When the Department of Transportation (DOT) announced it would end the antitrust immunity (ATI) given to Delta and Aeromexico for their joint venture due to the Mexican government failing to honor the open skies agreement, it was never a doubt that Delta would angrily counter. The response was filed last week, and — spoiler alert — Delta is pissed off. And — another spoiler alert — Allegiant agrees with Delta.| Cranky Flier
This is admittedly a very strange headline. Why would Allegiant — an airline that not only doesn’t fly to México but also flies no cargo aircraft — get caught in a fight between the US and México over said air cargo? It’s a complex tale, but the short version is this. México is making changes that others don’t like, and the US has had enough. Because of this, Allegiant’s proposed joint venture with Viva Aerobus has been put on hold.| Cranky Flier
I did not have this one on my bingo card. Ultra low cost carriers Allegiant and Viva Aerobus will be teaming up, and not just for some janky, limited codeshare. They are forming a true, metal-neutral joint venture to cover travel between the US and Mexico, if the governments allow it. The airlines say this is a clear winning proposition in their regulatory filing, and for travelers, that’s certainly true. But is it worth it for the airlines?| Cranky Flier