Fun fact, when Delta was going through tough times after the 70's they were barely staying afloat. The employees refused to let Delta fold and raised $30 million dollars to buy Delta it's first Boeing 767 in 1982. Over 7K employees showed up to christen it and give it its new name, The Spirit of Delta. It sits today in the Delta museum in Atlanta GA.
@@soulcage6228 I can also confirm this! Employees used a payroll deductions account to do this and had nearly 100% participation. That says a lot! Over a period of two decades, I worked as a crewmember countless times on The Spirit of Delta before it was eventually retired and entered into our Delta Museum!
And after all that employee loyalty. When they filed bankruptcy in 06 their stock went worthless. Delta would like to keep this quiet and little does anyone know except us employees that were affected. Since the beginning of Delta‘s 401(k) up until the 2006 bankruptcy all company match was in company stock. Much like Enron Delta screwed over there long time loyal employees and we lost all our company match immediately. Now they’re turning billion dollar profits and still no effort has been made to make the employees who were already retired whole again. Delta is not the employee friendly company it tries to put it out to the public. This airline is no longer Delta Airlines it is just north west airlines with a Delta tail.
@@erichays7379 ha! NWA would have never kept the restrictive anti-customer rerouting. There is a lot of legacy DL in DL, it's just easy to point to the NW merger and claim that it was NW from there on out.
@@markcharron That's true. Any flight you can walk away from is... Wait, it's "any crash you can walk away from" is good. I wouldn't test that though. Your version's better.
I flew Delta from Paris to NYC in 2019 and it was one of the more pleasant long hauls I've ever had. As an Irish person, friendliness and being relaxed with how we talk to strangers is what we're used to and I was shocked to discover the crew were just like, if not better than an Aer Lingus crew. The crew acted like they really wanted to be there. Plane was great, food was great, even the other passengers around me were very nice. Couldn't fault it.
reading the rest of the comments and my own experience. I get the idea that there international crew are the best with in Delta. I personly prefer KLM but I never mind flying with Delta nor with North West back when they were on there own.
@@sirBrouwer I booked a flight to Australia with KLM 3 weeks ago and I vowed never to use them again. The website has been designed terribly. It was offering me lounges in airports where I couldn't use a lounge, offering me buttons to change my meals when I couldn't change my meals, the thing offered me everything bar what I needed, my flight details. And in 2022 in a pandemic, when you're hopping back and forth between 20 tabs trying to sort visas for one of the hardest countries to get into even in normal times, trying to book connecting flights, trying to book accommodation all in a sequence that would make your head explode..... not having your flight details on the website or on the confirmation email after handing over 1,200 EUR nearly made my head explode with the stress. Then I realised I'd been Djokovic'd by Australia. They granted my visa where I specifically selected "tourism" not once but twice, but they weren't yet open to tourist visas. So I had to try to get these flights refunded with no bloody details to enter on their website to get the refund, this was on a Friday with the flight on Monday and I'm sure the clock was ticking on my refund window. Needless to say that was a stressful weekend and experience overall. So yeah, I'll dodge KLM wherever possible.
Wish I would have known before I booked them smh. I'm currently in Paris on a 24hr layover after surgery because they moved my return flight a full day early . Which I wouldn't mind except I just had surgery I just want to go home😩
I've met an executive of Delta's refinery and its ownership by the airline is a big deal. While it might not appear profitable it really helps level out the cost of fuel which means DL can more accurately budget their operations into the future.
One of Delta's biggest executive/board mistakes was selling it's fuel/barrel futures to Southwest about 2.5-2.75 decades ago. Southwest was still an up-and-comer in the full US airline market at the time, but the barrel cost shot up shortly after the sale allowing Southwest to post record profits quarter after quarter after quarter. It was pivotal in the "Fall" of Delta, and I'm very surprised it wasn't discussed in this video. In fact, I'm very surprised the CEO at the time wasn't discussed at all.
Great video. I've been a Delta employee now for 5 years, and I definitely can testify that your #2 on Recovery is correct. For me, Delta is the best company I've ever worked for. 👍🏿🙂
I've had good experiences with Delta's call center. Sometimes the wait times are longer than they should be, but once I get someone on the phone they're usually very good and friendly
I absolutely LOVE Delta. On my last trip with them, I had to take a connection flight from Austin to SJU that was scheduled to go through Atlanta. One of the flights got a mechanical issue several hours before. They called me about 6 hours before the trip to inform me that they had to send me to JFK to take the other leg there and for my troubles, they upgraded me to First Class without me asking. They went above and beyond and for that, I am a repeat customer for them.
Complete opposite of my most recent experience with American under same circumstances. Delta has always been very good to me, I do my best to give them my business.
I love Delta I’ve had a better experience with them than I did with American Airlines I had a flight canceled that morning they gave me a food voucher for the inconvenience
I agree. The way they treat the everyday customer is leagues ahead of how the others do it. American and united make the typical experience bad to encourage you to go loyalty. This was not that. They upgraded me to first class as well and it was awesome.
Best customer service I've had experience with, I'm in the military so I fly an average of 6 flights a year and I've never had an issue with refunding my ticket (even with their "non refundable" tickets) due to unforseen issues with military orders. Every other airline wants copies of orders and to contact my chain of command to verify but delta has always just refundedy ticket with little hassle. I now exclusivly fly delta because of this.
And we love having you and your military brothers and sisters onboard! Thank you so much for your service. I have worked onboard countless overseas CRAF (military charters) and have seen firsthand some if the sacrifices you make in keeping your oath to our nation. It's not just you, it's your families, as well. It's both Patriotic and heartbreaking at the same time -- my sincerest thank you to you and all service men and women and their loved ones.
I've only flown with Delta Airlines once, but I did have a very positive experience. It was the winter of 2001 when I was coming home for the first time from the Navy and I was in full dress uniform, the captain upgraded me to First Class and covered my entire tab for anything I wanted while I was on a plane including calls home. I plugged many times in my life but never first class and will always be an experience I will never forget.
Delta is definitely my preferred airline when booking a trip. They generally seem to be at least a little better at everything compared to the competition. Better on time performance and better customer service on the ground and onboard are certainly a part of that. While AA and UA are removing seatback screens on domestic flights Delta committed to getting them on all their mainline aircraft because it's a feature customers use and enjoy compared to the device streaming version even if it makes them no direct money. They never got rid of snacks in coach, expanded the snacks before anyone else, and were even brought back included meals in coach on some transcontinental routes before the pandemic hit. All this sums up to a focus on the customer experience that's not limited to first class
Of the big three, I don't know much about them. I usually fly Alaska because I live in Seattle. Whenever I can I will try to fly Alaska. Alaska has never given me a problem ever. Whenever I book with Delta it's always a clusterfuck
I've been flying Delta most of my life. Prior to flying with Delta, I was flying with Northwest which Delta acquired. Delta's customer service is still industry leading. I was stranded at the Memphis airport due to a flight being canceled unexpectedly. Delta provided transportation to a nearby hotel that they comped me for the night and meal vouchers on them. It was completely unexpected but made me feel really valued as a customer. I have flown American for work and never felt valued in the way that Delta does for their customers.
Delta got my dogs home safe and sound from an overseas military tour over a decade ago. Those dogs have all passed now, but I will always remember who got us back on American soil safely. And that's why I fly Delta.
I prefer Delta because in my experience they tend to have more creature comforts (more USB plugs, more seatback TVs, etc.) than their competitors on the same routes.
I agree--Delta just does everything a little better than their competition. I flew United a few months ago (not my first choice, but Delta didn't offer any nonstop flights). After my United flight, they sent me a survey asking me how I enjoyed the trip--including several questions about their in-flight entertainment, which they didn't have on that flight. I also noticed that their website kept pushing me to check in for my flight, even though I already had. Neither of these is a major life-changing experience, but those are definitely things in this computer era that they should be able to address. Bottom line, the Delta experience is just smoother and more polished from booking, to checking in, to flying.
I love flying Delta. Their customer service is awesome. I’m actually dreading having to book an American Airlines flight because Delta stopped flying to my destination after COVID happened.
Ex Delta Employee 👋 probably one of the best companies I've ever worked for. They truly care about Employee and that's shown by all the events the little things they do. It's rare for Employee to meet the CEO but even rarer for an intern to shake their hand, yet I was able to shake Ed Bastians hand a few months into starting. Also benefits are pretty dang nice. Only negative comment I will say is that pay can definitely be better. Specifically for engineers. There is definitely more competitive pay at other Aerospace companies but I guess one can argue you make up the loss with benefits. In one year of flying with Delta I took over 100 free flights around the world 🤩
I went on a business trip to San Francisco sometime around 2014 and took Delta. The day of my return flight, a major storm started shutting down flights out of SFO. When my own flight got cancelled, a ticket agent for Delta went above and beyond getting me and my two travel companions on an out-bound flight so we could get home. Ever since then, I have flown Delta exclusively for personal flights and have never regretted it. Their customer service and perks, I feel, more than make up for the small premium in price.
