A New Tune For Delta

By SALLY B. DONNELLY

The ash heap of the airline business is littered with start-ups that tried to imitate a successful carrier and failed. But these are desperate times. Next week, 75-year-old Delta Airlines, which is losing money along with most other major airlines, will announce details of its own start-up airline called Song. Other major carriers have tried this tune before: US Airways and United started mini-airlines mainly to compete with low-cost king Southwest Airlines, but neither one is flying today.

Observers say Delta's move is an attempt to copy the extraordinary success of three-year-old JetBlue Airways, the New York-based carrier that is bucking the industry trend and making money with snazzy marketing, low fares, live TV on board and friendly service. Although Delta, which is expected to quietly shelve Delta Express (its previous attempt at an airline-within-an-airline), claims it is not duplicating any other airline, its marketing firm contacted the same designer who created JetBlue's stylish uniforms about doing the same for it (he declined). The new airline will offer only coach class (like JetBlue), with fares topping out at $299 one way (exactly the same as JetBlue's), and promises to be "fun." Song is expected to start flying in April from New York to Florida. Curiously enough, that's just the part of the country where JetBlue has been whipping Big Delta's tail. --By Sally B. Donnelly