Passenger math..."So a checked bag is what? $30 I think. That's actually a lot IMO. Now it's going to be 17% more which is another 5 bucks. Hmmm, I like Delta because they're mostly on time and they go where I go and they have seat back entertainment for my kids. Well I AM taking my wife and 4 kids to Disney in December so that's like $200 in bag fees. What's the fee for the Delta Amex Gold? Free for a year and then $150 the year after? Free checked bag for up to 8 people? IN! It pays for itself!" (dopamine all around, and that card will never get canceled)
I've been to enough Delta corporate ra-ra rule-the-world events now (not that I don't love them and their free food) to know that DAL is all about nudging people into the loyalty ecosystem. That is actually wholesome and healthy at the first order. Be super in touch with your company's purpose, cause, or belief (nobody better connects the world) and then find customers who that purpose, cause, or belief resonates with. You will have rabidly loyal customers who will endure hardship and pay extra to use your product. It is what Apple does and Costco, too. HOWEVER, once the company gets all the feel goods flowing and the wallets opened up...they are free to lift as much money out of people as they WANT. I'm not sure if it is brilliant or just diabolical. As long as we keep a culture of high performance and never go down the road of cut throat cost cutting ever again, we'll be able to do it forever. Oh yeah, and we can't put one in the dirt either...which is why even though the company WANTS to push pilots to the limit like a regional, they know deep down that it's actually really bad for business.