A Delta Air Lines Boeing 767 lands at JFK Airport as Delta and United compete for luxury flyers
A Delta Air Lines Boeing 767 passenger plane from Dublin arrives at New York’s JFK International Airport, with the iconic Manhattan skyline in the background, on February 7, 2024.
Charly Triballeau | Afp | Getty Images
Delta Air Lines, the nation’s most profitable airline, faces a challenge in maintaining its top spot. The airline’s unit revenue, or the amount earned per seat mile flown, topped its peers last year. Delta’s stock price is up nearly 23% in 2024, outpacing other airlines in the volatile sector and outpacing the S&P 500. It projects a potential 50% increase in free cash flow this year, to between $3 billion and $4 billion. Delta is also aiming to regain an investment-grade credit rating. Notably, the airline achieved its highest on-time performance rate in the previous year, with more than 83% of its flights arriving on time, according to the Department of Transportation.
United Airlines, the second most profitable airline after Delta, is making competitive moves. It says it could increase its profits further this year.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian acknowledged the presence of a competitor aiming to overtake them, stating, “Knowing that there’s someone who thinks they can take this mantle away from us, that keeps us on our toes and keeps us driving hard,” in an interview on CNBC.
Delta has positioned itself as America’s premium airline, attracting a large number of high-spending travelers, many of whom hold American Express cards. The partnership with American Express generated nearly $7 billion for Delta in the past year. Sales growth in Delta’s roomier, more expensive seats continues to outpace revenue from standard economy seats.
In the race to attract luxury passengers, both Delta and United have increased the number of premium seats on their planes. These seats are designed for travelers willing to pay a premium of $300 for extra legroom on a round-trip trip across the country or ten times that for a business class seat.
Ed Bastian, a former auditor who took his first flight at age 25 on a business trip from New York to Chicago, is responsible for maintaining Delta’s brand reputation.
On Wednesday, Delta will make another move to attract high-spending passengers by unveiling its newest and most exclusive airport lounge at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport. This lounge will be available to passengers traveling in Delta One, the airline’s upscale cabin that offers lie-flat beds for longer flights. At more than 39,000 square feet, it will be Delta’s largest lounge and will feature Missoni’s iconic zigzag pattern on the cushions, as Missoni is Delta’s new amenity kit partner. The lounge will offer free spa treatments, showers, a full restaurant and a terrace overlooking the airfield, betting on travelers’ enduring desire to indulge.
Delta is following in the footsteps of United and American, which have already dedicated their most luxurious lounges to customers flying in business class on long-haul flights. Delta plans to open Delta One lounges in Boston and Los Angeles later this year and is evaluating potential locations for additional lounges.
Savanthi Syth, an airline industry analyst at Raymond James, noted: “The problem with this industry is that no good idea goes uncopied.”
Meanwhile, United is placing substantial orders for new Boeing and Airbus planes and refitting hundreds of narrow-body cabins with seatback screens and Bluetooth technology. The strategy is aimed at satisfying international business class travelers or those holding basic economy tickets at the cheapest fare.
Andrew Nocella, United’s Chief Commercial Officer, expressed confidence in the airline’s path to profitability, saying, “We haven’t exactly reached profitability status No. 1 in the industry, but I know we’re on the right track. If we continue to invest in our customers through great service, great products and a great network, we know it will feed itself and help us achieve the financial results we are looking for.”
As they approach their 100th anniversaries, Delta, United and American are working hard to anticipate changing travel needs and remain profitable.
United is expanding its presence to more than 300 airports. Determining the next popular destination involves both art and science, according to Patrick Quayle, United’s head of network planning. With its vast global network, United is the largest U.S. airline by capacity and recently launched service to destinations such as Dubrovnik, Croatia and Amman, Jordan.
Quayle cited United’s successful addition of Cape Town, South Africa, announced before the pandemic, alluding to Delta’s hometown of Atlanta, saying, “Another airline has since copied us…”
These changes come at a difficult time for many U.S. airlines. Despite record numbers of travelers, labor and other costs have risen since the pandemic, impacting profit margins. Increased capacity in the U.S. market has led to fare discounts during off-season travel periods.
