Is Delta Air Lines Making A Huge Mistake?

A Delta 737 touches down at Denver International Airport. Photo: John Pullen | LiftOff by John Pullen Writes

Delta Air Lines has a history of success. The Atlanta-based carrier has spent the past two decades re-positioning itself as America’s premium airline, and remains one of the most profitable carriers in the country. In the years following the COVID-19 pandemic, Delta and close rival United Airlines have broken away from the pack and continue to post stellar financial results as other airlines struggle.

However, the airline industry is dynamic, and even successful carriers like Delta must pay close attention to market trends to remain competitive. As American Airlines and United launch more narrowbody, transatlantic flights, Delta has chosen not to follow its rival’s European strategy. This choice could be popular with existing Delta fliers, or prove to give it a disadvantage as it tries to acquire new customers.

Delta Will Not Operate Transatlantic Narrowbody Flights

A Delta Connection jet arrives in Los Angeles. Photo: John Pullen | LiftOff By John Pullen Writes

In recent years, United and American Airlines have continued to expand their portfolio of transatlantic flights operated by narrowbody aircraft. United, for example, has become increasingly reliant on its Boeing 737 MAX 8 jets to connect its Newark hub with smaller markets in Europe. Simple Flying reports that United will fly the Boeing jet exclusively to destinations like Madeira, Ponta Delgada, and Glasgow next summer. The carrier also has an order for Airbus A321XLR jets, expanding its future deployment of narrowbody aircraft on long-haul routes.

Meanwhile, American has been operating training flights in preparation for its new A321XLRs. According to Airline Geeks, the airline flew an A321neo between its Philadelphia hub and Edinburgh, Scotland on 42 flights in September 2025. Though the first international routes American plans to deploy the jet on are unknown, the carrier will start by flying it between New York JFK Airport and Los Angeles.

Meanwhile, Delta has not ordered the A321XLR, and the carrier has decided to refrain from flying narrowbodies across the Atlantic. This was stated in a recent earnings call by Delta President Glen Hauenstein, according to Gate Checked. This means widebody jets will remain as the only Delta-operated aircraft crossing the pond.

Leadership Claims This Choice is Focused on Branding

Delta's centennial livery parked in Denver. Photo: John Pullen | LiftOff by John Pullen Writes

Delta’s leadership provided little details about the decision, beyond stating that the choice was a matter of product and brand issues. But what exactly could that mean?

Delta has arguably the most valuable brand among US carriers. It has spent years curating an elevated customer experience, especially for passengers traveling in premium cabins. Some could argue that the smaller fuselage of a narrowbody aircraft could take away valuable space from premium seats. As a result, Delta may not think it is possible to maintain the quality of its hard product on long-haul flights while using smaller aircraft.

Additionally, there is a lot for customers to love about widebody aircraft. These jets have more spacious cabins and, in general, offer a smoother ride. I’m not sure if Delta has surveyed its passengers on if aircraft type makes a significant difference in the transatlantic travel experience, but I would imagine that most of the flying public would be partial to widebody jets.

Delta passengers have come to expect an elevated experience (at least compared to other US carriers), which is a testament to how successful Delta has been at building a better brand image. As a result, in many cases, they can command a more premium price for their flights, making their brand one of the most valuable assets they have. It's hard to blame them for remaining skeptical on any trend that could weaken their customer experience, and by association, the Delta brand.

Delta’s Stance Reveals Some Strategic Inconsistencies 

Delta's Comfort+ cabin on the A321neo. Photo: John Pullen | LiftOff by John Pullen Writes

While protecting the Delta brand is a strong motivation behind not planning long-haul, narrowbody flights, the airline is taking a serious risk by not moving forward with this initiative. The smaller capacity of the 737 MAX and A321XLR means that airlines can offer more unique, marketable destinations abroad. This strategy has given United plenty of publicity in the past few years, which has certainly aided its image with investors and the flying public.

But the risks extend beyond flashy marketing campaigns. Today, full-service US airlines don’t break even flying passengers. The real profit comes from loyalty program revenues, which means US legacy carriers are working to expand their global networks and elevate their offerings so that customers deem pledging their loyalty to one airline as a logical choice. So, decisions about where to fly are heavily influenced by how it will attract customers into the profitable loyalty ecosystem, an approach Delta recently used to justify its focus cities.

United might be better positioned to acquire loyal customers. Photo: John Pullen | LiftOff by John Pullen Writes

Something doesn’t seem to add up here. Delta has acknowledged the importance of building a network that transcends the standard hub-and-spoke model in the interest of loyalty, and yet it won’t leverage aircraft that will make its network even more marketable to potential loyal customers. So, as United flaunts its expansion into exotic, secondary markets, Delta will not be equipped with the aircraft to match its rival’s unique routes. This might hold it back in the race to acquire loyal customers.

Delta’s leadership team has proven to be very capable, and has built a very admirable airline that many passengers love. I do not doubt that their team carefully considered this opportunity before sticking to the status quo, but with the direction this industry is heading, I can’t help but feel like something is off. 

What do you think? Is Delta making a mistake, or is this choice right for its brand?