og her er litt ra ATW:
Delta unveils SimpliFares to applause, concern
Dateline: Thursday January 06, 2005
Delta Air Lines' new simpler fare structure introduced yesterday was applauded by some analysts, while others worried about the competitive response and the effect it will have on revenue this year (ATWOnline, Jan. 5).
As expected, Delta expanded its SimpliFares pricing structure beyond its Cincinnati hub to its entire US domestic route network excluding Alaska and Hawaii. It has capped one-way economy fares at $499 and one-way first-class fares at $599. Roundtrip purchase is required for some fares, but the Saturday-night stay requirement has been eliminated from all categories (some fares do require a one-night stay). Additionally, it has cut the ticket change fee in half to $50. The leaner structure has just six basic fare categories in coach (three one-way, three roundtrip) and two in first class.
In a report released yesterday, UBS analyst Robert Ashcroft applauded SimpliFares as "a necessary step for Delta" and "the right thing to do," while observing that the impact will be "negative in the short term." The structure is expected to hit bankrupt US Airways particularly hard, as it competes heavily with Delta, and makes its liquidation "more likely," in Ashcroft's view.
JP Morgan's Jamie Baker forecast "a significantly hostile industry response," noting that by extending the fares to connecting markets that generate an estimated 30% of domestic revenue, Delta is undercutting rivals' nonstop services: "We doubt Continental Airlines can maintain a $970 one-way fare between Houston and Newark while Delta offers first class via Atlanta for $549," he stated.
Merrill Lynch's Michael Linenberg took the most pessimistic view, saying the new fare structure could cost the industry between $2.5 billion and $3 billion in foregone revenue this year as other airlines match the fares in competing markets.
In a conference call with media to discuss the move, Delta CEO Gerald Grinstein declined to provide an estimated revenue impact of SimpliFares while noting that Cincinnati-originating traffic rose 30% after the fares were introduced. He would not address the revenue impact at that hub or whether operations there are currently profitable, however.
Senior VP and CMO Paul Matsen stated that SimpliFares differs from American's 1992 Value Pricing plan because American tried to impose the structure on the entire industry, whereas "this is a Delta solution" to address the airline's unique challenges including low-fare encroachment across most of its network. "Southwest, JetBlue and AirTran are our principal competitors," he noted.--