Delta is supposed to be ‘the premium U.S. airline’ and there are some things they do well. Their flight attendants are marginally friendlier than at their major competitors, but not as good as pre-pandemic (with all of the turnover since then)>
The airline has nice business class lounges, with weak wine, and they get absolutely crowded at peak times (especially JFK).
They’re a little more reliable than United and American, but that advantage has eroded a lot since the pandemic. They aren’t nearly as reliable as they once were, and the airline acknowledges this (and they admit their pilot contract is part of the problem).
- They have a strong brand reputation that surpasses the reality of the flying experience
- They had very strong core hubs, and a strong position in important coastal cities. These feed their credit card cobrand, which is an excellent deal and their position in top markets generates the most spending.
It’s striking though how Delta loyalists just believe they’re better even though they still have a fleet of 767s with the worst business class among competitors, and they have the least valuable mileage program. United is quickly overtaking Delta with its free wifi that works legions better than Delta’s, and United’s mobile app is better. Delta’s COO – who was their real operations guru – left at the start of the pandemic. Their President who really drove airline strategy has just retired.
When United’s Scott Kirby claims that there’s only room for two premium airlines in the U.S., it occurs to me that:
- It’s assumed that the two will be Delta and United.
- He said this when he was President of American Airlines – he indicated a desire to be one of the two then although American never leaned into this.
- There’s no real warrant for the claim that there can be only two, but if you accept that is true… why do we believe Delta will still be one of them, just because they are today?
Delta is getting lapped in wifi. They just introduced a new business class product that’s far from industry-leading. They’re behind in rolling out business class lounges. Their operation isn’t as good as it used to be, and their crews not quite as friendly either. SkyMiles delivers less value than AAdvantage, MileagePlus, and Mileage Plan.
They seem to make odd choices in where to invest – and where not to invest. For instance, their onboard food is (mostly) not very good, although I have to give them credit that their burger is better than United’s and American’s. Their buy on board food for sale product lags United and Alaska.
Delta’s choices for where to invest strike me odd. For instance, they don’t serve food on in first class on flights that other airlines would.
- They advertise meals in first class on flights over 900 miles.
- They advertise during booking that all these flights will have food.
- Yet they operate flights over 900 that don’t have their standard food in first class
This seems common on routes out of cities where they don’t have catering contracts – other airlines might board extra meals at their hub to use on the return trip (‘double catering’). Yet have a look at Spokane – Minneapolis.
It is over 1,000 miles. It is advertised as offering lunch in first class. Customers buy the ticket assuming they’ll have a meal. But when you go into your itinerary they no longer promise a meal. They’re non-committal over whether anything will be served, or what.
I understand not having a caterer in Spokane. But this is not even a plane that remains in Spoken overnight, where they would need to double cater from the hub with something shelf stable for the morning. This is a 2 p.m. departure and they don’t both to double cater it.
That is not very premium. And it’s a perfect example of where the marketing engine around Delta conflicts with reality on the plane.
Before the pandemic Delta was giving out amenity kits and welcome drinks on long haul flights in economy. They’ve cut complimentary earphones in coach domestic. In 2019, it seemed like Delta really was on its way to being a premium global airline. What happened?
Delta is “premium” in relation to US airlines.
In essence, they’re the skinny kid at fat camp.
You miss their key trategic advantage: Tim (Delta) Dunn. The first air travel bot who can reliably be counted on to extoll Delta’s virtues — even when there are none.
Delta has never been a premium airline in my mind. My city already has two world carriers and Delta is a rounding error stuck in the worst terminal. I have no reason to fly them, therefore they have no reason to exist.
“Let them eat (Biscoff)!”
Spend time in a Delta One cabin on a Delta 767-300ER, 767-400ER, A330-300 or A330-200 or a 757 and you’ll see it is anything but premium. The Delta Premium Select seat and experience is actually better. Delta is refurbishing the A333/A332 cabins starting late this year, but frankly, UA and even AA have for the time being, progressed a more impressive refurb design than what Delta has.
Delta created the D1 lounge to compensate for the Walmart experience in the sky.
@ 1990 — 🙂
Unfortunately if u live in Atl?The highest point cost of any airline to Europe!
Plus 12,000 million Miller’s ahead of u
Home airline doesn’t have to do better
How is this not fraud? Delta advertises a meal and then doesn’t provide it. There are dozens of routes that Delta doesn’t serve meals on. Worse, they don’t disclose it anywhere on Delta dot com.