IMO, another advantage Delta has is Atlanta Airport itself. I know quite a few people who choose Delta just so they can go through Atlanta rather than any of the other hubs (e.g Chicago).
I'm in awe of ATL. It's not sexy like many airports abroad, but it's an absolute machine and amazing to watch. There are also quite a few creature comforts hidden around the place once you learn it. Very easy to navigate as well.
With ATL being my home airport and DL being the main airline I fly, I do think I'm spoiled by how nice and efficient the airport is! Plus Delta's product at ATL is unlike any other I have experienced out of other airline's hub airports.
I've got a relative who works for Delta, they definitely pay very well compared to other airlines and the profit sharing is an awesome bonus on top of it at the end of the year. They even got profit sharing for 2021 which, while it wasn't substantial, they didn't expect to get.
When I was flying a lot in the 90's and early 00's flying Delta was a miserable experience. To be fair their competition was just as awful. The biggest blunder was merging with PanAm. The company cultures were drastically different and it took too long for the workforce to integrate well.
My stepdad flew 3 Million miles with Delta! On the flight, he hit the milestone, the crew hand-wrote a letter for him and my mom thanking them for traveling. I was on the flight as well and they upgraded my seat free of charge, super nice for the 8-hour flight. They also sent him a custom plaque with 3 million on it! They are always super nice and extremely helpful!! Love delta haha
I just recently flew Delta and I will say that the flights were extremely pleasant! I kept telling my sister how such a great airline it was. 1. The employees were sooo lovely! Not one bad experience with any of them. 2. We didn’t get to pick out seats but both times we were upgraded to Delta+. Which might have been luck, but I was excited! Lol 3. The flights left on time and even arrived earlier than expected. What really stuck with me though were how nice the employees were. I definitely am a firm believer that as long as you keep your employees happy you will have a more profitable company, so it makes sense that Delta is doing well because of it.
I worked for Delta Air Lines during its greatest years; those under C. E. Woolman. It was a different kind of company then. He ran it like a family, and he treated us all like family. His office did not have a door on it. ANY employee was welcome in his office regardless of who he was meeting with. We came first! If he met you today, in six months he'd remember your name, what was discussed, and if any changes were needed from that conversation, he asked about improvements. He bought tickets to fly on his own airplanes, which were paid for CASH. None of our planes were financed or leased. A P.O. for new Douglas planes (all he bought were Douglas and Convair) was a phone call, followed by a call to finance to cut a check for the entire amount. When other air lines went on strike, we worked through them and were given everything they were striking for as well as a massive thank you party for ALL of the employees by region. Entry to the festival was a mere showing of your I.D. card. Oh, we also received shares of Delta stock, as well. It was AFTER his death building maintenance was called to cut notches in his office door frame to install hinges. And, by the way, the name Delta was suggested by his secretary who was with him until his death. One more little tidbit about Mr. Woolman. The company bought him a Lincoln. Black. Very prestigious. But he never drove it. The tires went flat. He took fellow airline presidents to lunch in his '53 Chevy Bel Air, which he drove all the time. THAT'S why Delta was the best air line in the business, and why employees LOVED working for them.
As a Delta Platinum Medallion customer, I can vouch for the fact that flying DL is the most pleasant choice for US air travel. The well paid employees absolutely translate into more friendly and personable interactions as a customer (Southwest might be the only airline that competes in terms of friendliness and personality), which I appreciate. Delta has consistently invested in the customer experience, with in back seat entertainment, even on short domestic hops, while AA and United have just been cutting, and cutting, and cutting, to the point their employees sometimes seem to be embarrassed to be affiliated with those organizations. Further, Delta's investment in seat blocking during the pandemic when vaccines weren't yet available proved to me that they have an interest in my long term wellbeing - that action alone probably bought more good feelings and loyalty than 100 free cocktails in the SkyClub ever could. Lots of people complained about not getting the same level of snacks or whatever, but this move elevated the basic economy experience, fleetwide, to be equal to Intra-European business class (which is just a blocked middle seat, not the larger recliners we have in the US).
I happened to fly on two Delta flights the day they emerged from bankruptcy (PIT to ATL; ATL to SFO). They made a point of announcing this on both flights and gave out champagne to celebrate. It really struck me that the flight attendant (an older woman) making the announcement on the ATL-SFO flight got a little choked up talking about it. Looking back, they were going for a new image during that time and it seems to have worked.
My dad retired from DELTA in 2006 because of the bad management and poor outlook from 2001-2005. He had been a pilot employee for 20 years, first as flight engineer, then first officer and finally Captain. Based on recollections of his opinion of management, it goes back MUCH FURTHER to the Ron Allen era of Delta from 1990-1998. During the 1991 buyout of Pan Am, he got bumped in seniority steeply, with Pan Am being heavy on older pilots.
The funny thing about Song was that it didn’t feel like a low-cost airline. If I remember correctly, they were the first (or one of the first) in Delta’s fleet that had video screens for everyone on domestic routes. Many people I’ve talked to state that they even got free meals on Song. I actually really enjoyed flying them! That being said, it doesn’t surprise me that it was a money suck. Good video!
Yeah, just don't ask for Dr. Pepper. Coke is also out of Atlanta. Oh and did I mention you're likely to go though Atlanta. Even if your destination is in the other direction.
My family has flown with Delta forever. My dad always traveled extensively for work and this has been a diamond medallion member with them for as long as I can remember. A very standout experience I’ve had with them among the many instances of unbelievably positive customer service experiences was when a our flight was running quite late and we were approaching the point of missing our connection. Upon landing we were ready to run to our next gate, but as soon as we disembarked, there was a man standing at the door of the plan dressed in a very nice three-piece suit holding a sign with our last name on it. He was dressed as one would expect a dapper gentlemen to look, he told us to follow him and he led us out a door right onto the tarmac into a Delta branded Porsche SUV. Helped us with our baggage etc and proceeded to drive us directly to our next flight. The reasoning behind it was my father’s membership standing within Delta, not like he was a shareholder or anything, but they valued his longtime support of the company and this was just a thank you. It has happened to me on my own as well and it just truly goes to show how dedicated the company is to absolute satisfaction regarding their customers and that is huge.
I have been flying Delta Airlines since 2019 overall the company is one of the best airlines in the world I'm a loyal travel and sky club member their customer service is outstanding what I also like about the airline is that they really care about passengers with disabilities. As a disability activist and a man with Cerebral Palsy (CP) is that they always endure that passengers with disabilities are well looked after so I give them kudos I never had a negative experience so I will continue to travel with them for many years to come!
Definitely not all US airlines look after customers with all disabilities but all US airlines are at least trained to look after people with at least some disabilities. It is because we will do almost anything to save 20 bucks on tickets and they have to cut costs to reduce fares.
Delta oversold a flight I was scheduled to take, so in order to move it back, they offered me an $800 gift card and an upgrade to first class. Superb! Never had this kind of service and to take first class has always been a dream for me. That and the fact that I think with pure product, delta has the best in the skies.
One of the best things about this company is how they treat the customers. Especially the folks who are so loyal to them. I’ll give an example I was supposed to come home from Nashville on the 6pm connecting through ATL up to Philly. But Delta called & told me the flight was overbooked. But they could get me on an earlier flight with a first class upgrade & adding 30,000 sky miles to my account. Phenomenal
I haven't taken a whole lot of flights in my life, but out of the ones I have taken delta was the best by a considerable margin. They were the only ones I've ever flown with that had in flight entertainment and offered pillows and blankets in the economy seats. The worst I've flown with is united, that felt like a prison transport
Some companies I would like to see in a video: McIlhenny Company - Makers of Tobasco Sauce Red Bull - The Thai family behind the energy drink empire Huy Fong Foods - Makers of the famous Sriratcha sauce Thanks, keep up the good work, I watch all your videos.
I love to watch your videos every afternoon when I get home. I always eat alone, but your videos are always so full and interesting, that make me feel less lonely. Thank you company man.
