Delta Blue"), I have a high disdain for that company, their people, policies, and product.
The first paragraph, being publication ready as it is, I can now tell you what I really think. I hear a giant sucking sound in the skies and it's not some couple in the lav...It's this merger and the sound emanates from ATL.
A website was launched when the merger started newglobalairline.com...try going to that site now...it is still up, but the covers have now been pulled up around the proverbial ears of the merged Delta....no informational updates are being provided…
I noticed last week they (Northwest & it's partner carriers) have totally stopped announcing NW flight numbers...they continue to be coded NW and DL codeshare since the FAA has not issued a single operation certificate, but they simply have replaced the word Northwest with Delta in all announcements. I asked the station manager on duty in MEM for information about it, she dodged my question...so I asked again, "Please can you give me an answer, I'd like to blog about it"...she referred me to DL legal counsel....weird.
The station managers at SDF for NW both told me they have less than 3 weeks until their jobs are eliminated and Delta will staff and work all flights, gates, and ramp duties at SDF, LEX, and many similar sized airports. Delta is not hiring additional staff, at least they don't plan to....we all know what this means...customer service nightmares.
They did also mention that plans for the merged DL flights at SDF include larger planes, but my guess is that also means fewer flights.
The merger is bad for all employees involved, customers, & airports that aren't DL hubs...we'll have to wait and see what happens to the NW hubs (MEM, MSP, DTW) once the single operational certificate is issued by the FAA. Many think MEM will be massively scaled back with more hub ops shifting to CVG, and I really like MEM because it's easy to get around in, I loathe CVG….damn shuttle busses!
But hey, this is great for Delta senior management...just ask them.
Too many things about these airlines (DL and NW) are dissimilar…Aircraft fleets being at the top of the list… (NW is largely an Airbus shop, DL a Boeing shop). In fact, the only aircraft both airlines fly is the Boeing 757.
Also, customer service policies were vastly different…WERE. DL is pushing it's "customer last, we're always right, no exceptions, don't argue or we'll have you detained by the feds" policy on everything from luggage straps to tickets on NW coded flights…they have the right to, they bought NW.
It's just a huge shame to see what had gone from what people use to call NorthWORST to a great airline be systematically screwed up by the Delta head dick, Dick Anderson. Yes, Dick use to run Northwest…but he departed MSP for ATL at the height of the time when NW meant NorthWORST.
Delta: FAIL.
Click the link below and take the time to watch this...so funny. Can't wait for Keith O. to respond!
BONUS: The best minute in American Dad this week...the entire minute is great the last 15 seconds are the best! Linked below because FOX won't let me embed video!
AMERICAN DAD BEST MINUTE OF THE WEEK
Below (in italics) are my comments to WAVE3 TV after they aired a 30 second "Guest Hot Button commentary" which amounted to a free advertisement for the Kentucky Derby Festival…but first the error I received when attempting to comment via WAVE3.com...
The error above was shown on the WAVE3.com website upon my first attempt to upload my comments. For the record, I am not on a witch hunt of local TV stations; I just hate to see media outlets use their influence inappropriately. I would add that while many businesses in Louisville benefit from the KDF, only the KDF and the sponsors putting on events DIRECTLY benefit from this free advertisement aired during WAVE3 news.
Link to WAVE3 Video (Link supplied because the javascript code supplied by WAVE3 for embedding is non-standard)
WAVE3, can you be anymore "in bed" with the Kentucky Derby Festival (KDF)? We are all looking for good deals in this economy, but handing the KDF a FREE 30 second spot during the news to advertise? Is WAVE3 willing to grant any and all groups, companies, or establishments that provide entertainment services, events, or venues a free 30 second advertisement spot during your news? I highly doubt that.
Really WAVE3, this was uncalled for. Please stop slanting your news/views in support of the Mayor for Life (Jerry Abramson) and his pet organizations like the KDF. When you give the KDF a free 30 second advertising spot, other entertainment establishments are disadvantaged by your favoritism, and perhaps cronyism.
We all love the KY Derby and the KDF, but we love free markets more.
Sham news story written by WLKY producer to promote chat room
Beginning at 6pm EDT, WLKY.com hosted what they dropped the HD feed to scroll an announcement for….a live chat room about the NCAA selection show.
Great idea, I thought…so I logged in. I made a couple of comments, and then I realized something isn't quite right….
Comments from WLKY employees are in real time, comments from others are not….ok it's something new for WLKY, a technical problem or two isn't out of the question.
Until I tested the waters with several liberal slanted comments…none appeared in the window...hmmm censorship?
Someone asked about why AZ got in and KY did not, I replied that AZ has John McCain…because I knew no one in red state KY could deny that comment….and of course, it went right in.
WLKY: FAIL. If you are going to open a chat room about basketball, moderate it, but only for offensive, violent, or racist comments. To pick and choose which comments are sent into the room introduces a 3 or 4 minute lag between real time and comments hitting the room…it also really angers participants when their comments do not show in the room because of censorship. A website is NOT a broadcast television station and is not subject to the content regulations of the FCC.
While it is WLKY.com, and they are free to do to the site as they please, these are the type of people that seek to regulate the internet…this is what it would be like…just go ahead and appoint Dick Cheney head internet regulator in chief already!?!?
Stop being such a wet blanket and let people express their opinions. If you want people to participate in what was advertised to be an open forum, it really isn't right to manipulate the conversation in the direction you wish it to flow.
WLKY, do you slant your news reporting the same way?
UPDATE: Seems others in the chat room are noticing the manipulation of the room…looks like they are steering the conversation away from negative UK comments.
UPDATE 2: They did not even allow a link to the printable bracket into the chat! The bracket is on CBSSPORTS.com! WLKY.com has to duplicate or link to the content?
UPDATE 3: Brad Ginsberg is the producer manipulating the chat room…send complaints to bginsberg@wlky.com
UPDATE 4: Even better, email president & general manager of WLKY Glen Haygood ghaygood@wlky.com … he however could have been the person that requested the chat censorship.
