To hear CEO Ed Bastian, it’s Delta’s world, we just live in it
For Delta, a lot of things changed in the pandemic, but one thing stayed the same: CEO Ed Bastian still touts that his carrier leads the US airline industry. Here’s his most recent proof. Delta has signed its pilot contract, while rivals teeter as they approach the finish line. Also, Delta has decided that the major airlines will have free Wi-Fi. And Delta generates half of the industry’s profits. Speaking this week to a J.P. Morgan investor conference, Bastian said that after signing a pilot deal, “We’re now focused on the marketplace. We’re no longer focused on how to get the contract done.” When it took effect on March 2, the Delta contract was immediately recognized throughout the industry as the template for all future contracts, and while both American and United have publicly committed to move quickly, both carriers are still negotiating with pilots.<br/>As for Wi-Fi, on Feb. 1, at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Bastian announced that Delta would offer free Wi-Fi on all its flights. Like the pilot deal, that set the template for the industry, as Delta became the first of the big four carriers to promise free Wi-Fi, long offered by JetBlue. But the quality of airline Wi-Fi often leaves passengers unsatisfied. “With all the innovation and investment in air travel and our industry over time, there’s one unmet question that still remains to be solved: ‘Why does inflight Wi-Fi suck so bad?’” Bastian said Tuesday. “The reality is, it’s hard,” he said. “It’s a tough thing. It’s great when you’re sitting on the ground and you’re able here in this room to call up anything you want and be connected to anywhere in the world you want. You go up in the sky and you’re traveling at 500 miles an hour, it’s a little more difficult.” During the pandemic, Bastian said, Delta switched its service provider to ViaSat. The carrier now provides free Wi-Fi for 80% of its domestic seats and plans to have Wi-Fi on all international flights by the end of 2024, he said.<br/>
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To hear CEO Ed Bastian, it’s Delta’s world, we just live in it
For Delta, a lot of things changed in the pandemic, but one thing stayed the same: CEO Ed Bastian still touts that his carrier leads the US airline industry. Here’s his most recent proof. Delta has signed its pilot contract, while rivals teeter as they approach the finish line. Also, Delta has decided that the major airlines will have free Wi-Fi. And Delta generates half of the industry’s profits. Speaking this week to a J.P. Morgan investor conference, Bastian said that after signing a pilot deal, “We’re now focused on the marketplace. We’re no longer focused on how to get the contract done.” When it took effect on March 2, the Delta contract was immediately recognized throughout the industry as the template for all future contracts, and while both American and United have publicly committed to move quickly, both carriers are still negotiating with pilots.<br/>As for Wi-Fi, on Feb. 1, at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Bastian announced that Delta would offer free Wi-Fi on all its flights. Like the pilot deal, that set the template for the industry, as Delta became the first of the big four carriers to promise free Wi-Fi, long offered by JetBlue. But the quality of airline Wi-Fi often leaves passengers unsatisfied. “With all the innovation and investment in air travel and our industry over time, there’s one unmet question that still remains to be solved: ‘Why does inflight Wi-Fi suck so bad?’” Bastian said Tuesday. “The reality is, it’s hard,” he said. “It’s a tough thing. It’s great when you’re sitting on the ground and you’re able here in this room to call up anything you want and be connected to anywhere in the world you want. You go up in the sky and you’re traveling at 500 miles an hour, it’s a little more difficult.” During the pandemic, Bastian said, Delta switched its service provider to ViaSat. The carrier now provides free Wi-Fi for 80% of its domestic seats and plans to have Wi-Fi on all international flights by the end of 2024, he said.<br/>