I have the luxury of living near DTW, a major hub from their NW merger. I only started being able to afford to fly about 10 years ago so I've only really known Delta lately. I love everything about flying Delta except the price, especially lately. On occasion, the price for Delta is reasonable and I'll gladly choose them when it makes sense, but to answer Mike's question towards the end, as much as I love flying Delta, the price delta vs Spirit is usually not worth it - I often choose Spirit for the price alone and thankfully DTW is a major spot for them as well. I know how to work their system (sharing a checked bag under 40lbs with my girl, or travelling very light with only a personal under seat bag), and I generally fly for leisure and without a strict timeline so I don't have to value On Time Performance as much. I've never had a big issue with Spirit either, I honestly think their reputation is worse than deserved, they are rather good in their market space. I rarely fly any other airlines - a few times on American, once one way on United, and a couple one offs on international carriers - all for location-specific reasons, but 90%+ of my trips are either Spirit or Delta.
As a 28 year employee of Delta i have seen the good, the Bad, and the Ugly in my years working and I will testify that Delta in the last 10 years or so as worked very hard making employees happy. Employee safety has been a huge focus and though we didn't get profit sharing last year during pandemic this year they still wanted to give us a bonus which was a pleasant surprise. I used to get embarrassed about telling ppl where I worked years back because it was usually followed by a travel horror story but now I hear more good things about Delta travel experience that I'm actually proud to say I work for them.
One of the smart things Delta did after the merger with North West Airlines was to make the transition super fast and rebrand everything Delta immediately. It helped, for their image and it helped the employees who came from very different company cultures. Within 2 months the entire fleet was painted in the new colors, interiors redone in Delta blue, employee uniforms issued and integration of both workforces. Nothing is 100% but the fact that they moved so quickly helped everyone get onboard and business to continue swiftly. Unlike United who's merger w/ Continental dragged for years. Most Continental employees I know are still not happy. Oh, and those profit sharing bonuses.... are the best. Every employee is invested in the company making a profit because the bonus is so so nice. Comes every year on Feb. 14. So Happy Love day Delta. 💕
My opinion Is also that it was the Merger with NWA that brought about the success of what is now called Delta Air Lines. I worked at NWA during the Merger. Our cultures and the publics perception of the companies were so different. at NWA Process discipline was king, On time Performance, Technical travel accuracy. but at NWA we weren't known as the friendliest airline. Delta on the other hand was known to be super friendly, people loved the staff. But my perception was that the delta people were kind of sloppy. well loved, and would do anything for customers but their processes were lacking, their technology was old. the merger created an opportunity for the less friendly NWA staff to bring their talents, and Delta staff to show them how to have fun and be friendlier. it also removed some very hard core NWA management from the company that created staff / employer tension that was common at NWA. It really was the people of the two companies that through down and went for it to make it work. I miss my NWA/Delta days such great people before and after the merger.
@@rosser95 I agree, I worked through it as well. Delta folks had a better relationship with management as well, but it didn't take as long as it could have for things to iron out. At the end of the day all the big management folks and CEO if I remember correctly were NWA so really it's NWA with Delta branding. It's been 10 years so finally at this point I think things have meshed well.
Yes a consolidated branding was a very wise move. But all the NW planes were not repainted in two months. More like a couple of years. Not possible to do for such a large fleet in couple of months. The old DL livery aircraft were not complete until 2011 so it was a long process to get a complete consolidated branding in place.
When I had scheduling issues due to pandemic-related complications, I was shocked at how accommodating their customer support was. Basically I had written off $2000+ as lost (because it wasn’t their fault at all and it was last-minute) and they provided me another date with hardly a penalty! It was incredible and I appreciated that extra effort. My opinion of Delta has only grown in the past 5 years
I have been flying with Delta for the last 27 years, I just love it. It is home away from home, I slept well on Delta seats than on my own bed. I have used other partnered and Code Share airlines, yet I can never think of any other airlines to use as my main flying house. "DELTA ONE", way to go. Thank you for your report.
I always prefer to take a flight operated by Delta even if it costs a little more. Delta has always treated me better than the Delta Sky Lounge is unmatched.
I worked for Delta for 10 years (I left after I finished law school). Great corporate culture. Heavy focus on customer satisfaction. Tremendous esprit de corps. Happy employees=happy customers. Safety was and is paramount. Go Delta. I would work again for it in a heart-beat! Tremendously proud to have been a part of that team.
I work for Delta. I have never felt so appreciated and valuable working for a company before. I will do whatever it takes to not leave this job. The profit sharing is awesome, my team is always really happy and we watch the customer surveys and feedback really close even though I do not interact with customers at all, the pay is great. I do work that affects the people who interact with customers so I want to make sure those folks are able to give everything to make people happy. If you are going to spend more money getting to a place then we gotta make the price worth it. We have a lot of team building exercises and customer satisfaction numbers are updated constantly throughout the office. This is honestly a great place to work.
I flew delta to Paris and back in 2019. And it's one of the best flight experiences I've had, and I travel to Europe frequently. I'm a tall person and their economy seats had amazing leg room. For most airliners I try to get emergency exit seats or isle seats. Customer service was amazing and the captain got us back to New York quicker then scheduled
I can't really speak for other airlines, but one of the primary reasons why I have used Delta for the past ten years as my go to airline is the simple fact that I live in the NYC metro area where two of its airports, JFK and LGA are huge hubs for the airline. When I want to travel to say any of the major cities on the West Coast for in the Midwest, direct flights from JFK or LGA via Delta are readily available. But more importantly, I've rarely encountered any major issues or headaches in travels with Delta. Plus I am also a Platinum Medallion member which affords me some extra benefits and comforts flying with the airline versus that of the others. So strategic location of its hubs, improved customer service and direct flights to major cities around the globe are primary reasons why I have chosen to stick with Delta.
They really do everything they can to make the customer experience the best. Delta is ostensibly reliable. They also go out of their way to take care of people. The Delta Sky Club is great too.
My dad worked as an aircraft engineer at Delta from 1988-2005. He sensed the bankruptcy coming as a result of employee pay cuts and resigned. We flew on Delta all the time growing up in the 90s and the first half of the 2000s. I've flown on Delta a few times since and have not had a bad experience with the airline. Delta has been able to bounce back and grow after many downfalls.
as a someone who works in the industry. think you hit everything spot on. however think you should have added the "out sourcing " ground work at some airports. and there old subsidiary companies into it
I have flown almost 2 million miles on Northwest and Delta. I have flown on every other domestic airline as well, and I appreciate Delta’s service in every cabin. They excel where American and United fall down. In cabin service, customer support and flexibility is
I agree with all these positive comments here. Pre-Covid, I flew all over North America, Europe, and even Australia multiple times a year. Delta makes air travel as hassle-free as it can be.
I made diamond status last year since I travel for work. Literally my favorite airline. They are super nice! I get upgraded to first and comfort plus all the time. Free wifi if you have T-Mobile. I have the platinum delta card so I get a stupid amount of points. They just gave out a choice benefit where I chose free sky lounge. They are a really good airline.
As far as domestic carriers Delta is my favorite. It is my preferred airline when I travel. It was Continental since United bought that airline it has been highly unlikely for me to fly.
I have flown on Delta a few times during its bad period and more recently and I can say its transformation is outstanding. from the cabin staff to the pilots its pure professionalism and courtesy that's why I enjoy flying with them. I hope they continue this positive trend.
I used to fly Frontier and Spirit... but one day decided to fly Delta. Delta has IFE on most flights and they're on time mostly. Plus I live in Atlanta.
I love Delta tbh, my dad worked for them for 10 years and its been all great and from what I know payed pretty well and treated him well, even after leaving he still adores the company and wants to work for them again, and tbh I kinda wanna work for them as well until I'd be able to fully purse my own dream career.
My father, who is a veteran, has worked for Delta for over 30 years and they have treated him with the utmost respect and recognition. My family has always used Delta as a means for far travel and I absolutely love them, I have very fond memories and always get a sense of nostalgia when boarding their planes. I trust Delta, and I would like to work for them myself one day. I'll ask him about the changes he's noticed over the years soon.
Great video. I retired after 34 years at Delta. Great Airline. One correction to this story is Delta did not pay a "bonus" . Delta payed out "profit sharing" which meant watching safety, customer satisfaction and other parameters that need to be achieved each and everyday. Which means they're employees were always engaged. I was proud to work for Delta from day one till the day I retired. I treated every flight I managed like my Grand Mother was on that flight. "Keep Climbing"
I’ve only flown delta once. I was 21 and went on a solo trip to Costa Rica, I lost hearing in one ear while in Costa Rica(and didn’t buy insurance..) and ended up missing my connection in Atlanta. It was technically my fault because I didn’t hear a gate change announcement but the agent managed to blame an up line 15 min delay (crew rest at origin) to get me a hotel room for free. I also got a free alcoholic drink on the plane on ti way to CR so I already liked them at that point haha, didn’t take much back then to impress me I guess.