I don’t value wifi as much as others, although better wifi would be a bonus. It’s true that Delta’s alcohol selection is pathetic. CVS probably has better wine. Asian business class (and first class) serve far better whiskey. When Delta can compete on premium whiskey with Asian airlines, then Delta might enter the conversation to be premium.
As for premium US Airlines. If the administration goes through with the stupid $500M bailout of Spirit, maybe they can claim to be the premium bailout airline.
The bottom feeders show up when they can get a subsidy for new service and leave as soon as the subsidy runs out.
What has happened since the pandemic is that Southwest, American, and Jetblue have all declined in quality (though American is now fixing that to a small degree but mostly on its long-haul flights). Alaska has better service and more leg room in first class, but its route network is too limited unless you are flying up and down the west coast. United has better wi-fi but its leg room in first class sucks and its first class tickets tend to be very expensive. That means that for many routes Delta is the “least dirty shirt” airline. As the other airlines have gotten “dirtier” Delta has able to roll around in the mud too and still claim that it is relatively clean (“premium”). The premium illusion quickly breaks once you fly a Middle Eastern or Asian airline.
You keep re-writing the same story over and over. It is clear you do not care for Delta. I think this is all rooted in your dislike for their mileage program.
I think also the on time advantage is mostly gone. Looking at the on time performance of the last couple of months – Delta nowhere near the top, but United rising (when also not perfect – Southwest has the easier fleet for on time performance) . Some overscheduling probably as well… Delta has lower on time departures than other carriers – but arrives more on time. Could be the sign of fluffing the schedule a little bit.
I’m not sure why certain commenters get irritated when anyone has a criticism of Delta, but I’m a Diamond and I agree with every word of this. There’s lots to like about Delta, but they’ve been sliding backwards in the last couple of years. The “premium” catering leaves a lot to be desired these days, the D1 experience is consistently inconsistent, the on-time machine has lost its edge, club crowding showing no signs of easing, no wi-fi over the pacific in 2026/slow rollout of changes, uncomfortable-ish domestic F seating, conservative route planning, IRROPs struggles, and so on.
It’s not that Delta is *bad* now, but their backslide is noticeable.
No, tom (or is it Tim?). He hates Delta because Delta sucks in every possible way while gaslighting the public that they’re some kind of superior option. They’re not. They’ve just got a critical mass of people to invest spending in their credit card.
Why complain, whenever you want to travel back in time a couple of decades just hop aboard a tired 1990s era Delta 767 and you’re back in 2008 faster than you can say SkyPesos. And you can walk across your fellow passengers sleeping on the concourse floor for days after being stranded due to a premium IT meltdown that’s always “beyond Delta’s control”….
@Thing 1, lol.
No fair, Gary! Leave trolling Tim Dunn to us!
Every time I take a United or American flight I am reminded why I choose Delta if I can. I pay to fly up front, mostly domestic. The food on United is inedible. The seats on American are hard as park benches. I can neither stand upright or turn around in either’s 1st class lav. American’s booking and seat management technology is terrible. 50/50 chance of getting a surly, rude agent or FA on either airline.
Delta is less reliable than pre-pandemic but the service and performance are still light years ahead of other domestic products.
Flew last night DTW-FLL. Paid premium.
No PDB while I watched FA stroll around galley for 20 min. Then “I don’t have enough time to do a beverage service before departure.”
Push back and captain informs us that the Wi-Fi is inoperative. He then says, “watch a movie, read a book, or take a nap.”
My seatback IFE screen is inoperative for the entire flight, including the safety video. My reading light also inoperative. Ate dinner in the dark. Flight attendant did one pass after dinner service on a three-hour flight.
Better service on Spirit.
@Tim Dunn will now attack and say my experiences are anecdotal and I do realize this and that.
@Parker — Your and others firsthand experiences do matter.
Speaking of Tim, do we need to do a wellness check? (Tim, it’s gonna be okay; Delta is still in the oligopoly.)
My job gives me the ability to choose which airline to spend $15K+ each year for my work travel.
All three major airlines are viable.
I rule Delta out because of their capped lounge access and worthless miles. Delta’s fading reliability and product no longer make up for the fact that the rewards opportunity cost for flying them is very high. That, and their elite status is also very weak compared to the others.
