Biscoff cookies FTW… Delta unloaded strong earnings for the summer quarter, with profit rising nearly 60% thanks to sizzlin’ travel demand. International vacays were hot, with transatlantic-flight sales up 34% as Americans tried to live out “White Lotus”-style Italian summers. The Atlanta-based carrier said its planes were nearly 90% full during the quarter (but you already knew that after being sandwiched in). Still, Delta’s annual earnings forecast was at the lower end of its initial guidance as fuel prices spiked.
Clear skies: Delta boss Ed Bastian said he expects the strong tailwinds will continue into the holiday quarter. FYI: United and Alaska report next week.
Full bar carts: Bastian added that Delta’s premium-class offering has been doing “very, very well,” especially in the States. Business-class travel was back to 80%+ of prepandemic levels. But the Hollywood and auto-industry strikes put a damper on business demand last q.
The airplane tables have turned… Budget airlines like Spirit and Ryan Air thrived during the pandemic, posting records as stimulus-laden consumers took to “revenge travel.” But now premium offerings like Delta’s business class may be coming out on top. For Q2, Spirit’s loss widened to $2.3M, even though it reported record revenue. The budget carrier also predicted “softer” summer demand (it reports this month), and Spirit and Frontier have had to slash prices to fuel bookings, despite rising costs.
First class can be a hedge against the economy… As airplane fuel prices rise and lower-income consumers start tightening belts, it’s harder for budget carriers to churn out a profit (even with all those add-ons like charging for water). At the same time, wealthier consumers and corporate execs still have thousands to spend on luxury reclining seats for NYC meetings. Business class has the highest margins for airlines, helping them offset rising costs like fuel.