Used to be huge JetBlue flyer mainly due to the inflight amenities from short to long flights such as free snacks and TVs. Then I had to go someplace and JetBlue didn't have a direct option so I chose Delta as it was the only airline that did. I was blown away by Delta from the in-flight amenities stand point, not only did they have similar one's to JetBlue (which I thought was the gold standard) but they had better ones. From then on, I've mostly flown Delta and also think they have the best customer service. The negative thing about JetBlue is that when you call, you wait on the line for hours. With Delta I never experienced that, typically getting a representative within 20 minutes. Anyway, Delta is by far the best American airline in terms of both amenities and customer service.
I remember when DELTA stood for Doesn't Ever Leave The Airport. JetBlue was our office's preferred carrier in the 2000s. In the 2010s, Delta took that position as JetBlue became more like the legacy carriers and started nickel-and-diming. Delta truly offers a superior product, especially when SHTF aka IRROPs. Any company can offer a product. The true test of a company is when things go wrong and Delta absolutely excels with this. They'll proactively dispatch a rescue aircraft to a destination when they know an inbound aircraft has issues. Same for being able to shift crew around as the day evolves. Delta truly knows how to handle changing conditions better than any other US carrier. They also empower employees, even lower-level ones, to be able to reach out to other departments and get things done. In September 2017, Delta was able to change many of their flights evacuating Florida for Hurricane Irma from their usual regional & narrow body planes to wide bodies, and were able to stuff them full. I know a few employees with Delta in various departments and all have been extremely happy with the organization. I do know a few senior staff who took early retirement in light of the vaccine mandates, but even then they still praised Delta for the many good years they had. Sadly, I've not been on any Delta flights since March 2020. The mask mandates chased our office to General Aviation / charter flights and we've not looked back. For anything under 800 miles, it's cheaper and faster.
This great video on Delta airlines evokes memories of Pan Am, TWA, Eastern, and for those like me that are of the age to remember, the lovely United Airlines commercials: “Fly the friendly skies”, with the soft passages of Rhapsody In Blue playing in the background.
They fought off USAir trying to buy them. If that had succeeded Delta would probably be horrible. Just look at what AA has gone through since their merger.
As someone who flies 40+ times a year, Delta has had the best customer service, great perks for medallion members, nicest planes, free wifi now, and flies to the most places (I’m also at a hub city, if I wasn’t then I don’t know if I’d continue or switch to the major carrier there)
I've flown quite a few times, but I rarely fly. The reason I prefer Delta is two-fold. They have better service than any of the other airlines that are competitors here, so excluding JetBlue, Southwest (doesn't allow seat selection), and United. Comfort Plus is also a relatively cheap upgrade which gives me priority boarding and a seat I prefer. I'd love to take JetBlue everywhere, but they literally hardly fly to where I'd ever want to go. I can't recall a bad experience with Delta, even when I accidentally booked a flight for the wrong day, I was given the option to change to a flight the next day and upgraded to first class for a relatively minor fee. I also invested in Delta when the pandemic began and sold those shares a few months later at a decent profit. It's all good experiences.
I try and fly them as much as I can. Have never had a bad experience with them, and they've been excellent in honesty and communication. I admit customer service wait time (especially the 2-4 hour wait time on the phone) has been HORRENDOUS lately, but they have come through each time. They will keep getting my business so long as I'm flying!
I was a former Northwest fan, so I naturally moved into Delta when they took over, but tried a few other airlines domestically. Other than Southwest, I have yet to find an airline that is as pleasant / easy to deal with as a passenger as Delta. Was also a bonus they used to fly MD80's and I loved those, but they all got retired during covid, sad.
From a ground handling perspective, none of us were sad to see the MD's go. Very labor intensive with three cargo bins. Thanks for being a DL customer!
Im an employee with Delta Airlines. Yes I can say they really care a lot on both their Employees and Customer satisfaction. It made the workplace a very positive and the support that is given to us. Their benefits is way beyond what their competitors can offer as well. I was initially skeptical of the positivity but after months here, it is truly a positive experience never have I felt in any employment before this. And yes the leaders do visit our office now and then. Even when we are located 12hrs ahead of the US, they regularly made trips to Singapore to visit their employees here. Going above and beyond is our passion.
Most everyone knows that some extra time is added to flight schedules. What few people understand, is that our aviation system wasn't designed for the volume of traffic in the skies today. You will never remove the weather variable from the equation, so extra time built in makes sense!
I've been a member of Delta's frequent flyer program since I was about 7 or 8. My biggest complaint is probably the most recent cabin crew uniforms; the purple color is confusing, and as someone who looks at color psychology a lot, I think Zac Posen dropped the ball. He said to Sam Chui in his video from the rollout that the classic blue uniform was "humdrum." Blue is a very neutral tone, Navy is instantly recognizable, ergo a color that sets passengers at ease and makes the crew more approachable, and the combination of a Navy suit, a white shirt, and a red tie added a patriotic element that recognized Delta as one of the US's legacy carriers. Even with the purple accents, the male crew uniform is just... grey.
Worked for over 40 years with Delta, a VERY good company to work for. Yes, many years we did get, blanket raises, which many others didn't. Still have a nice pension and both my wife and I are still, covered by insurance. WW
Flew Delta 2019, the fist thing I noticed was that one of the Captains handed out wings to the kids, you don't get that with other airlines. I fly a lot the service is great, crew are friendly and helpful I love Delta very consistent Best Regards Andrew from Down Under
I recently took Delta to Istanbul, and honestly one of the better airlines I've been on. The food was good, pretty clean airplane and the staff treated me well - even chatted with a flight attendant for 30 minutes.
You should do the book series “For Dummies”. They been around since the 90s and they’re still being used and read today.
Those books are really for dummies because only ppl uninformed enough to not notice all of the flaws in them.
Yep
Nobody reads books anymore sadly even books for dummies
@@nandogee1205 just you
@@nandogee1205 people still read books lol
Fun fact, when Delta was going through tough times after the 70's they were barely staying afloat. The employees refused to let Delta fold and raised $30 million dollars to buy Delta it's first Boeing 767 in 1982. Over 7K employees showed up to christen it and give it its new name, The Spirit of Delta. It sits today in the Delta museum in Atlanta GA.
Can confirm this as a delta employee in Atlanta.
@@soulcage6228 I can also confirm this! Employees used a payroll deductions account to do this and had nearly 100% participation. That says a lot! Over a period of two decades, I worked as a crewmember countless times on The Spirit of Delta before it was eventually retired and entered into our Delta Museum!
And after all that employee loyalty. When they filed bankruptcy in 06 their stock went worthless. Delta would like to keep this quiet and little does anyone know except us employees that were affected. Since the beginning of Delta‘s 401(k) up until the 2006 bankruptcy all company match was in company stock. Much like Enron Delta screwed over there long time loyal employees and we lost all our company match immediately. Now they’re turning billion dollar profits and still no effort has been made to make the employees who were already retired whole again. Delta is not the employee friendly company it tries to put it out to the public. This airline is no longer Delta Airlines it is just north west airlines with a Delta tail.
@@erichays7379 “just northwest airlines with a delta tail” that is sad but so true 💀
@@erichays7379 ha! NWA would have never kept the restrictive anti-customer rerouting. There is a lot of legacy DL in DL, it's just easy to point to the NW merger and claim that it was NW from there on out.
The Rise and Fall and Rise again... Is not what you'd particularly like to see from an airline, gives a rather bumpy ride.
When you get off the plane still alive... that is a good experience no matter what the airline.
@@markcharron That's true. Any flight you can walk away from is... Wait, it's "any crash you can walk away from" is good. I wouldn't test that though. Your version's better.
Better than just rise and fall
I mean what are take offs and landings other than rising and falling?
try researching the insights of why Thai airways still in business 😏
I flew Delta from Paris to NYC in 2019 and it was one of the more pleasant long hauls I've ever had. As an Irish person, friendliness and being relaxed with how we talk to strangers is what we're used to and I was shocked to discover the crew were just like, if not better than an Aer Lingus crew. The crew acted like they really wanted to be there. Plane was great, food was great, even the other passengers around me were very nice. Couldn't fault it.
reading the rest of the comments and my own experience. I get the idea that there international crew are the best with in Delta. I personly prefer KLM but I never mind flying with Delta nor with North West back when they were on there own.