For any American-flagged carrier to call itself premium is a joke. They will get you from point A to Point B, but you may as well be cattle.
@Ron — *moo*
Simple.
No US airline is truly premium, especially domestically, but DL remains the less-pathetic one of the lot.
Now stop putting down the best that the US has to offer. It’s pathetic (both for offering so little and for you to highlight the same shortcomings over and over and over).
They pulled this on me TUS-SEA the other week. Sounds just like the GEG-MSP scenario.
First class, 13:20 local departure and — snack boxes for lunch. The flight down had a full breakfast. I checked, wasn’t mis-catered either. Flight attendant was embarrassed.
Flown TUS-SEA dozens of times and always a full lunch provided.
You didn’t even mention the subfleets Delta operates where they don’t offer what they claim.
Delta offers fast free wifi on all mainline* planes.
* – does not apply to the 717’s, where they charge something like $16.95 for, in my case, a 48 minute flight. Granted, I wasn’t going to do much on the wifi, but certainly no reason to pay that much for it.
Plus, those planes are oldddd and tired.
They’ve done similar things with some 739’s and 359’s they bought from other airlines, flying them as they bought them while still claiming to be premium.
I flew AA today. Dom FC. PDB offered, smiling happy FA, fast, free wifi, several passes for refills and an early arrival. As usual.
Valid.
And let’s not forget that pathetic first class bulkhead seat on most of the retrofitted first class domestic cabin where you have have no legroom whatsoever. Just never experienced anything like that on AA or United.
AA had that same issue on their first class cabin prior to to the Kodiak changes since they coped Delta’s airbus retrofit — AA fixed the issue, Delta left the subpar product.
“For any American-flagged carrier to call itself premium is a joke.”
This sentiment is bought up, a lot, by some posters but let’s be honest. In the two most advanced economies in the world, the USA and Europe — most of us would take the first class cabin offered on the US3 vs the EU3. I sure would.
@Pilot93434 — Thank you. AA service gets trashed on here, regularly, by some, when (other than the lack of IFE screens), AA is not that different from DL (or UA) on mainline 737/321 flights, especially now that AA has started to provide free WiFi. Between the Big 3, it’s Coke vs. Pepsi vs. Dr. Pepper.
@MaxPower — Haven’t noticed much difference on bulkhead between the Big 3 up-front, Airbus or Boeing. Sure, go with row 2 and put your bags up if you want to really to stretch your legs beneath the seat in front of you, but near no-one is gonna hit their knees on any bulkhead unless maybe over 7’ tall. The only aircraft I’ve ever experienced an issue with a bad bulkhead up-front was an Aerolinas Argentinas 737. Tiiight.
@1990
Check it out again next time.
The difference in first class bulkhead is quite significant between Delta and AA/UA.
AA and UA have legroom in the first class bulkhead, Delta crams your knees against the wall. It’s even reflected on the delta.com fleet website seat pitch
Delta has irreparably harmed their frequent flyer program. Diamond passengers used to be automatically upgraded from main cabin to Comfort Plus, the upgrades arriving minutes after booking. My wife and I recently booked a quick trip to Florida in main cabin. Our Comfort Plus upgrades came in dribs and drabs, one flight at a time, over the next 10 days. And then we were separated on two of the flights, despite Comfort Plus being wide open. Fortunately, an online agent fixed the seating. In two of three international trips over the last year, we chose other airlines for both cost, convenience and comfort. The Delta “premium” seems restricted to ticket prices these days.
@MaxPower
I haven’t flown it yet, but I’d far rather take AFs La Premiere over anything from the US3. By all accounts, it’s comparable or maybe even superior to FC on the ME3.
@Jon F
you caught me there. I meant to specifically reference domestic first cabins, not international cabins in J or F.
I’d take a US3 international J cabin over LH, EI, and KL, for sure, probably indifferent vs the new BA international J seat but the AF F cabin? Sure. I agree there. I’d likely be somewhat indifferent to slightly pro-AF on their international J cabin vs the US3 international J cabins. Generally the same seat as the US3 but better food and wine on AF J.
Delta is nothing more than the Greyhound of the skies. Anytime I’m in first class or Delta one I always pack extra lysol wipes. The cabins are only cleaned if there is a biohazard reason.
