Top Airline Companies To Watch For 2015

Top Airline Companies To Watch For 2015: Delta Air Lines Inc (DAL)

Delta Air Lines, Inc. (Delta) provides scheduled air transportation for passengers and cargo throughout the United States and around the world. The Company's route network gives it a presence in every domestic and international market. Delta's route network is centered around the hub system it operate at airports in Amsterdam, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Detroit, Memphis, Minneapolis-St. Paul, New York-JFK, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Salt Lake City and Tokyo-Narita. Each of these hub operations includes flights that gather and distribute traffic from markets in the geographic region surrounding the hub to domestic and international cities and to other hubs. The Company's network is supported by a fleet of aircraft that is varied in terms of size and capabilities.

Delta has bilateral and multilateral marketing alliances with foreign airlines to improve its access to international markets. These arrangements can include code-sharing, reciprocal frequent flyer progr am benefits, shared or reciprocal access to passenger lounges, joint promotions, common use of airport gates and ticket counters, ticket office co-location, and other marketing agreements. Its international code-sharing agreements enable it to market and sell seats to an expanded number of international destinations. The Company has international codeshare arrangements with Aeromexico, Air France, Air Nigeria, Alitalia, Aeroflot, China Airlines, China Eastern, China Southern, CSA Czech Airlines, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Korean Air, Olympic Air, Royal Air Maroc, VRG Linhas Aereas (operating as GOL), Vietnam Airlines, Virgin Australia and WestJet Airlines.

In addition to the Company's marketing alliance agreements with individual foreign airlines, it is a member of the SkyTeam airline alliance. Delta also has frequent flyer and reciprocal lounge agreements! with Hawaiian Airlines, and codesharing agreements with American Eagle Airlines (American Eagle) and Hawai ian Airlines. It has air service agreements with multiple do! mestic regional air carriers that feed traffic to its route system by serving passengers primarily in small-and medium-sized cities.

Through the Company's regional carrier program, it has contractual arrangements with 10 regional carriers to operate regional jet and, in certain cases, turbo-prop aircraft using its DL designator code. In addition to Delta's wholly owned subsidiary, Comair, it has contractual arrangements with ExpressJet Airlines, Inc. and SkyWest Airlines, Inc., both subsidiaries of SkyWest, Inc.; Chautauqua Airlines, Inc. and Shuttle America Corporation, both subsidiaries of Republic Airways Holdings, Inc.; Pinnacle Airlines, Inc. and Mesaba Aviation, Inc. (Mesaba), both subsidiaries of Pinnacle Airlines Corp. (Pinnacle); Compass Airlines, Inc. (Compass) and GoJet Airlines, LLC, both subsidiaries of Trans States Holdings, Inc. (Trans States), and American Eagle.

The Company's SkyMiles program allows program members to earn mil eage for travel awards by flying on Delta, Delta's regional carriers and other participating airlines. Mileage credit may also be earned by using certain services offered by program participants, such as credit card companies, hotels and car rental agencies. In addition, individuals and companies may purchase mileage credits. The Company reserves the right to terminate the program with six months advance notice, and to change the program's terms and conditions at any time without notice.

SkyMiles program mileage credits can be redeemed for air travel on Delta and participating airlines, for membership in the Company's Delta Sky Clubs and for other program participant awards. Mileage credits are subject to certain transfer restrictions and travel awards are subject to capacity controlled seating. During the year ended December 31, 2011, program ! members r! edeemed more than 275 billion miles in the SkyMiles program for more than 12 million award redemptions. D uring 2011, 8.2% of revenue miles flown on Delta were from a! ward trav! el.

The Company generates cargo revenues in domestic and international markets through the use of cargo space on regularly scheduled passenger aircraft. Delta is a member of SkyTeam Cargo, an airline cargo alliance. SkyTeam Cargo offers a network spanning six continents and provides customers an international product line.

The Company has several other businesses arising from its airline operations, including aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO); staffing services for third parties; vacation wholesale operations, and its private jet operations. Delta's MRO operation, known as Delta TechOps, is an airline MRO in North America. In addition to providing maintenance and engineering support for its fleet of approximately 775 aircraft, Delta TechOps serves more than 150 aviation and airline customers. Its staffing services business, Delta Global Services, provides staffing services, professional security, training services and aviation soluti ons to approximately 150 customers. The Company's vacation wholesale business, MLT Vacations, is the provider of vacation packages in the United States. Its private jet operations, Delta Private Jets, provides aircraft charters, aircraft management and programs allowing members to purchase flight time by the hour.

The Company competes with SkyTeam, United Air Lines, Continental Airlines, Lufthansa German Airlines, Air Canada, American Airlines, British Airways and Qantas.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Johanna Bennett]

  Granted, shares of Southwest Airlines (LUV) fell 0.1% to $41.85 in early afternoon market action. But Delta Air Lines (DAL), United Continental Holdings (UAL), American Airlines Group (AAL) and Spirit Airlines (SAVE) and JetBlue Airways (JBLU) rose 0.35%, 0.2%, 1.78%, 0.3% and 0.48% respectively.

• ! [By Tiernan Ray]

  With an upscale product on new Airbus narrow body aircraft, VA has routinely generated higher average fares and higher RASM on both long haul and short haul extremely competitive routes vs. legacy and traditional low cost carrier. Virgin has consistently generated higher average fares and higher revenue per mile than American Airlines, Delta Air Lines (DAL), and United Airlines (UAL) on transcontinental routes such as JFK to LAX and JFK to SFO [...] During 4Q13, in the LAX to JFK market, Virgin America generated an average fare of $284, $17 above the second highest fare of $267 for American and $39 above the average fare for all carriers in this market. In 2Q14, the last period for which Department of Transportation data is available, American Airlines surpassed Virgin in terms of both average fare and RASM. This was the result of AAL's switching to new smaller aircraft, thus cutting its capacity in the LAX to JFK market by approximately 18%. The reduction effe ctively reduced the number of discounted seats offered by American, squeezing the 18% lowest fare paying passengers off the AAL flights and thus driving the average AAL fare higher. We do not believe there was a material change in the relative performance of Virgin versus American in the top three-fourths of the fare paying passengers.

source from Top Stocks For 2015:http://www.topstocksblog.com/top-airline-companies-to-watch-for-2015-3.html