@@sirBrouwer I booked a flight to Australia with KLM 3 weeks ago and I vowed never to use them again. The website has been designed terribly. It was offering me lounges in airports where I couldn't use a lounge, offering me buttons to change my meals when I couldn't change my meals, the thing offered me everything bar what I needed, my flight details. And in 2022 in a pandemic, when you're hopping back and forth between 20 tabs trying to sort visas for one of the hardest countries to get into even in normal times, trying to book connecting flights, trying to book accommodation all in a sequence that would make your head explode..... not having your flight details on the website or on the confirmation email after handing over 1,200 EUR nearly made my head explode with the stress.
Then I realised I'd been Djokovic'd by Australia. They granted my visa where I specifically selected "tourism" not once but twice, but they weren't yet open to tourist visas. So I had to try to get these flights refunded with no bloody details to enter on their website to get the refund, this was on a Friday with the flight on Monday and I'm sure the clock was ticking on my refund window. Needless to say that was a stressful weekend and experience overall. So yeah, I'll dodge KLM wherever possible.
@@sirBrouwer I like Delta now, but I miss the days of Northwest from MSP...
@@tobyrl2219 the bowling shoe....
Wish I would have known before I booked them smh. I'm currently in Paris on a 24hr layover after surgery because they moved my return flight a full day early . Which I wouldn't mind except I just had surgery I just want to go home😩
I've met an executive of Delta's refinery and its ownership by the airline is a big deal. While it might not appear profitable it really helps level out the cost of fuel which means DL can more accurately budget their operations into the future.
@Lala the LORD is appalled
One of Delta's biggest executive/board mistakes was selling it's fuel/barrel futures to Southwest about 2.5-2.75 decades ago. Southwest was still an up-and-comer in the full US airline market at the time, but the barrel cost shot up shortly after the sale allowing Southwest to post record profits quarter after quarter after quarter. It was pivotal in the "Fall" of Delta, and I'm very surprised it wasn't discussed in this video. In fact, I'm very surprised the CEO at the time wasn't discussed at all.
The Trainer refinery actually helps all carriers, since it puts fuel into the market as a whole, not just to DL.
And helps all airlines with fuel pricing, not just Delta
Great video. I've been a Delta employee now for 5 years, and I definitely can testify that your #2 on Recovery is correct. For me, Delta is the best company I've ever worked for. 👍🏿🙂
We love Feb 14th
@@NicksDynasty yeap!! I am 125
Just started at the Delta. I left from AA. I love it and I plan to retire here
"And then I go over to the Delta help desk, which is an oxymoron." - John Mulaney
Your channel is good too.
@@milpool8577 Thank you!
@Lala Wrong demographic for porn bots lmfao
I've had good experiences with Delta's call center. Sometimes the wait times are longer than they should be, but once I get someone on the phone they're usually very good and friendly
“Can I go home… on an airplane please?” -John Mulaney
I absolutely LOVE Delta. On my last trip with them, I had to take a connection flight from Austin to SJU that was scheduled to go through Atlanta. One of the flights got a mechanical issue several hours before. They called me about 6 hours before the trip to inform me that they had to send me to JFK to take the other leg there and for my troubles, they upgraded me to First Class without me asking. They went above and beyond and for that, I am a repeat customer for them.
Thank you for sharing your story!
Complete opposite of my most recent experience with American under same circumstances. Delta has always been very good to me, I do my best to give them my business.
I love Delta I’ve had a better experience with them than I did with American Airlines I had a flight canceled that morning they gave me a food voucher for the inconvenience
I agree. The way they treat the everyday customer is leagues ahead of how the others do it. American and united make the typical experience bad to encourage you to go loyalty. This was not that. They upgraded me to first class as well and it was awesome.
Best customer service I've had experience with, I'm in the military so I fly an average of 6 flights a year and I've never had an issue with refunding my ticket (even with their "non refundable" tickets) due to unforseen issues with military orders. Every other airline wants copies of orders and to contact my chain of command to verify but delta has always just refundedy ticket with little hassle. I now exclusivly fly delta because of this.
And we love having you and your military brothers and sisters onboard! Thank you so much for your service. I have worked onboard countless overseas CRAF (military charters) and have seen firsthand some if the sacrifices you make in keeping your oath to our nation. It's not just you, it's your families, as well. It's both Patriotic and heartbreaking at the same time -- my sincerest thank you to you and all service men and women and their loved ones.
Thank you so much for your service! Thank you for choosing Delta!
I've only flown with Delta Airlines once, but I did have a very positive experience. It was the winter of 2001 when I was coming home for the first time from the Navy and I was in full dress uniform, the captain upgraded me to First Class and covered my entire tab for anything I wanted while I was on a plane including calls home. I plugged many times in my life but never first class and will always be an experience I will never forget.
Delta is definitely my preferred airline when booking a trip. They generally seem to be at least a little better at everything compared to the competition. Better on time performance and better customer service on the ground and onboard are certainly a part of that. While AA and UA are removing seatback screens on domestic flights Delta committed to getting them on all their mainline aircraft because it's a feature customers use and enjoy compared to the device streaming version even if it makes them no direct money. They never got rid of snacks in coach, expanded the snacks before anyone else, and were even brought back included meals in coach on some transcontinental routes before the pandemic hit. All this sums up to a focus on the customer experience that's not limited to first class
How does it compare to JetBlue
Of the big three, I don't know much about them. I usually fly Alaska because I live in Seattle. Whenever I can I will try to fly Alaska. Alaska has never given me a problem ever. Whenever I book with Delta it's always a clusterfuck
@@coolboss999 Haven't flown JetBlue but from what I've seen their biggest weakness is poor on time performance
@@andrewsang4688 Alaska Airlines doesn't have seatback screens correct?
@@dannydaw59 yeah but idc since I'm using my phone anyways
I've been flying Delta most of my life. Prior to flying with Delta, I was flying with Northwest which Delta acquired. Delta's customer service is still industry leading. I was stranded at the Memphis airport due to a flight being canceled unexpectedly. Delta provided transportation to a nearby hotel that they comped me for the night and meal vouchers on them. It was completely unexpected but made me feel really valued as a customer. I have flown American for work and never felt valued in the way that Delta does for their customers.
Delta got my dogs home safe and sound from an overseas military tour over a decade ago. Those dogs have all passed now, but I will always remember who got us back on American soil safely. And that's why I fly Delta.
I prefer Delta because in my experience they tend to have more creature comforts (more USB plugs, more seatback TVs, etc.) than their competitors on the same routes.
I agree--Delta just does everything a little better than their competition. I flew United a few months ago (not my first choice, but Delta didn't offer any nonstop flights). After my United flight, they sent me a survey asking me how I enjoyed the trip--including several questions about their in-flight entertainment, which they didn't have on that flight. I also noticed that their website kept pushing me to check in for my flight, even though I already had. Neither of these is a major life-changing experience, but those are definitely things in this computer era that they should be able to address. Bottom line, the Delta experience is just smoother and more polished from booking, to checking in, to flying.
I love flying Delta. Their customer service is awesome. I’m actually dreading having to book an American Airlines flight because Delta stopped flying to my destination after COVID happened.
Ex Delta Employee 👋 probably one of the best companies I've ever worked for. They truly care about Employee and that's shown by all the events the little things they do. It's rare for Employee to meet the CEO but even rarer for an intern to shake their hand, yet I was able to shake Ed Bastians hand a few months into starting. Also benefits are pretty dang nice. Only negative comment I will say is that pay can definitely be better. Specifically for engineers. There is definitely more competitive pay at other Aerospace companies but I guess one can argue you make up the loss with benefits. In one year of flying with Delta I took over 100 free flights around the world 🤩
I went on a business trip to San Francisco sometime around 2014 and took Delta. The day of my return flight, a major storm started shutting down flights out of SFO. When my own flight got cancelled, a ticket agent for Delta went above and beyond getting me and my two travel companions on an out-bound flight so we could get home. Ever since then, I have flown Delta exclusively for personal flights and have never regretted it. Their customer service and perks, I feel, more than make up for the small premium in price.
IMO, another advantage Delta has is Atlanta Airport itself. I know quite a few people who choose Delta just so they can go through Atlanta rather than any of the other hubs (e.g Chicago).
Facts. I go to Atlanta for the food. Good Southern Fried Deliciousness. Plus it easy to navigate as well.
I'm in awe of ATL. It's not sexy like many airports abroad, but it's an absolute machine and amazing to watch. There are also quite a few creature comforts hidden around the place once you learn it. Very easy to navigate as well.
It is definitely one of the most impressive operations around! So much easier to get from concourse to concourse than most other big airports.
