Delta on the hook for half a billion dollars

In Europe and the US, airlines are responsible for paying up if things go wrong.

In Australia, our airlines can stuff up, break the rules, let down their passengers and there are absolutely no consequences. 

There is a toothless consumer watchdog and a government that protects big business at the expense of the little guy.

The US, it has been reported that the recent global IT outage and the days-long meltdown that followed could end up costing Delta Air Lines alone up to half a billion dollars.

Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian put the cost at around $US500 million, news portal Travel Mole reports.

As well as the lost revenue due to days of cancellations, Bastian said Delta paid out "tens of millions of dollars per day" in compensation and hotels.

The airline said it has processed thousands of refund requests after it cancelled over 5,000 flights.

The outage was caused by a failed software update by CrowdStrike, which took thousands of websites and online services which used Microsoft systems out of action.

Once fixed the software issue was fixed Delta had further issues for several days over its crew scheduling system.   

Delta dawn: Sorry, your pilot's been on the piss

UPDATE: The pilot was this week sentenced to 10 months in jail.

When you are responsible for the safety of several hundred people, you probably should have the intelligence and decency not to get drunk as a skunk.

But a US-based Delta Air Lines pilot has pleaded guilty to being over the alcohol limit before he was due to fly a transatlantic flight back to the US from Scotland in June last year, Travel Mole reports.

Reporting for duty for an Edinburgh to New York flight, Lawrence Russell, 63, was searched by Edinburgh Airport security officers.

They discovered two bottles of herbal alcoholic drink Jägermeister in his bag, including one which was half empty.

Thinking he was possibly intoxicated, the officers required him to do a breath test - which he failed miserably. His reading was more than twice the legal limit.

Russell was remanded in custody at Edinburgh Sheriff's Court after pleading guilty to being impaired through drink as a pilot.

In mitigation, Russell’s lawyer supplied records to the court of his treatment for alcoholism. A bit of a worry for his passengers.

Russell said was "under no illusion" it was a serious offence.

Sheriff Alison Stirling this week said a prison sentence was necessary for the "protection of the public".

In sentencing, she said Russell "showed a reckless disregard for the safety of his passengers and crew. The pilot of a commercial aircraft holds the lives of hundreds in his hands.

“This conviction should send the message that crimes of this nature will be robustly dealt with.”

Hapless airlines cut flights at a time demand is surging

Air fares have gone through the roof as the whole world wants to travel again post Covid lockdowns.

But major airlines have been caught short by the renewed demand - with some still cutting their schedules at a time when more people than ever want to fly.

American carrier Delta is the latest airline to trim its northern summer schedules, citing labour shortages and supply chain issues as the reason for its inability to run full schedules effectively.

To avoid potential disruption (and underline its incompetence) Delta will slash 100 flights a day during the summer, Travel Mole reports.

The cuts will last from July through to August 7.

The cuts will affect flights that Delta serves across the US and Latin America.

Weather, vendor staffing, increased Covid case rates are contributing to higher-than-planned unscheduled absences in some work groups,” Delta said in a statement.

"More than any time in our history, the various factors currently impacting our operation - weather and air traffic control, vendor staffing, increased Covid case rates contributing to higher-than-planned unscheduled absences in some work groups - are resulting in an operation that isn't consistently up to the standards Delta as set for the industry in recent years," Chief Customer Experience Officer Allison Ausband said.

High demand for flights has seen average fare prices surge, but the airlines can't get their acts together.

Other carriers - including JetBlue and Alaska Airlines - have cut schedules to minimise operational issues. Shareholders - and potential customers - should have serious questions.