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It didn’t take long for Delta’s premium play to reveal its success.
In earnings this week, the company achieved what it had gestured at last year: that the money it generated from premium seats would outpace revenue from the economy cabin.
That feat isn’t surprising, given Delta’s pricing strategy and shifting consumer preferences. But it’s still meaningful.
It’s hard to think of another example in corporate earnings where the numbers from two rows can cleanly articulate an entire thesis about a lopsided consumer economy.
As wealthier customers are more willing to pay up for an aspirational lifestyle, the more cost-conscious are pulling back. The tidy inversion marks a key inflection point, proving out America’s K-shaped economy — and showing where the success lies.
Delta’s successful shift to premiumization reflects broader economic trends and underscores one of the defining stories of the post-pandemic era.
In the year ahead, Delta CEO Ed Bastian said he expects none of the company’s growth in seat sales to come from the main cabin. “Virtually all will be in the premium sector.”
Delta will focus spending on modernizing its fleet, customer lounges, and other premium perks to attract premium-seeking customers and boost the loyalty ecosystem around high-income travelers.
Delta said it has already ordered 30 Boeing 787 Dreamliner jets, with the possibility of getting 30 more. And they’ll be equipped with large premium cabins to shuttle passengers along high-demand routes in Europe and South America.
President Trump’s new initiative to cap credit card interest rates at 10% also implicates airlines, because of their business partnerships with offering travel reward benefits. Those loyalty programs are a significant source of revenue for carriers, and play into their courting of high-income consumers.
Read more: What Trump’s 10% cap on interest rates would mean for credit cardholders
That budget-focused airlines are struggling as larger carriers pursue the premium play was highlighted in corporate maneuvering last weekend.
Allegiant Travel (ALGT) agreed to acquire the low-cost carrier Sun Country Airlines (SNCY) for $1.1 billion in a deal that would combine two domestic-focused players. Wall Street likes the deal, and Sun Country stock is up more than 10% over the last several days.
