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Home » Delta Air Lines » Hey Delta, Where’s The Outrage Over Alitalia’s New U.S. Route?
AlitaliaDelta Air Lines

Hey Delta, Where’s The Outrage Over Alitalia’s New U.S. Route?

Matthew Klint Posted onOctober 3, 2019November 14, 2023 14 Comments

an airplane flying in the sky

Alitalia announced new seasonal service between Rome and San Francisco next summer. Did I miss the outrage from Delta?

When Air Italy announced new service between Milan and San Francisco, Delta CEO Ed Bastian was outraged, penning a fiery op-ed:

These Italian routes, already highly competitive and well-served by existing carriers, are simply not economically viable without Qatari subsidies. By flooding these markets with subsidized capacity and dropping prices far below cost, Qatar is launching another assault on U.S. airline employees and travelers, and disrespecting the Administration.

Bastian asked for the help of Congress and the Trump Administration to declare “that these actions simply won’t be tolerated.”

Hold that thought.

Alitalia Launches Service To San Francisco

Alitalia will launch 3x weekly service between Rome (FCO) and San Francisco (SFO) next summer. The flight will operate on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays between June 01, 2020 and October 28, 2020 under the following schedule:

  • AZ640 Rome to San Francisco dep 9:15AM arr 1:15PM
  • AZ641 San Francisco to Rome dep 3:15PM arr 12:15PM+1

Alitalia will use a Boeing 777-200 on the route.

> Read More: Alitalia 777 Business Class Rome to Los Angeles Review

Where Is The Outrage, Delta?

Bastian asked, “Who is funding Air Italy’s losses?”

Its investors, including Qatar Airways, which owns a minority stake in the airline.

Why isn’t he asking, “Who is funding Alitalia’s losses?”

The answer is clear: it’s the Italian government. Italy has chosen to keep afloat an airline that should have liquidated long ago if profit was any concern.

So why does Delta condemn one airline and not the other? Why doesn’t Bastian accuse Alitalia of stealing U.S. airline jobs on routes that are only possible due to illegal subsidies?

It’s very simple. Delta and Alitalia have a joint-venture agreement (still in effect, though being winded down) and are SkyTeam partners. They codeshare and work together.

As if that makes the subsidies any objectively less egregious…

But for Delta, love direct financial gain covers a multitude of sins.

CONCLUSION

I love flying Alitalia. Anyone who thinks a poorly-run airline translates to a poor onboard product is wrong. The food on Alitalia is among the best I’ve ever had and I slept well in business class. This new route is good for consumers and will challenge not only Air Italy, but United in SFO.

But the silence from Delta is deafening and exposes a level of hypocrisy so deep that any anti-Air Italy argument put forward should not be taken seriously.

> Read More: Will US Airlines Now Boycott Alitalia?
> Read More: Dense, Dimwitted Logic From A Deliberately Deceptive Delta CEO

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About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

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14 Comments

  1. Christian Reply
    October 3, 2019 at 2:37 pm

    Do you really expect any integrity from Delta?

    • Matthew Reply
      October 3, 2019 at 3:04 pm

      They are worse than the politicians they pander to.

    • Jimmy Reply
      October 3, 2019 at 3:31 pm

      “Anyone who thinks a poorly-run airline translates to a poor onboard product is wrong.”

      That’s the first time in a while I’ve read a travel blog and actually had my mind changed about something. Thanks!

  2. anonymous Reply
    October 3, 2019 at 3:36 pm

    I also love flying Alitalia. It’s a very nice experience.

  3. Anthony Reply
    October 3, 2019 at 3:49 pm

    Delta has zero integrity. I would add that a good on-board product — and friendly staff — doesn’t translate to ethical management/leadership.

  4. AdamR Reply
    October 3, 2019 at 4:46 pm

    I’m so torn. I absolutely love Delta – though wouldn’t claim to be a fanboy just yet – but good lord is Bastian a total douchecanoe. If hypocrisy was an Olympic event they’d have to create a platinum medal just to award it to him. Seems like every time he opens his mouth, it’s to talk out of the other side. Thankfully Delta’s great employees and all-around fantastic service make up for this schmuck.

    • Matthew Reply
      October 3, 2019 at 4:52 pm

      The odd thing is that I like Bastian. He’s a smart guy (generally) and nice enough in person. I just really wonder if he has been given a script or actually believes in the hypocrisy that spews from his mouth.

      • Christian Reply
        October 3, 2019 at 8:19 pm

        If he is smart and nice enough, how would you justify his following some insanely stupid script like this? It’s stupid or evil. I’m going with evil.

      • AdamR Reply
        October 3, 2019 at 9:00 pm

        I’ll have to amed that, then, because I think you’re right; when he talks specifically about Delta and its employees and their mission, he seems genuine and warm. But the instant he leaves that swimlane, he’s a turd-and-a-half.

    • Dan Reply
      October 4, 2019 at 8:39 am

      Ed Bastian is a businessman. He’s friendly to people sure. No harm in that. In fact, it open quite a bit of doors and make him more likeable to his employees. But in the end, his goal is to make Delta make even more profit. Part of his strategy is defacing Middle Eastern Airlines and so, no matter how bad it looks for him, he is going to keep this spiel going.

  5. Santastico Reply
    October 3, 2019 at 5:44 pm

    I am half Italian so biased here but have to agree Alitalia is awesome. The food is great (well, it is Italian food :)) and the uniforms of their crew is very elegant.

  6. Dick Bupkiss Reply
    October 3, 2019 at 9:37 pm

    If Alitalia is good enough for the Pope (that’s what he flys) then I guess it’s good enough for me.

  7. Shawn Reply
    October 5, 2019 at 4:48 am

    The difference is the Middle Eastern airlines are being subsidized by the USA! And Delta is a USA airline that’s why they had to stop their Dubai route. Delta was not getting subsidies from the USA! And that was competition on the route. And Delta believed it was unfair to any USA airline. If the Italian government subsidizes it’s own country’s airlines that’s okay so Alitalia is not an unfair thing. But when another country subsidizes another country’s airline then it became an issue!

  8. Mario Reply
    October 7, 2019 at 4:03 am

    How many US airlines have hubs on the west coast? Why nobody of them have at least a direct flight from west coast to Milan MXP? Anybody said “alternatives”?

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