Delta Air Lines plans more cuts

By Aaron Smith
CNNMoney.com
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) - Delta Air Lines said Tuesday it plans to cut overall flight capacity by 6 percent to 8 percent next year because of "the global economic recession and weaker demand for air travel." As result, passengers can expect flights to be crowded and fare deals to be scarce.

Delta, an Atlanta-based carrier, said it will eliminate its least fuel-efficient flights to meet that goal. Delta intends to trim domestic capacity by 8 percent to 10 percent while paring international seats by only 3 percent to 5 percent.

Delta, which merged with Northwest in October, is the first major airline to announce capacity cuts for 2009, but analysts don't expect it to be the last.

"I think the action taken by Delta is a clarion call for the others to reduce their capacity," said Harlan Platt, a finance professor and airline expert at Northeastern University's College of Business Administration.