With ATL being my home airport and DL being the main airline I fly, I do think I'm spoiled by how nice and efficient the airport is! Plus Delta's product at ATL is unlike any other I have experienced out of other airline's hub airports.
Love the rise and fall series, but I'd prefer if my flight doesn't do any falling, thanks.
Touché
hahaha
I've got a relative who works for Delta, they definitely pay very well compared to other airlines and the profit sharing is an awesome bonus on top of it at the end of the year. They even got profit sharing for 2021 which, while it wasn't substantial, they didn't expect to get.
Delta's decline has a lot to do with their former CEO Ron Allen. They're back on solid ground now delivering a 1st class product.
Part of it, yes, but we had another CEO much worse, so bad that I refuse to speak his name! He followed Ron....I've been on this plane 32+ years!
Leo Mullin was worse, he and his raiders drove Delta into the ground, then took all the money!!
Don't forget Leo Mullin
@@scotthaskin1509 whoops. I spoke his name. Yep I've been around just a tad longer
When I was flying a lot in the 90's and early 00's flying Delta was a miserable experience. To be fair their competition was just as awful. The biggest blunder was merging with PanAm. The company cultures were drastically different and it took too long for the workforce to integrate well.
Yep first time I went was 2006 and it was god-awful
They didn’t merge with PamAm, they bought PA’s assets.
@@erik_griswold ...and they also bought PanAm's liabilities (debt).
My stepdad flew 3 Million miles with Delta! On the flight, he hit the milestone, the crew hand-wrote a letter for him and my mom thanking them for traveling. I was on the flight as well and they upgraded my seat free of charge, super nice for the 8-hour flight. They also sent him a custom plaque with 3 million on it! They are always super nice and extremely helpful!! Love delta haha
I like Delta Airlines...I had no problems with them when I traveled overseas in the past.
I just recently flew Delta and I will say that the flights
were extremely pleasant! I kept telling my sister how such a great airline it was.
1. The employees were sooo lovely! Not one bad experience with any of them.
2. We didn’t get to pick out seats but both times we were upgraded to Delta+. Which might have been luck, but I was excited! Lol
3. The flights left on time and even arrived earlier than expected.
What really stuck with me though were how nice the employees were. I definitely am a firm believer that as long as you keep your employees happy you will have a more profitable company, so it makes sense that Delta is doing well because of it.
Flew with Delta in 2019 to and from Japan. Had a great experience honestly, they even upgraded my return flight up a class for free.
I worked for Delta Air Lines during its greatest years; those under C. E. Woolman. It was a different kind of company then. He ran it like a family, and he treated us all like family. His office did not have a door on it. ANY employee was welcome in his office regardless of who he was meeting with. We came first! If he met you today, in six months he'd remember your name, what was discussed, and if any changes were needed from that conversation, he asked about improvements. He bought tickets to fly on his own airplanes, which were paid for CASH. None of our planes were financed or leased. A P.O. for new Douglas planes (all he bought were Douglas and Convair) was a phone call, followed by a call to finance to cut a check for the entire amount. When other air lines went on strike, we worked through them and were given everything they were striking for as well as a massive thank you party for ALL of the employees by region. Entry to the festival was a mere showing of your I.D. card. Oh, we also received shares of Delta stock, as well. It was AFTER his death building maintenance was called to cut notches in his office door frame to install hinges. And, by the way, the name Delta was suggested by his secretary who was with him until his death.
One more little tidbit about Mr. Woolman. The company bought him a Lincoln. Black. Very prestigious. But he never drove it. The tires went flat. He took fellow airline presidents to lunch in his '53 Chevy Bel Air, which he drove all the time. THAT'S why Delta was the best air line in the business, and why employees LOVED working for them.
As a Delta Platinum Medallion customer, I can vouch for the fact that flying DL is the most pleasant choice for US air travel. The well paid employees absolutely translate into more friendly and personable interactions as a customer (Southwest might be the only airline that competes in terms of friendliness and personality), which I appreciate. Delta has consistently invested in the customer experience, with in back seat entertainment, even on short domestic hops, while AA and United have just been cutting, and cutting, and cutting, to the point their employees sometimes seem to be embarrassed to be affiliated with those organizations.
Further, Delta's investment in seat blocking during the pandemic when vaccines weren't yet available proved to me that they have an interest in my long term wellbeing - that action alone probably bought more good feelings and loyalty than 100 free cocktails in the SkyClub ever could. Lots of people complained about not getting the same level of snacks or whatever, but this move elevated the basic economy experience, fleetwide, to be equal to Intra-European business class (which is just a blocked middle seat, not the larger recliners we have in the US).
I happened to fly on two Delta flights the day they emerged from bankruptcy (PIT to ATL; ATL to SFO). They made a point of announcing this on both flights and gave out champagne to celebrate. It really struck me that the flight attendant (an older woman) making the announcement on the ATL-SFO flight got a little choked up talking about it. Looking back, they were going for a new image during that time and it seems to have worked.
My dad retired from DELTA in 2006 because of the bad management and poor outlook from 2001-2005.
He had been a pilot employee for 20 years, first as flight engineer, then first officer and finally Captain.
Based on recollections of his opinion of management, it goes back MUCH FURTHER to the Ron Allen era of Delta from 1990-1998. During the 1991 buyout of Pan Am, he got bumped in seniority steeply, with Pan Am being heavy on older pilots.
I'm one of the customers that were apart of the revised Delta movement from 2010 onward. I love the way Delta currently does things.
The history from crop dusting to commercial transport is fascinating! Thanks again for your research work!
Me reading the title: "Yes that's what airplanes do"
The funny thing about Song was that it didn’t feel like a low-cost airline. If I remember correctly, they were the first (or one of the first) in Delta’s fleet that had video screens for everyone on domestic routes. Many people I’ve talked to state that they even got free meals on Song. I actually really enjoyed flying them! That being said, it doesn’t surprise me that it was a money suck. Good video!
I remember flying Song to Orlando, I was a kid and it was the first time I ever used a screen on a flight. It was fun.
Can do more Rise & Fall series on Airlines I'm really interested into stuff like this of what happened to company's of Past & Future.
We in Georgia are proud of our home airline. Great video.
Yeah, just don't ask for Dr. Pepper. Coke is also out of Atlanta. Oh and did I mention you're likely to go though Atlanta. Even if your destination is in the other direction.
@@glynnetolar4423 Yes - that's what the hub and spoke model is.
@@glynnetolar4423 we live in Georgia, we have to go to Atlanta to do just about anything anyways.
My family has flown with Delta forever. My dad always traveled extensively for work and this has been a diamond medallion member with them for as long as I can remember. A very standout experience I’ve had with them among the many instances of unbelievably positive customer service experiences was when a our flight was running quite late and we were approaching the point of missing our connection. Upon landing we were ready to run to our next gate, but as soon as we disembarked, there was a man standing at the door of the plan dressed in a very nice three-piece suit holding a sign with our last name on it. He was dressed as one would expect a dapper gentlemen to look, he told us to follow him and he led us out a door right onto the tarmac into a Delta branded Porsche SUV. Helped us with our baggage etc and proceeded to drive us directly to our next flight. The reasoning behind it was my father’s membership standing within Delta, not like he was a shareholder or anything, but they valued his longtime support of the company and this was just a thank you. It has happened to me on my own as well and it just truly goes to show how dedicated the company is to absolute satisfaction regarding their customers and that is huge.
I forgot about the Porsche fleet.
I have been flying Delta Airlines since 2019 overall the company is one of the best airlines in the world I'm a loyal travel and sky club member their customer service is outstanding what I also like about the airline is that they really care about passengers with disabilities. As a disability activist and a man with Cerebral Palsy (CP) is that they always endure that passengers with disabilities are well looked after so I give them kudos I never had a negative experience so I will continue to travel with them for many years to come!
Same here.
Definitely not all US airlines look after customers with all disabilities but all US airlines are at least trained to look after people with at least some disabilities. It is because we will do almost anything to save 20 bucks on tickets and they have to cut costs to reduce fares.
Delta oversold a flight I was scheduled to take, so in order to move it back, they offered me an $800 gift card and an upgrade to first class. Superb! Never had this kind of service and to take first class has always been a dream for me.
That and the fact that I think with pure product, delta has the best in the skies.
