Delta’s Long Forgotten Low Cost Carrier
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Delta is know for and always have been known for its high standard of service. Its passengers are willing to pay a premium for a high quality onboard service. But that comes at a cost for the passengers, and some aren’t willing to pay the price. In 2001, Atlanta based Delta Air Lines launched a probe into potentially untapped markets, following the severe drop in passenger traffic and thus revenue following the terror attacks of 9/11. The company who completed the investigation advised Delta that the low cost market could potentially be highly profitable. Delta was confronted with an issue - low cost is not in line with their company at all. It just doesn’t fit.
Delta executives decided to take a leap of faith and start a whole new subsidiary of the airline, and established Song. They converted some of Delta’s existing 757-200 fleet into a higher density configuration and applied a very early 2000s style green livery. The interior was a hybrid of that of an LCC and Delta’s regular cabin - comfortable seats but no free food, for example. Song was noted for having DirectTV and personal entertainment screens with an MP3 audio jack at every seat, which was not the norm, especially for an LCC, in those days.
Song offered free beverages but charged for meals and liquor. Both brand-name snack boxes and healthy organic meals were offered. The flight safety instructions were sung or otherwise artistically interpreted, depending on the cabin crew.
Song didn’t last very long. It was far outcompeted on its Florida routes by carriers like JetBlue, Southwest, and even Delta Mainline. On September 14th, 2005, Delta Air Lines filed for bankruptcy on behalf of Song, citing low load factors and rising fuel costs. Following the bankruptcy, several of Song’s key supporters left Delta, and the company was unable to support two brands. In addition, Delta faced pressure from their unions, who were unhappy with Song and the loss of seniority privileges among its flight attendants. n October 28, 2005, Delta announced plans to discontinue the Song brand and incorporate its aircraft into Delta’s mainline domestic long-haul operation beginning in May 2006. Eventually, the 48 Boeing 757-200 airplanes were converted to include 26 first-class seats and repainted with Delta colors. The eradication of the airline was seen by aviation analysts as a move to reduce costs and emerge from bankruptcy.