AdapA Delta Air Lines Boeing 767 passenger aircraft arriving from Dublin lands at New York’s JFK International Airport, with the stunning Manhattan skyline in the background on February 7, 2024.
Charly Triballeau | Afp | Getty Images
Delta Air Lines, the country’s most profitable airline, faces the challenge of maintaining its top position. The airline’s unit revenue, which represents the amount generated per seat flown per mile, surpassed that of its competitors last year. In 2024, Delta’s stock price has risen nearly 23%, outpacing any competitor in the turbulent airline industry and outpacing the S&P 500. Free cash flow is expected to rise as much as 50% this year, reaching between $3 billion and $4 billion. Delta also aims to regain an investment-grade credit rating. Additionally, Delta achieved its highest on-time rate last year, with more than 83 percent of its flights arriving on time, according to the Department of Transportation.
United Airlines, the second most profitable airline after Delta, is circling the world. It says it could potentially make even higher profits this year.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian acknowledged the presence of a competitor aiming to take the lead, saying, “Knowing that there is someone who thinks they can beat us keeps us on our toes and pushes us to work harder,” in an interview with CNBC.
Delta has positioned itself as America’s leading airline, attracting large numbers of spendthrift travelers, many of whom own American Express cards. The partnership with American Express generated nearly $7 billion for Delta last year. Sales growth of Delta’s roomier, more expensive seats continues to outpace revenue from standard coach seats.
In the race to attract luxury travelers, both Delta and United have increased the number of high-end seats on their planes. These seats are designed for travelers who are willing to pay a premium of $300 for a few extra inches of legroom on a round trip across the country or ten times that for a seat in business class.
Ed Bastian, a former auditor who took his first flight at age 25 on a business trip from New York to Chicago, is tasked with ensuring Delta lives up to its brand reputation.
On Wednesday, Delta will make its next move in the competition for high-spending travelers by unveiling its newest and most exclusive airport lounge at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport. This lounge will be available to passengers traveling in Delta One, the airline’s upscale cabin that offers lie-flat beds for longer flights. At more than 39,000 square feet, it will be Delta’s largest lounge and will feature pillows with the iconic zigzag pattern from Italian fashion house Missoni, Delta’s new amenity kit partner. The lounge will offer complimentary spa treatments, including ice globes and serum for jet-lagged eyes, as well as showers, a full restaurant and a terrace overlooking the airfield. Delta is betting that travelers’ desire to indulge will continue.
Delta is following the lead of United and American, which have already dedicated their most luxurious lounges to long-haul business class customers. Delta plans to open Delta One lounges in Boston and Los Angeles later this year and is exploring potential locations for additional lounges.
Raymond James airline analyst Savanthi Syth observed, “In this industry, no good idea goes unheard.”
Meanwhile, United is placing large orders for new Boeing and Airbus planes and is refurbishing hundreds of narrow-body cabins with seat-back screens and Bluetooth technology. This strategy aims to satisfy travelers in international business class or those with the cheapest tickets in basic economy.
Andrew Nocella, United’s chief commercial officer, expressed confidence in the airline’s progress toward profitability, saying, “We haven’t quite achieved industry-leading profitability status, but I know we’re on the right track. If we continue to invest in our customers through excellent service, great products and an expansive network, we believe that will contribute to our desired financial results.”
As they approach their 100th anniversary, Delta, United and American are working hard to keep pace with changing travel demands and maintain profitability.
United is expanding its presence to more than 300 airports. Determining the next popular destination is a combination of art and science, according to Patrick Quayle, United’s head of network planning. With its vast global network, United is the largest U.S. airline by capacity and has recently launched service to destinations such as Dubrovnik, Croatia, and Amman, Jordan.
Quayle mentioned United’s successful addition of Cape Town, South Africa, announced before the pandemic, and touched on Delta’s hometown of Atlanta, saying, “Another airline later copied us. ..”
The changes come at a difficult time for many U.S. airlines. Despite record numbers of travelers, labor and other costs have risen since the pandemic, impacting profit margins. Increased capacity in the U.S. market has led to fare discounts during off-peak travel periods.
It’s a complicated and expensive process