The passengers make it even worse. Yesterday was my second flight since the start of the year that I had a passenger seated next to me crap themselves mid flight and pretended nothing was wrong. Raise prices and clean the planes and become that premium airline you claim to be.
@Jon F — It was fairly clear @MaxPower was comparing domestic First (in the US); the only US carrier that still has an international ‘First’ akin to AF, LH, BA, ME3, SQ, JL, etc. is AA 773, and it’s the worst compared to any international comparison. But… the chair does swivel… so… kinda cool?
Geeze Garry, I was expecting something better than a general whine. Double cater? 14:00 departure? Eat at lunch time. No complementary headsets in coach? Boohoo, bring your own.
Crowded lounges? They should raise the membership.
As soon as Americans realize that domestic flying is not Middle-eastern or Asia flying the better.
If US passengers acted a bit more premium class it might add some value to the service.
and yet no airline has managed to duplicate the profits that DL generates.
They are a for-profit company just like every other airline including AA and UA, both of which underperform DL in customer service metrics.
ALL are chasing the same thing and it is NOT to excel at pleasing YOU at the expense of their own pocketbooks.
AA, UA and WN all desperately want to have what DL has.
Timbits, have you ever wondered the mechanism by which the evil repulsive Delta generates those profits? It’s being the bottom of the barrel when it comes to everything from provisions to customer service. I’d rather fly Frontier than Delta.
Agree with this post; however, disagree with your thinking that UA and AA are that much better.
Delta doesn’t want you to fly their planes; the minute they started allowing AmEx card holders to swipe their way to Diamond – was the minute, after 23 years of Diamond – I cut the cord. Ed loves Ed. Ed loves being on TV. But Ed has made it very clear – swipe your AmEx — that’s how Delta remains profitable. They are selling a brand, not a means of transportation.
He can say he’s running a premium airline all he wants – fact is, those 757’s he’s still flying are older than dirt. And putting lipstick on a pig (or in their case, duct tape) is the tell they simply don’t care about the customer experience like they once did.
Want an upgrade? Buy it. He’d rather sell it for $29 than give it to a loyalist for no charge. Upgrade lists longer than 90 is not uncommon, with 0 seats open: That makes Ed very happy.
Loyalty is a two way street – and like all things in life, loyalty is easily transferable. Flying United and American so far exclusively in 2026 — they are no better, and no worse than Delta. Just swipe that AmEx, folks. That’s all Eddy wants.
Hot take – most people don’t know what is good and what is bad until they’re deep in the game. Delta 100% knows this and invested heavily on paying influencers and marginal halos- until some random passenger landed on one of the tatl 764s or tcon 763s. But they already committed to Delta at that moment. Delta is the type that celebrates over an extra 20cl water bottle over UA/AA then charges their customers 300 bucks for it. Not to mention SkyTeam is the worst alliance of the three.
I’m not saying this applies to Americans only because it’s the same in other places as well. I’ve seen Japanese TV producers paid by ANA and told their audience that ANA Suite Lounge has food on par with high-end restaurants in Minato. Most people are just riding ANA’s current, mediocre 787 business and dream of having that “Minato level first lounge” one day.
Poor UA and AA on the other hand have better consistency but never achieved any halo. Maybe the vocal Kirby is the lesson learned from Bastian.
@Jason — That was a fairly rational ‘room temperature’ take for this place. Well said.
Lucky to fly in an area covered by Alaska, because none of the other domestic airlines offers any real value to me. Delta is just the least bad of the rest, with United improving as well. My points are super valuable, international oneworld lounges are awesome, upgrades are rare but fantastic (great food, quiet lounges), prices are relatively reasonable, baseline quality in Y/Y+ is unbeaten (especially if you preorder food and don’t care about IFE). Flight attendants are friendly and there’s just an aura of west coast differentiation.
It’s not a flex that Delta has been able to extract more revenue out of hub captives than its competitors, nor that it generates billions off of selling worthless SkyMiles to Amex. Revenue doesn’t say anything about the product. I get at least two extra free trips a year accruing Atmos instead of SkyMiles
Writing to an audience of one, Gary? 😉
@Tim Dunn. UA and AA don’t want DL’s declining operational performance. In Q1 UA have already passed both On-Time machines at DL and AA over varied periods. They want the low cost advantage of that massive ATL hub. Bring on CPE parity and the DL advantage is gone. DL can’t take a bow for working that advantage. Politics dies.