Delta Offers Optimistic Outlook as Travelers Continue to Splurge

Delta Air Lines said it was expecting profits to rise by around 20 percent in 2026 thanks to strong demand for premium tickets.Delta Air Lines has enjoyed financial success partly because it caters to travelers who are willing to spend a lot on luxurious seats and airport lounges.Credit...Mason Trinca for The New York TimesJan. 13, 2026, 7:02 a.m. ETDelta Air Lines said Tuesday that demand for flights remains strong, particularly for expensive seats. Partly as a result, the airline is expecting its profit to increase by about 20 percent this year.The airline issued that forecast with its financial results for the final three months of 2025. All told, Delta reported a $5 billion profit last year on more than $63 billion in revenue. The company said it expected revenue would rise at least 5 percent in the first three months of 2026 from the same period last year.“Our consumer is healthy and investing in travel,” Ed Bastian, Delta’s chief executive, said in a call with reporters. “Last week, in fact, we set a new record for bookings with sales up double digits on a year-over-year basis.”The airline posted strong financial results despite some setbacks, including President Trump’s tariffs. The federal government shutdown last year cost Delta about $200 million.The airline also said on Tuesday that it had placed an order for 30 Boeing-787-dreamliner" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="10907" data-entity-type="organization">Boeing 787 Dreamliner jets, the first time it has used that model. The order for the Dreamliners, twin-aisle planes designed for longer routes, is a notable shift. About two-thirds of those sorts of jets in Delta’s fleet are built by Airbus.The Boeing planes, the first of which are expected to be delivered in 2031, are cheaper and more efficient for shorter long-haul flights, Mr. Bastian said, adding that it’s difficult to compete on the global stage while being too reliant on a single plane manufacturer. The jets will replace aging, less efficient aircraft.The airline’s success is due in large part to its decision to cater to travelers who are willing to spend a lot on luxurious seats and airport lounges. Virtually all of the new seats that Delta plans to add to its planes this year will be in the premium cabins.Revenue from premium seats rose 7 percent from 2024 to 2025. Over that same period, main-cabin revenue fell 5 percent and cargo revenue rose 9 percent.Business travel is growing, too, the airline said. Corporate sales rose in the last three months of 2025, led by the banking, consumer services and media sectors. A recent Delta survey found that almost 90 percent of companies expect to maintain or increase travel this year.And ticket sales on international flights are doing well, particularly to European and Asian destinations, Delta said. This year, the World Cup is poised to bring many overseas visitors to the United States, Mr. Bastian said.But while Delta expects a stronger year, other airlines, particularly the ones that offer lower fares, have been struggling. They have been hit with higher costs and intense competition but do not have much to offer travelers who are interested in premium service.That has driven some of those carriers to pursue mergers in an effort to expand. On Sunday, for example, Allegiant Travel said it would buy Sun Country Airlines in a deal that would combine two small, but relatively successful, budget carriers.Spirit Airlines, the biggest and best known discount carrier, is in its second bankruptcy in two years.Niraj Chokshi is a Times reporter who writes about aviation, rail and other transportation industries.SKIP