Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 – Photo: David Parker Brown | AirlineReporter.com
The relationship between Delta Air Lines and Alaska Airlines has just become a bit more intense. Alaska has confirmed that they are looking for different vendors to help with airport operations at 13 stations, services that Delta currently provides. This appears to be something that Alaska was already planning, but Delta has sped up the timeline.
“We have been considering a change in vendors who provide passenger service, ground handling, cargo, and deicing at various locations for some time now,” an Alaska Airlines spokesperson told AirlineReporter.com. “This is something we routinely do to ensure our costs and services for our customers are being optimized. Delta notified us last Friday that it has elected to discontinue these service agreements with Alaska Airlines effective March 31,2014. This change will affect 13 stations, 6 cargo offices, and various deice locations, and simply speeds up the transition we’d been planning.”
This comes after Delta had announced additional service to Seattle, where Alaska Airlines is based.
This story will be updated with additional information.
This would be Delta Ground Services (DGS) which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Delta. What are the 13 stations? I wonder if they are locations where Delta is shifting away from DGS staffing levels for other reasons as well.
Mainline Delta agents do provide above wing services for Alaska. This announcement has nothing to do with DGS.
I don’t think this has anything to do with a bad relationship. It has to do with saving money and improving the bottom line. I am certain American Eagle or DGS providing ground services will save a lot of $$$ for Alaska…
The fact that there was no mention of the new contractor taking over these operations suggests it is a defensive move and not an operational one.
This may not be DGS. In PHL, Alaska’s entire operation in handled by Delta, not DGS. From ticket counter to ramp, it’s all Delta. There is only one actual Alaska employee that works there