Continental exec blasts 'criminally insane' Delta

Josh Roberts believes the best trips involve long hikes and muddy boots. His life goals haven't changed much since he was a kid: He still wants to be Indiana Jones when he grows up.

Follow him on Twitter (@joshwhowrites) and Instagram (@joshwhowrites), and visit his website (joshrobertsbooks.com) or Goodreads page to learn more about his forthcoming novel.

Josh joined SmarterTravel in 2001, and is an active member in both the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) and the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI).

In addition to SmarterTravel, he has written for USA Today, The Boston Globe, Yahoo! Travel, The Huffington Post, Airfarewatchdog, TripAdvisor, Jetsetter, ABC News, Oyster, and Business Insider. His travel photography can be seen in Britain and Ireland's Best Wild Places, published by Penguin UK.

The Handy Item I Always Pack: "A lacrosse ball. It's small, lightweight, and works wonders on loosening up tight muscles."

Ultimate Bucket List Experience: "Being the first to discover an ancient lost city. Failing that, visiting as many of the already-discovered ancient ruins as possible."

Travel Motto: "Not all those who wander are lost." -J.R.R. Tolkien

Aisle, Window, or Middle Seat: "Aisle."

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At the JP Morgan airline conference in New York yesterday, Continental President Jeff Smisek blasted rival Delta’s SimpliFares policy as “criminally insane” and said the airline “got what it deserved.” Presumably “what it deserved” is bankruptcy, by Smisek’s way of thinking, although Delta was clearly headed in that direction well before the SimpliFares move was announced.

I’ll be honest—Smisek’s comments annoy me. A lot. SimpliFares, you may recall, put a cap ($599) on Delta’s one-way coach-class prices within the 48 contiguous states and eliminated the Saturday-stay requirement that has long been a bane of travelers. American also adopted much of Delta’s model, bringing the two airlines in line with policies of key low-cost competitors.

It hasn’t been perfect, but the SimpliFares initiative was a good thing for most travelers. So Mr. Smisek, here’s some free advice: It’s not good business sense to go around criticizing one of the few moves made by a legacy carrier in the past few years that actually benefited consumers.

That, sir, would be criminally insane.

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