Delta’s bet on wealthy Americans driving the economy is working: Premium seats are set to overtake main cabin for the first time in history

CEO Ed Bastian expressed optimism for the coming months, forecasting full-year adjusted earnings per share (EPS) to come in at around $6, at the high end of previous guidance. The company sees itself strategically positioned to expand margins, increase revenues and capitalize on distinct travel trends as it looks beyond 2025. Results from The most profitable American airline Highlighted a marked trend in passenger preference towards premium travel.

For the first time in Delta’s history, the company now expects that sales of premium seats — long viewed as luxury — will exceed sales of traditional main cabin offerings, and will do so in 2026, a full year earlier than previously expected. When asked about Subsequent call with analysts On his previous prediction that premiums will exceed major in 2027 and whether these trends mean we can expect to see them in 2026, the president Glenn Hoenstine He was positive: “I think you will do it.”

A “turn” in demand for the main compartment

On the earnings call, both Hauenstein and CEO Ed Bastian They discussed what they see as an “inflection” in demand for the main cabin, as revenue from luxury seats — including first class and extra comfort — rose 9% to nearly $5.8 billion in the quarter and corporate travel rebounded sharply, up 8%. Meanwhile, main cabin sales fell 4% to about $6 billion, signaling a shift in consumer behavior that Delta expects to accelerate, which could allow premium seat sales to overtake economy sales by 2027, according to industry forecasts. For the three months ended Sept. 30, Delta reported adjusted revenue of $15.2 billion and adjusted earnings per share of $1.71, both comfortably ahead of Wall Street estimates.

This increase in demand for insurance premiums is directly consistent with the significant concentration of wealth in the United States, where the richest 10% of households accounted for nearly 50% of total consumer spending in the second quarter of 2025, according to Moody’s Analytics. CFO Dan Janke He pointed to Delta’s strategic moves to trim off-peak routes and focus on more profitable flying as a contributor to the results, but Hauenstein spoke almost with surprise at what’s happening: “Premium products used to be loss-making, and now they’re higher-margin products.”

Not only has Delta planted itself on the coasts where the upper middle class lives (and flies from), Hauenstein noted that Delta has “built generational experiences through airports and Delta One lounges,” referring to the upscale lounges that Delta offers as its own. Delta Sky Club lounges are becoming more crowded. “We see a lot of continued forward momentum in premiums,” Hoenstine added. In other words, the richest 10% will continue to spend, and may soon exceed 50% of the consumer economy, if Delta’s results are anything to go by.