Song Sings A Familiar Tune
Taking strategies from the playbooks of the competitors it is targeting, Delta Air Lines today detailed plans for Song, its new low-cost subsidiary set to take flight April 15. The airline-within-an-airline will leverage the Internet, voice-recognition technology and a dedicated fleet of Boeing 757s to operate at costs below that of mainline Delta, enabling a simple, low-fare structure for leisure and cost-conscious business travelers.
The similarities between Song and its entrenched East Coast competitors do not stop at economical fares, fleet commonality and a focus on Internet distribution. The inflight entertainment system will feature live satellite television programming furnished by Dish Network, a competitive match to JetBlue Airways' highly touted DirecTV.
Song will compete not only with JetBlue, but also Delta rival AirTran Airways on leisure routes along the East Coast. Initial flights will link New York JFK and West Palm Beach, Fla. By October, the carrier plans to operate 144 daily flights using three dozen 199-seat, all-coach Boeing 757s with 33 inches of leg room. Service will be available from all three New York-area airports, Boston Logan, Hartford, Conn., Washington Dulles and various Florida destinations, including Fort Myers, Fort Lauderdale, Tampa and Orlando.
All fares will be one way, between $79 and $299, and free of Saturday night stay requirements. Fares are available either as 14-day advance purchase, seven-day advance purchase, three-day advance purchase or walk-up.
The inflight experience, in addition to live television, will include touch-screen, credit card-activated entertainment systems featuring audio programming, pay-per-view selections, interactive games, map displays and connecting gate information. Inflight food choices will be available for purchase. Song in the future plans to offer in-seat Internet connectivity and online shopping options.
The airline Web site, the main focus of the sales effort, will include an area devoted to customer feedback that will lead to service and amenity modifications. "We're introducing choices back into the experience," said Song president John Selvaggio. "And we're going to ask customers to vote products and service on or off the aircraft. So, when we say, 'the choice is truly yours,' we mean it. Each person has different expectations every time he or she flies."
The site also will offer flexible low-fare searches that uncover the cheapest fares for a wide range of dates, a feature already available from certain online distribution outlets. Travelers can check in for Song flights online and print their own boarding cards. Meanwhile, telephone-based reservations will use voice-recognition technology and airport locations will provide self-service kiosks. Song services will be tied in with Delta's SkyMiles frequent flyer program.
Delta is eyeing cost savings through lower-cost distribution and higher aircraft utilization rates. The usage target--13.2 hours a day--would best Delta's mainline Boeing 757 average by 23 percent. Still, analysts have questioned whether that will be enough to make Song successful, considering several past failures of the airline-within-an-airline concept, including Delta's own Delta Express that will be phased out as Song ramps up.