Delta Air Lines Makes Surprise Upgrade for Travelers

With holiday travel just around the corner, Delta Air Lines, along with every other airline, is making a bunch of changes are getting ready for the peak travel season. While people fly year-round, there's no denying that the busiest time for airlines and travel is around the holidays, and Thanksgiving and Christmas are peak travel seasons.

Delta is in its 100th year of flying. When Delta Air Lines makes changes, it often impacts the rest of the travel world, because they're one of the biggest airlines in the United States. According to Delta, the airlines assists 200 million travelers in traveling to more than 350 destinations each year. "We remain committed to ensuring that the future of travel is connected, personalized and enjoyable," Delta notes on their official website.

Airlines, including Delta, are hoping to have a healthy holiday travel season, especially after this year. International travel to the United States has taken an unexpected hit this year, and according to the Associated Press, "the World Travel & Tourism Council projected ahead of Memorial Day that the U.S. would be the only country among the 184 it studied where foreign visitor spending would fall in 2025."

Delta Adds an Upgrade: Report

So, how do airlines get more people to travel? Perks. According to Aviation A2Z, Delta "is now offering first class upgrades for as little as $26 on select routes. Passengers flying out of major airports such as Atlanta (ATL) are reporting unprecedentedly low upgrade costs, showing how aggressively the airline is monetizing premium cabins."

Aviation A2Z adds that this change "underscores Delta's broader move away from complimentary status upgrades." In the Oct. 4 report, they add that "American Airlines (AA) and United Airlines (UA) also sell discounted upgrades, but Delta is furthest along in replacing loyalty perks with revenue-driven offers."

View From the Wing adds that Delta's strategy is part of a shift from rewarding elite travelers to monetizing every available seat. So, instead of simply rewarding travelers who shelve out the funds for first class, airlines are shifting to a model of making sure that every single seat is filled, which makes sense.

It's worth noting that the first-class upgrade also comes with other bonuses, such as free checked bags, which may cost more than the upgrade itself, and priority boarding. So, it's a good move, all around, for travelers flying Delta.