Ukuhlangana kweDelta Air Lines neNorthwest Airlines kunamandla okuhlanganisa izindiza ezihamba njalo ezihamba phambili ezingama-74, kanye nokuheha ezintsha ezikhangwa eqoqweni labo elihlangene lemizila yomhlaba.
Kodwa asikho isiqinisekiso.
I-Delta manje iphakathi komzamo obaluleke kakhulu wokunqoba ukwethembeka okuqhubekayo kwabandiza njalo eNyakatho-ntshonalanga nokuheha abanye abavame ukushayela izindiza eziqhudelanayo. Umphumela ungase ubambe iqhaza elibalulekile ekutheni ukuhlanganiswa kube yimpumelelo ekugcineni.
Iwindi lesikhathi leDelta seliqala ukuncipha njengoba abathwali ababili beqhubekela phambili ekuhlanganiseni imisebenzi. Ngonyaka ozayo, igama laseNyakatho-ntshonalanga lizobe lingasekho, futhi amanye amakhasimende ayo angaphendukela kwezinye izindiza ukuze ahambe.
“Mhlawumbe kukhona isikhashana lapha ngesikhathi lapho ilungu lingaphinda lihlole ukuthi lifuna ukwenzani ngoba usuzongena ebudlelwaneni obusha nohlelo lwamamayela,” kusho uJay Sorensen, umongameli we-IdeaWorks, inkampani ebonisana ngezindiza.
Amalungu angase ame kancane athi, hmmm, ingabe kufanele ngiqale ukundiza ngizaseMelika futhi ngilahle ubuqotho bami ngaleyo ndlela?”
Okubili okuphokophelwe yi-Delta okuyizinga eliphezulu elivame ukundiza ngamandiza avela eNyakatho-ntshonalanga, aphakathi kwamakhasimende anenzuzo enkulu, kanye nabanikazi bamakhadi esikweletu bemayela le-Northwest WorldPerks, abajulisa ubuhlobo babo nenkampani yezindiza njalo lapho besebenzisa ikhadi.
Okunye okuhlosiwe ngamakhasimende athembekile kwezinye izinkampani zezindiza njenge-AirTran Airways; I-American Airlines, imbangi enkulu ye-Delta kuzwelonke; kanye ne-United Airlines, ubukhona bayo obuqinile e-Asia buyenza ibe imbangi ebalulekile emizileni yase-Asia i-Delta etholwe eNyakatho-ntshonalanga.
“I-AirTran iyimbangi e-Atlanta esilwa nayo nsuku zonke ukuze siwine amakhasimende e-Atlanta, kanye namakhasimende ase-East Coast ngokuvamile,” kusho uJeff Robertson, iphini likamongameli weDelta wezinhlelo zokwethembeka nenhloko ye-SkyMiles. "I-American cishe iyona elahlekelwa kakhulu ngenxa yokuhlanganiswa kwethu."
Emadolobheni lapho abathwali abambalwa abanobukhona obuqinile, njengaseWashington, New York noma eBoston, amaflaya avamile angase athathwe.
U-Robertson uthe "kunzima ngempela ukusho, ukukhuluma iqiniso," uma i-Delta ithole isabelo semakethe esivame ukundiza kwabanye abathwali. “Sisesonyakeni wezinguquko.”
Noma iluphi ushintsho olubalulekile lungase lufihlwe ukwehla kohambo okugqugquzelwe ukwehla komnotho kulo nyaka.
Njengoba ifuna amabhizinisi amaningi, iDelta iqondise abagibeli bezinye izinkampani zezindiza esebenzisa ubuhlakani bamakhasimende -- e-Atlanta, ngokwesibonelo, ilandelela amakhasimende ezinkampani axhumene ne-AirTran, amakhasimende andiza emizileni lapho i-AirTran iqhudelana ne-Delta kanye nalabo abayeke ukundiza i-Delta lezo zimakethe.
"Impela amanye amakhasimende e-AirTran cishe azohlola kabusha ubudlelwano bawo ne-AirTran bese ethi, 'Uyazi ukuthini, ngingahle ngingakuthandi konke nge-Delta, kodwa mfana kungilungele kakhulu njengesakhamuzi sase-Atlanta. Ngenethiwekhi yomzila omusha, hawu, ngingathola noma yikuphi ku-Delta,' ” kusho u-Tim Winship, umhleli omkhulu we-smartertravel.com.
I-AirTran isanda kwehlisa umkhawulo wayo ukuze ifinyelele izinga eliphezulu ohlelweni lwayo lokundiza njalo.
“Uma ufuna ukundizela e-Afrika, i-Delta iyinkampani yakho yezindiza. Uma ufuna ukundizela eTampa, i-AirTran cishe iyona engcono kakhulu oyikhethayo,” kusho okhulumela i-AirTran uChristopher White.
Ezindaweni zaseNyakatho-ntshonalanga ye-Detroit, iMinneapolis ne-Memphis, i-Delta igxilisa amandla ayo amaningi ekuzameni ukuthola abanikazi bekhadi le-Visa laseNyakatho ntshonalanga le-WorldPerks ukuze bashintshele ekhadini layo le-American Express SkyMiles.
Inkampani ekhipha ikhadi le-Visa yaseNorthwest, i-US Bank, ilwela ukugcina lawo makhasimende ngokunikeza ikhadi lemiklomelo yokuvakasha elingaboshiwe kunoma iyiphi inkampani yenethiwekhi.
"Lawo malungu ekhadi abaluleke kakhulu kithi," njengoba engamanye amakhasimende ahamba phambili e-WorldPerks eNyakatho-ntshonalanga, kusho uRobertson wakwaDelta.
Ngaphandle kokuthuthukisa ukwethembeka kwabahamba ngezinyawo, amakhadi esikweletu ahlobene ayibhizinisi elikhulu. I-Delta ithola cishe u-$1 bhiliyoni ngonyaka ngokusebenzisana kwamakhadi esikweletu, ingxenye enkulu yawo kusukela ekuthengisweni kwamamayela kuya ku-American Express.
U-Robertson unethemba lokuguqula abaningi babanikazi bamakhadi baseBhange lase-US, futhi athole abanikazi bamakhadi abasha be-American Express ngokumba uhlu lwamalungu e-WorldPerks.
I-Delta ihlela ukumemezela maduze uhlelo oluhlanganisiwe lwe-SkyMiles, futhi isikhundla sayo semboni esivelele singase siqalise umjaho wezikhali wokugqugquzela ukundiza njalo.
I-American Airlines isanda kuthi izoqala ukuvumela ukuhlengwa kwezindiza eziya ngendlela eyodwa. URobertson uthe iDelta ihlaziya izenzo zaseMelika. “Maduze nje, asinazo izinhlelo zokushintsha noma yimiphi yaleyo mithetho.”
Kepha ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, kusho uWinship, ukungaboni ngaso linye phakathi kweDelta neMelika "empeleni kungaholela ezinzuzweni zabathengi ebesingeke sizibone ukube bekungezona izinkampani ezimbili ezibhekana nazo ngqo."
