Reader comments
Will Delta get a tax break?

Gimme a tax break | 8:27 a.m. Jan. 17, 2008

They take the income tax cuts off the table for Utahns because of the uncertain economy and then offer them to Delta instead.

AdjustableSpanner | 9:25 a.m. Jan. 17, 2008

And I here I always thought that 'conservatives' believed in free enterprise and opposed welfare handouts.

Tell you what - let's not even talk about tax incentives for Delta until their board of Directors announces that they've all taken a 50% pay cut. Let THEM show some 'pioneer spirit'.

Here we go again | 9:41 a.m. Jan. 17, 2008

Do we seriously have to bail these guys out every couple of years? Like a teenager, give me more give me more.

Comments continue below

UTAXed | 10:10 a.m. Jan. 17, 2008

I agree with the other comments. We are taxed to death by our UTAX Legislature. We have had huge surpluses for a couple of years, but would our Legislature entertain the notion to reduce taxes, heck no, but they will entertain the notion to give our tax dollars to Delta. You are remember Delta, the airline that a few years back added more rows of seat on each plane so that we cannot possibly be comfortable while flying. You know, the airlines that has some of the lousiest discount of any airline.
Wake up Utah and let's get rid of Sen Valentine and Sen Bramble; stop putting them back in office!

justbecause | 10:37 a.m. Jan. 17, 2008

they are not going to be moving anywhere, so why give them this incentive on the whim that just because they are having talks with other airlines about merging that they are going to leave utah they wont.

Uncle Romney | 10:45 a.m. Jan. 17, 2008

Delta has a hub here.
As a result, flights from SLC usually are full.
Therefore, they can "get" us with higher fares.
Now they want a tax cut.
Now they can "get" us at both ends.
Filthy thieves.

I completely agree | 11:05 a.m. Jan. 17, 2008

I completely agree with what has been said. So to add to this discussion, I say that we let the capitalist markets work and allown an airline that doesn't need welfare to occupy the Delta terminals. Let's find an airline that can make their financials work without a handout. I can't believe all these Republican legislators are even considering a subsidy program like this. That goes against everything we stand for.

Slick Vick | 11:32 a.m. Jan. 17, 2008

Let Delta move. The other airlines will pick up their slack anyway. After my last trip down to Phoenix with Delta's delayed flights both ways, unfriendly flight attendants, and horrible landing, I refuse to ever fly with them or a subsidiary ever again. C'mon JetBlue and Frontier!

lowonoil | 12:11 p.m. Jan. 17, 2008

Mass air travel is one of those things that will pass into history when we no longer have abundant and cheap fuel. We should be looking at ways to improve intercity bus and passenger rail service, which are far more fuel efficient and, like it or not, will be the main modes of long distance travel in the future.

Greg | 12:37 p.m. Jan. 17, 2008

I travel weekly on business. Having Delta here as a hub lets me take direct flights to most major cities in the US. This saves me time and money. There are hundreds of people like me. I don't want Delta, or whoever they merge with, leave Salt Lake City. I am glad the legislature is doing something about it now before they pack up and leave.

me me me | 1:16 p.m. Jan. 17, 2008

So Greg...you're comfortable with Utah taxpayers footing the bill for that?

SLC-Larry | 1:19 p.m. Jan. 17, 2008

Delta provides a huge # of local jobs. tons of flt
destinations, interconnection with Skywest (UT Biz)
& will play key role in SLC Airport reconstruction.

You nay-sayers pull your heads out! Think! In-bound
travelers for Ski/Outdoor Rec/Conventions contribute
in a major way to our Economy!

Are you kidding? Dump Delta? You're CRAZY!!

Really? | 1:29 p.m. Jan. 17, 2008

I can't believe you guys are actually going to root for Jet Blue and Frontier Airlines, and just "Let Delta leave". Have you checked the other airlines' destinations? You can get more places out of Salt Lake on Delta. Jet Blue and Frontier have FAR fewer flights, and they fly to FAR fewer places. Consider the high price of fuel right now, and do the math. You think it's expensive to fill your SUV? Try filling a jet. Look at all the jobs they bring to Utah, give them a break. I'd rather see my tax dollars go to an airline that has fought back from bankruptcy and is going strong than have them go to some of our other programs. I'd think long and hard before I'd go spouting off about letting them leave Utah.

Greg | 1:32 p.m. Jan. 17, 2008

OK, so letï¿½s say Delta pulls out. We have an airport which is half empty and a drain on the tax base instead of being revenue producing. Skiers stop coming to Utah because they canï¿½t get cheap direct flights. Hundreds of thousands of travelers donï¿½t stop in Utah to discover what a great place Utah is. Business moves out of Utah because they get where they need to go because there is no major air carrier who has a hub here. Unemployment goes up. All this erodes the tax base and the legislature has to raise your income taxes. Yes, let Delta go somewhere else.

SLC-Larry is right!

Paul | 1:57 p.m. Jan. 17, 2008

I don't think a merger between Delta and Northwest is going to threaten the SL Delta hub. Delta and Northwest have hubs in Cincinnati and Detroit respectively. A Delta-Northwest Merger would likely close one of those hubs.

However, a merger between Delta and United would threaten the Delta SL hub since United has a hub in nearby Denver. My understanding is that landing fees and other costs in Denver are much higher than SL.

Before the Legislature panics, letï¿½s see what actually materializes. Merger talks have just begun and the outcome is yet to be determined.

