Delta Air Lines will shrink its European footprint after coronavirus
Delta Air Lines is well on its way to emerging from the coronavirus pandemic as a smaller airline. It has retired three aircraft types from its fleet, including its Boeing 777s, and asked staff to take voluntary leave options to avoid furloughs this fall.
Now, the Atlanta-based SkyTeam Alliance carrier is warning staff that its international footprint will be dramatically smaller when it comes out of the crisis. This includes permanently ending service to some cities in Europe — a continent where it is the largest U.S. carrier — TPG has learned.
"Our international network has been set back to where we were over 30 years ago, similar to international flying in the late 1980s/early 1990s when Delta and Northwest each averaged only 30 international destinations," Delta senior vice president of in-flight service Allison Ausband said in an internal message to flight attendants on Thursday viewed by TPG.
For perspective, Delta flew to 82 international destinations outside of North America last June, according to Cirium schedules.
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Delta is already flying a much-reduced international schedule. As of May 27, it only plans to serve nine destinations in Africa, Asia and Europe in June. The airline will offer no flights to Australia or South America.
The draw-down of long-haul flights by U.S. carriers comes as international air traffic has been hit with country-by-country restrictions on travelers. These include outright restrictions on arrivals to mandatory quarantines or simply COVID-19 testing upon landing.
Those depressed international schedules may take time to rebuild. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) does not expect international passenger numbers to return to 2019 levels until 2023 or 2024. That's as much as two years after domestic numbers return to pre-coronavirus levels.
Related: A country-by-country guide to coronavirus recovery
Last summer, Delta served 27 cities in Europe — ranging from major hubs like Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) to smaller destinations like Berlin (TXL) and Venice (VCE), Cirium schedules show. Flights to partner hubs in Amsterdam (AMS), London Heathrow (LHR) and Paris, as well as major business centers like Frankfurt (FRA) are already coming back. But it is Delta's service to smaller points in Europe that may not return post-crisis.
Ausband did not indicate which cities Delta may never return to in Europe.
Travelers likely will still be able to access any destination that Delta stops serving. The airline's joint venture partners Air France and KLM offer extensive service across the European continent via their respective Paris and Amsterdam hubs.
Delta acquired much of its European operation from Pan Am in 1991. That more than doubled its size in Europe with Pan Am's assets that included everything but its London Heathrow slots. United Airlines acquired the Heathrow operation.
Related: American, Delta and United plan to fly these long-haul international routes in June
In addition to a smaller European footprint, Delta is evaluating closing or downgrading some of its flight attendant crew bases, Ausband said. Possible closures include ones at Chicago O'Hare (ORD), Cincinnati (CVG), Honolulu (HNL), Portland, Oregon (PDX), San Francisco (SFO) and Tampa (TPA).
Airline crew bases do not always correlate to hubs or even focus cities. For example, only Cincinnati — which used to be a hub — is more than a typical destination on Delta's map of the six stations eligible for closure.
Delta has already said that it will close its pilot base in Cincinnati by the end of the year.
Related: Delta sending Airbus A350s to Los Angeles, will close Cincinnati pilot base
Still, the airline plans to remain a strong international player post crisis. Delta executives have assured staff that it will continue flying all 777 routes with new Airbus A350-900s, including service to Johannesburg (JNB) with a new stop in Cape Town (CPT) on the return to Atlanta (ATL).
In addition, Delta CEO Ed Bastian has said the airline "stands by" its partner LATAM Airlines as that carrier moves through bankruptcy restructuring. Delta owns a nearly 20% stake in the Chilean airline.
"It will likely be two to three years before we see demand recovery on a large scale," Bastian told staff in a memo on May 27. By recovery, he was referring to a return to 2019 passenger numbers.
Related: Delta Air Lines stands by new partner LATAM, despite bankruptcy
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There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
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- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
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- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
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You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
$325Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.Excellent to Good
Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.