As someone who works for delta i am proud to work for delta i will say they treat us well
A few years ago, my dad used Delta for a work trip to Idaho to his company headquarters from Sacramento to Boise
One of the best things about this company is how they treat the customers. Especially the folks who are so loyal to them. I’ll give an example I was supposed to come home from Nashville on the 6pm connecting through ATL up to Philly. But Delta called & told me the flight was overbooked. But they could get me on an earlier flight with a first class upgrade & adding 30,000 sky miles to my account. Phenomenal
I haven't taken a whole lot of flights in my life, but out of the ones I have taken delta was the best by a considerable margin. They were the only ones I've ever flown with that had in flight entertainment and offered pillows and blankets in the economy seats. The worst I've flown with is united, that felt like a prison transport
Some companies I would like to see in a video:
McIlhenny Company - Makers of Tobasco Sauce
Red Bull - The Thai family behind the energy drink empire
Huy Fong Foods - Makers of the famous Sriratcha sauce
Thanks, keep up the good work, I watch all your videos.
I love to watch your videos every afternoon when I get home. I always eat alone, but your videos are always so full and interesting, that make me feel less lonely. Thank you company man.
I have the luxury of living near DTW, a major hub from their NW merger. I only started being able to afford to fly about 10 years ago so I've only really known Delta lately. I love everything about flying Delta except the price, especially lately. On occasion, the price for Delta is reasonable and I'll gladly choose them when it makes sense, but to answer Mike's question towards the end, as much as I love flying Delta, the price delta vs Spirit is usually not worth it - I often choose Spirit for the price alone and thankfully DTW is a major spot for them as well. I know how to work their system (sharing a checked bag under 40lbs with my girl, or travelling very light with only a personal under seat bag), and I generally fly for leisure and without a strict timeline so I don't have to value On Time Performance as much. I've never had a big issue with Spirit either, I honestly think their reputation is worse than deserved, they are rather good in their market space.
I rarely fly any other airlines - a few times on American, once one way on United, and a couple one offs on international carriers - all for location-specific reasons, but 90%+ of my trips are either Spirit or Delta.
i flew delta from the US to Japan back in 2019 round trip, best experience I have ever had on an airline ever.
As a 28 year employee of Delta i have seen the good, the Bad, and the Ugly in my years working and I will testify that Delta in the last 10 years or so as worked very hard making employees happy. Employee safety has been a huge focus and though we didn't get profit sharing last year during pandemic this year they still wanted to give us a bonus which was a pleasant surprise. I used to get embarrassed about telling ppl where I worked years back because it was usually followed by a travel horror story but now I hear more good things about Delta travel experience that I'm actually proud to say I work for them.
One of the smart things Delta did after the merger with North West Airlines was to make the transition super fast and rebrand everything Delta immediately. It helped, for their image and it helped the employees who came from very different company cultures. Within 2 months the entire fleet was painted in the new colors, interiors redone in Delta blue, employee uniforms issued and integration of both workforces. Nothing is 100% but the fact that they moved so quickly helped everyone get onboard and business to continue swiftly. Unlike United who's merger w/ Continental dragged for years. Most Continental employees I know are still not happy.
Oh, and those profit sharing bonuses.... are the best. Every employee is invested in the company making a profit because the bonus is so so nice. Comes every year on Feb. 14. So Happy Love day Delta. 💕
My opinion Is also that it was the Merger with NWA that brought about the success of what is now called Delta Air Lines. I worked at NWA during the Merger. Our cultures and the publics perception of the companies were so different. at NWA Process discipline was king, On time Performance, Technical travel accuracy. but at NWA we weren't known as the friendliest airline. Delta on the other hand was known to be super friendly, people loved the staff. But my perception was that the delta people were kind of sloppy. well loved, and would do anything for customers but their processes were lacking, their technology was old. the merger created an opportunity for the less friendly NWA staff to bring their talents, and Delta staff to show them how to have fun and be friendlier. it also removed some very hard core NWA management from the company that created staff / employer tension that was common at NWA.
It really was the people of the two companies that through down and went for it to make it work. I miss my NWA/Delta days such great people before and after the merger.
@@rosser95 I agree, I worked through it as well. Delta folks had a better relationship with management as well, but it didn't take as long as it could have for things to iron out. At the end of the day all the big management folks and CEO if I remember correctly were NWA so really it's NWA with Delta branding. It's been 10 years so finally at this point I think things have meshed well.
Yes a consolidated branding was a very wise move. But all the NW planes were not repainted in two months. More like a couple of years. Not possible to do for such a large fleet in couple of months. The old DL livery aircraft were not complete until 2011 so it was a long process to get a complete consolidated branding in place.
When I had scheduling issues due to pandemic-related complications, I was shocked at how accommodating their customer support was. Basically I had written off $2000+ as lost (because it wasn’t their fault at all and it was last-minute) and they provided me another date with hardly a penalty! It was incredible and I appreciated that extra effort. My opinion of Delta has only grown in the past 5 years
I have been flying with Delta for the last 27 years, I just love it. It is home away from home, I slept well on Delta seats than on my own bed. I have used other partnered and Code Share airlines, yet I can never think of any other airlines to use as my main flying house. "DELTA ONE", way to go. Thank you for your report.
You should do a “Why your company man is successful” vid
I always prefer to take a flight operated by Delta even if it costs a little more. Delta has always treated me better than the Delta Sky Lounge is unmatched.
I worked for Delta for 10 years (I left after I finished law school). Great corporate culture. Heavy focus on customer satisfaction. Tremendous esprit de corps. Happy employees=happy customers. Safety was and is paramount. Go Delta. I would work again for it in a heart-beat! Tremendously proud to have been a part of that team.
I work for Delta. I have never felt so appreciated and valuable working for a company before. I will do whatever it takes to not leave this job. The profit sharing is awesome, my team is always really happy and we watch the customer surveys and feedback really close even though I do not interact with customers at all, the pay is great. I do work that affects the people who interact with customers so I want to make sure those folks are able to give everything to make people happy. If you are going to spend more money getting to a place then we gotta make the price worth it. We have a lot of team building exercises and customer satisfaction numbers are updated constantly throughout the office. This is honestly a great place to work.
I flew delta to Paris and back in 2019. And it's one of the best flight experiences I've had, and I travel to Europe frequently. I'm a tall person and their economy seats had amazing leg room. For most airliners I try to get emergency exit seats or isle seats. Customer service was amazing and the captain got us back to New York quicker then scheduled
I can't really speak for other airlines, but one of the primary reasons why I have used Delta for the past ten years as my go to airline is the simple fact that I live in the NYC metro area where two of its airports, JFK and LGA are huge hubs for the airline. When I want to travel to say any of the major cities on the West Coast for in the Midwest, direct flights from JFK or LGA via Delta are readily available. But more importantly, I've rarely encountered any major issues or headaches in travels with Delta. Plus I am also a Platinum Medallion member which affords me some extra benefits and comforts flying with the airline versus that of the others. So strategic location of its hubs, improved customer service and direct flights to major cities around the globe are primary reasons why I have chosen to stick with Delta.
There is a lot of content and subscribers you will gain by doing more airline/plane videos. We aviation enthusiasts can’t get enough of it
They really do everything they can to make the customer experience the best. Delta is ostensibly reliable. They also go out of their way to take care of people. The Delta Sky Club is great too.
My dad worked as an aircraft engineer at Delta from 1988-2005. He sensed the bankruptcy coming as a result of employee pay cuts and resigned. We flew on Delta all the time growing up in the 90s and the first half of the 2000s. I've flown on Delta a few times since and have not had a bad experience with the airline. Delta has been able to bounce back and grow after many downfalls.
I had about a two-hour delay coming from Madrid to Denver. A while later, they sent me a $20 voucher. I wasn't expecting anything from them.
as a someone who works in the industry. think you hit everything spot on. however think you should have added the "out sourcing " ground work at some airports. and there old subsidiary companies into it
we love this channel and it helps us so much with our debates!!
I have flown almost 2 million miles on Northwest and Delta. I have flown on every other domestic airline as well, and I appreciate Delta’s service in every cabin. They excel where American and United fall down. In cabin service, customer support and flexibility is
I agree with all these positive comments here. Pre-Covid, I flew all over North America, Europe, and even Australia multiple times a year. Delta makes air travel as hassle-free as it can be.
I loved when Delta introduced Song. They were my favorite.
I made diamond status last year since I travel for work. Literally my favorite airline. They are super nice! I get upgraded to first and comfort plus all the time. Free wifi if you have T-Mobile. I have the platinum delta card so I get a stupid amount of points. They just gave out a choice benefit where I chose free sky lounge. They are a really good airline.
As far as domestic carriers Delta is my favorite. It is my preferred airline when I travel. It was Continental since United bought that airline it has been highly unlikely for me to fly.
You should do something about the situation between Frontier and spirit but I'm really excited to see what you have on this
Two of the shittiest airlines merging together to make one huge shitty airline
I have flown on Delta a few times during its bad period and more recently and I can say its transformation is outstanding. from the cabin staff to the pilots its pure professionalism and courtesy that's why I enjoy flying with them. I hope they continue this positive trend.