Chad | 2:19 p.m. Jan. 17, 2008

My take is if Delta merges with Northwest, then Delta will keep a hub operation in Utah regardless of whether the legislature cuts Delta's taxes. And if Delta merges with United, then Delta's hub here is toast, regardless of any tax or other incentives that our legislature could provide. Let's pray that the merger is with Northwest and not with United!

BB | 2:51 p.m. Jan. 17, 2008

Hey, great news if you work for Delta!!! But, what about those of us that work for other airlines. Do you think that perhaps the other airlines would pick up where Delta left off if they happened to pull out of SLC??? They certainly would. The airlines respond to the demand of the consumer just like every other industry. If people want to come here for entertainment, pleasure, or business, they will come. Leave the tax cuts where they belong, with the people of this state that support all of our industries.

KF | 3:04 p.m. Jan. 17, 2008

For those who say JetBlue, Frontier, and Southwest would pick up the slack if Delta left - look at a map of their destinations. Even if they flew to every city the have service to from Salt Lake, it wouldn't even be close to what Delta currently offers. Try getting a direct flight to Atlanta, Boston, San Jose, Vancouver, Colorado Springs, etc. on another airline. If you like to fly to a hub and connect in Chicago or Denver every time you fly, then by all means be opposed to Delta. Delta is VITAL to many businesses being located here. If all you need to is fly to Disneyland, the others will do fine.

JH | 3:34 p.m. Jan. 17, 2008

look at the skymiles we can rack up by flying to other hubs then transferring. wasting time trying to get to our destinations flying hundreds of miles out of our way to get to those hubs then to our destinations. we want to save energy then let's be conscious enough to realize that the more airmiles you rack up the more fuel you are expending. I'm tired of traveling to hubs then transferring flights taking up my valuable time waiting sometimes 4 hours for those transfers. I like Delta's direct flights.

fasteddie | 4:25 p.m. Jan. 17, 2008

These same republican politicians preach free enterprise* (*except when it affects me)
A real "Capitalism is wonderful, ecxept when it's practiced on me" attitude.
This is just rank selfishness.
So much for fairness. I bet they feed their yapping dogs from the table too.
Our Leaders at work!

DL Fan | 4:44 p.m. Jan. 17, 2008

I admit as a DL spouse & skymile holder I'm biased.
DLs SLC hub is much, much bigger than the small
numbers of travelers this region, compared to others,
originates. Those empty gates would not IMO be filled by other carriers, and our state economy would take
a big hit. We are spoiled to have so many nonstops
from here, and just like spoiled kids we take DL for granted. As a non-native I also see a lot of
local myopia on our size in the world (small).

randy | 5:16 p.m. Jan. 17, 2008

greed has gotten to this point ... the bonus, the stock options, to just a few create an overwhelming BURDEN to the many

give business the tax breaks so they can keep in business ...

tax the local citizens more to offset the lost earnings from businesses ...

soon we will be back to the beginning .. everyone spending their day trying to stay alive forging what they can where they can to keep alive

greed at the top has burdened the middle class to such a degree such that they no longer can take care of the top and neither can they take care of the bottom

this same situation was once called a revolution

i wish us all a good fight for life , cause as we know our current lifestyle it will soon be a recent memory

got your tent and horse and rifle ??

Park City Resident | 5:30 p.m. Jan. 17, 2008

If they go, they go. Tax incentives historically seldom work for the long term.

State government should stay out of the business of business!

Anonymous | 5:59 p.m. Jan. 17, 2008

GOOD RIDDANCE TO DELTA

NOT A DELTA FAN | 6:00 p.m. Jan. 17, 2008

GOOD RIDDANCE TO GREEDY DELTA. HOPE YOU ARE ON YOUR WAY OUT OF SLC SOON. GREEDY GREEDY DELTA.

IM | 7:05 p.m. Jan. 17, 2008

I say let's to whatever is reasonable to have them stay.

dn | 10:35 p.m. Jan. 17, 2008

I travel every week andI moved to SLC a year ago from San Diego partly because of airline connections. However, Delta is so expensive that travel is difficult. For example, I travel to Pasco, Wa. From San Diego, on Delta, the fare is $300. From SLC, on the same flight, the fare is $1000 (even with advance purchase), so I fly to Seattle on Southwest and drive. I travel to Knoxville, but, since I moved, I have to fly to Nashville and drive for 2 1/2 hours. Flying to Santa Barbara is $1600. Co-workers living in Phoenix can get there for $300-$400 but I have to fly to Burbank and drive. If Delta leaves, other airlines will increase their flights. There may not be as many nonstops as now, but I don't think travel will be any less convenient. I think for the average traveller, life will actually be easier.

Money bags | 10:48 p.m. Jan. 17, 2008

Delta has had losses for so long it may take 15 profitable years for them to use their loss carryforwards. So what type of tax cut would utah give them when they do not pay corporate tax? Do we refund all the state taxes charged on their fuel? Who knows maybe they do not pay that either.

Give Delta the Boot! | 11:41 p.m. Jan. 17, 2008

Give Delta the Boot, not a tax incentive! Once they leave, the gap will be filled by somebody better in the long term. Need to go to Atlanta? You know AirTran would fill that gap in a heartbeat. The others will follow as well. Delta is a bloated legacy airline that is dying due to healthy competition. We (American Taxpayers) are already paying for their bloated retirement plan that was turned over to the government during bankrupcy - no way should we give them more. It's time to support quality airlines (Southwest, AirTran, Virgin, Frontier, JetBlue, other) expanding/coming into our market, and it's time to let the old dog (Delta) die...

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Will Delta get a tax break?

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Reader comments Will Delta get a tax break?

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Will Delta get a tax break?