CSA's last leg

The idea that Czech Airlines is being intentionally run into the ground isn't new. What is new and original are all the ways ČSA's management finds to accomplish this. With privatization bids due on Sept. 15, ČSA announced yesterday that it will abolish its New York and Toronto routes, as well as some European routes and times. This came just days after Delta - a partner in the SkyTeam alliance - launched its own New York-to-Prague route. ČSA essentially ceded the business to a friendly competitor. For years, ČSA had been turning away many U.S.- and Canada-bound passengers by making it impossible to book most New York and Toronto connecting flights on the internet. Other airlines, including Delta, make it a breeze to book a ticket from Prague to, say, Charlotte or Montreal, but not ČSA. If ČSA's transatlantic flights aren't profitable, it's because not much effort has been made to sell the seats.