I used to fly Frontier and Spirit... but one day decided to fly Delta. Delta has IFE on most flights and they're on time mostly. Plus I live in Atlanta.
Fascinating origin story, I never would have suspected that. :O
I love Delta. My dad is a pilot for them and it’s a great company to work for.
Delta is by far my favorite airline! They have always been on time, friendly and extremely helpful! I can’t say enough about this company.
I love Delta tbh, my dad worked for them for 10 years and its been all great and from what I know payed pretty well and treated him well, even after leaving he still adores the company and wants to work for them again, and tbh I kinda wanna work for them as well until I'd be able to fully purse my own dream career.
My father, who is a veteran, has worked for Delta for over 30 years and they have treated him with the utmost respect and recognition. My family has always used Delta as a means for far travel and I absolutely love them, I have very fond memories and always get a sense of nostalgia when boarding their planes. I trust Delta, and I would like to work for them myself one day.
I'll ask him about the changes he's noticed over the years soon.
Great video. I retired after 34 years at Delta. Great Airline. One correction to this story is Delta did not pay a "bonus" . Delta payed out "profit sharing" which meant watching safety, customer satisfaction and other parameters that need to be achieved each and everyday. Which means they're employees were always engaged. I was proud to work for Delta from day one till the day I retired. I treated every flight I managed like my Grand Mother was on that flight. "Keep Climbing"
I’ve only flown delta once. I was 21 and went on a solo trip to Costa Rica, I lost hearing in one ear while in Costa Rica(and didn’t buy insurance..) and ended up missing my connection in Atlanta. It was technically my fault because I didn’t hear a gate change announcement but the agent managed to blame an up line 15 min delay (crew rest at origin) to get me a hotel room for free.
I also got a free alcoholic drink on the plane on ti way to CR so I already liked them at that point haha, didn’t take much back then to impress me I guess.
Lost it completely? Or did you get swimmers ear?
It lasted a couple weeks, not sure what it was
They rise and fall and rise again…. Like an airplane!
here before this is like popular or sumthin
Used to be huge JetBlue flyer mainly due to the inflight amenities from short to long flights such as free snacks and TVs. Then I had to go someplace and JetBlue didn't have a direct option so I chose Delta as it was the only airline that did. I was blown away by Delta from the in-flight amenities stand point, not only did they have similar one's to JetBlue (which I thought was the gold standard) but they had better ones. From then on, I've mostly flown Delta and also think they have the best customer service. The negative thing about JetBlue is that when you call, you wait on the line for hours. With Delta I never experienced that, typically getting a representative within 20 minutes. Anyway, Delta is by far the best American airline in terms of both amenities and customer service.
I remember when DELTA stood for Doesn't Ever Leave The Airport.
JetBlue was our office's preferred carrier in the 2000s. In the 2010s, Delta took that position as JetBlue became more like the legacy carriers and started nickel-and-diming.
Delta truly offers a superior product, especially when SHTF aka IRROPs. Any company can offer a product. The true test of a company is when things go wrong and Delta absolutely excels with this. They'll proactively dispatch a rescue aircraft to a destination when they know an inbound aircraft has issues. Same for being able to shift crew around as the day evolves. Delta truly knows how to handle changing conditions better than any other US carrier. They also empower employees, even lower-level ones, to be able to reach out to other departments and get things done. In September 2017, Delta was able to change many of their flights evacuating Florida for Hurricane Irma from their usual regional & narrow body planes to wide bodies, and were able to stuff them full.
I know a few employees with Delta in various departments and all have been extremely happy with the organization. I do know a few senior staff who took early retirement in light of the vaccine mandates, but even then they still praised Delta for the many good years they had.
Sadly, I've not been on any Delta flights since March 2020. The mask mandates chased our office to General Aviation / charter flights and we've not looked back. For anything under 800 miles, it's cheaper and faster.
This great video on Delta airlines evokes memories of Pan Am, TWA, Eastern, and for those like me that are of the age to remember, the lovely United Airlines commercials: “Fly the friendly skies”, with the soft passages of Rhapsody In Blue playing in the background.
They fought off USAir trying to buy them. If that had succeeded Delta would probably be horrible. Just look at what AA has gone through since their merger.
Delta and AA used to be basically the same, but in recently years Delta has improved drastically.
I bought a couple Delta shares when the covid crisis hit. I'm rolling in handfuls of dollars! (should've bought more)
I did too, but didn't have the patience to hold.
I’ve worked in the airline industry for some many years and I can definitely say. Delta has the highest employee satisfaction of any other airline.
As someone who flies 40+ times a year, Delta has had the best customer service, great perks for medallion members, nicest planes, free wifi now, and flies to the most places (I’m also at a hub city, if I wasn’t then I don’t know if I’d continue or switch to the major carrier there)
I've flown quite a few times, but I rarely fly. The reason I prefer Delta is two-fold. They have better service than any of the other airlines that are competitors here, so excluding JetBlue, Southwest (doesn't allow seat selection), and United. Comfort Plus is also a relatively cheap upgrade which gives me priority boarding and a seat I prefer. I'd love to take JetBlue everywhere, but they literally hardly fly to where I'd ever want to go. I can't recall a bad experience with Delta, even when I accidentally booked a flight for the wrong day, I was given the option to change to a flight the next day and upgraded to first class for a relatively minor fee. I also invested in Delta when the pandemic began and sold those shares a few months later at a decent profit. It's all good experiences.
“The best way to make a million dollars is by starting with a billion and buying an airline.” - Warren Buffett
Yet he’s a Delta investor. 😜
You should do "The Decline of Rax... What Happened?" Rax was a fast food restaurant in the 1980s.
A small handful of locations are still open in the midwest.
I try and fly them as much as I can. Have never had a bad experience with them, and they've been excellent in honesty and communication. I admit customer service wait time (especially the 2-4 hour wait time on the phone) has been HORRENDOUS lately, but they have come through each time. They will keep getting my business so long as I'm flying!
I was a former Northwest fan, so I naturally moved into Delta when they took over, but tried a few other airlines domestically. Other than Southwest, I have yet to find an airline that is as pleasant / easy to deal with as a passenger as Delta. Was also a bonus they used to fly MD80's and I loved those, but they all got retired during covid, sad.
From a ground handling perspective, none of us were sad to see the MD's go. Very labor intensive with three cargo bins. Thanks for being a DL customer!
Im an employee with Delta Airlines. Yes I can say they really care a lot on both their Employees and Customer satisfaction. It made the workplace a very positive and the support that is given to us. Their benefits is way beyond what their competitors can offer as well. I was initially skeptical of the positivity but after months here, it is truly a positive experience never have I felt in any employment before this.
And yes the leaders do visit our office now and then. Even when we are located 12hrs ahead of the US, they regularly made trips to Singapore to visit their employees here. Going above and beyond is our passion.
thanks for making another video on airlines!!
I definitely respect Deltas history!!
They usually give 30 mins on the back end of the flight so they can always be "on time".
Most everyone knows that some extra time is added to flight schedules. What few people understand, is that our aviation system wasn't designed for the volume of traffic in the skies today. You will never remove the weather variable from the equation, so extra time built in makes sense!
I've been a member of Delta's frequent flyer program since I was about 7 or 8. My biggest complaint is probably the most recent cabin crew uniforms; the purple color is confusing, and as someone who looks at color psychology a lot, I think Zac Posen dropped the ball. He said to Sam Chui in his video from the rollout that the classic blue uniform was "humdrum." Blue is a very neutral tone, Navy is instantly recognizable, ergo a color that sets passengers at ease and makes the crew more approachable, and the combination of a Navy suit, a white shirt, and a red tie added a patriotic element that recognized Delta as one of the US's legacy carriers. Even with the purple accents, the male crew uniform is just... grey.
I personally prefer the new uniforms and colors.
Worked for over 40 years with Delta, a VERY good company to work for. Yes, many years we did get,
blanket raises, which many others didn't. Still have a nice pension and both my wife and I are still,
covered by insurance. WW
Flew Delta 2019, the fist thing I noticed was that one of the Captains handed out wings to the kids, you don't get that with other airlines.
I fly a lot the service is great, crew are friendly and helpful I love Delta very consistent Best Regards Andrew from Down Under
I recently took Delta to Istanbul, and honestly one of the better airlines I've been on. The food was good, pretty clean airplane and the staff treated me well - even chatted with a flight attendant for 30 minutes.
How was Istanbul? I always wanted to go