SWF's Progress

I have a few questions...

I traveled to SWF on 12/24/2007.

My flight from ATL-SWF (DL4542) was overbooked.

My flight from SWF-ATL (DL4543) on 12/31 looks to be full, and it may be overbooked.
My question: Could this be a sign to DL that they need a larger a/c on the SWF-ATL route? Possibly as big as an MD-88 or E170?

With the LCC's beginning to use full sized jets at SWF, why aren't the legacies matching their aircrafts by using larger aircrafts themselves, especially Delta since they have ATL competition with FL?

While I cant comment on the flight back to ATL, the flight into SWF was on Christmas Eve and with what I have seen at work, the week leading up to Christmas everything was full and or oversold.

Not necessarily, aircraft loads vary depending on the day, time, and season you travel. A CRJ being full just before Christmas is not a sign of larger aircraft needed. I'm sure DL knows what aircraft to put on that route, and a CRJ probably suits them fine.

I am related to someone who works for Delta in Atlanta and they want to upgrade aircraft for HPN, ALB & SWF. They were thinking 737. They were also thinking of returning to Cincinnati. I think the upgrades would be both good and bad. In anycase I would never fly Delta anyways.

It could also be that larger aircraft are more effectively utilized on other routes, and while SWF may or may not be deserving of an upgrade, the route itself may be lower priority. And, while I'm probably just tuning up the orchestra for another round of Bethune's First Symphony in A Major, high loads do not always mean high profits, especially at SWF, where LCC pressure might keep fares relatively low, and in the situation you describe, which is probably just lots of VFR traffic headed to Florida.

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I am related to someone who works for Delta in Atlanta and they want to upgrade aircraft for HPN,

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HPN received somewhat of an upgrade actually. Delta now flies the E-170 for some of its ATL flights.

nwafan20: Not pushing for an upgrade, but I am entitled to my opinion. X-Mas Eve was on a Monday this year, so most of the travel was done on a weekend. The NYC Area is probably one of the most heated travel markets and the Hudson Valley Region has convenient access to many other parts of New York State.