Delta Will not Fly Slim Physique Planes Throughout Atlantic Due To “Model Points”

In the course of the current Q3 2025 Delta Air Strains earnings name, a senior government on the airline made some attention-grabbing feedback in regards to the forms of planes the airline will fly throughout the Atlantic, which may solely be described as a swipe at United. Nevertheless, do the feedback truly make sense? Let’s have a look… because of Matt for flagging this.

Delta’s unusual stance on lengthy haul slim physique flying

Throughout Delta’s current earnings name, Sheila Kahyaoglu, an Analyst at Jeffries, requested Delta President Glen Hauenstein the next about transatlantic flying:

“How can we take into consideration Atlantic capability subsequent yr, Glen, you talked about extra evenly dispersed. I assume how are you serious about that? And perhaps secondly, given your competitor simply introduced some new additions, how are you serious about aggressive capability, your personal community planning, in addition to the A330, A350 product?”

Right here’s a part of how Hauenstein responded:

“Effectively, I believe our product is finest in school within the transatlantic. We proceed to watch our relative efficiency by way of Web Promoter Scores. It’s main proper now, and it’s going to get a lot better as we proceed to ship new airplanes with the Delta One suites and with the improved Delta Premium Choose and bigger Delta C+ cabin. So I’m actually excited in regards to the product that we’re placing in market.”

“We’ve chosen to not fly slim our bodies within the transatlantic due to product and model points. And so we’re not going to go in that route.”

Earlier than I share my ideas, let me present a little bit of context right here:

• Hauenstein is presumably referencing how United is more and more flying Boeing 737 MAXs in transatlantic markets, the place the ahead cabin is being offered as premium financial system
• Hauenstein is also referencing how United flies Boeing 757s in some transatlantic markets, the place the ahead cabin is marketed as Polaris enterprise class, making it among the many solely non-direct aisle entry lengthy haul enterprise class of any US airline
• It’s additionally doable that Hauenstein is not directly referencing how Delta hasn’t ordered the Airbus A321XLR, whereas each American and United are going huge on that airplane, together with for transatlantic flying
• Arguably what Hauenstein is saying isn’t truly correct — Delta does fly Boeing 757s seasonally to Iceland, and I believe most individuals would typically categorize that as a transatlantic flight

Are there product and model points with slim our bodies?

There’s no denying that some customers don’t like the thought of flying slim physique planes on lengthy haul flights — I’ve written in regards to the professionals and cons of this prior to now. With the A321XLR being one of many latest plane in service, we’re going to see extra transatlantic flights with single aisle planes.

That being mentioned, of all the explanations to not fly slim physique planes on longer haul flights, product and model points looks like among the extra uncommon justifications.

If we’re taking a look at United’s 737 MAX Europe enlargement, for instance, the important thing level to know is that every one of those flights are to locations you wouldn’t in any other case have the ability to attain nonstop from the US. For instance, it’s not like United is flying 737 MAXs from Newark (EWR) to Frankfurt (FRA). As an alternative, the airline is flying them to locations like Santiago de Compostela, Spain (SCQ), an airport that isn’t even served by any SkyTeam airline.

So do the perceived “product and model points” outweigh providing service to an airport that’s in any other case onerous to get to? Should you ask me, that looks like a stretch. It’s not just like the airline is promoting the ahead cabin as enterprise class. And if there are model points with this, then how does Delta clarify flying 757s to Iceland?

There’s additionally an irony to Delta worrying about product points, when the provider’s 767-300ERs have the worst worldwide huge physique enterprise class product of any of the “huge three” carriers, and people are used on every kind of routes to Europe.

Relating to the A321XLR, I can completely perceive if Delta has simply determined it will possibly’t make the economics of the jet work, given the low capability of those planes, plus the labor prices at US airways. On the identical time, in the long term (as soon as 767-300ERs are taken off transatlantic flights), Delta’s smallest lengthy haul plane would be the A330. Meaning there will probably be every kind of markets that American and United could make work with their A321XLRs, which Delta can’t make work, merely from a capability standpoint. Will that turn into a aggressive drawback for Delta?

Backside line

In current occasions, we’ve seen United more and more use slim physique planes for its lengthy haul enlargement. This isn’t to switch present routes, however as a substitute, so as to add service to markets that merely couldn’t be served with huge physique planes.

Delta executives declare the airline received’t transfer in that route attributable to “product and model points,” although one definitely wonders about that logic. For one, Delta does use 757s for flights to locations like Iceland. Moreover, do the “product and model points” outweigh having the ability to supply service to locations within the first place?

What do you make of Delta’s stance on lengthy haul flying with slim physique planes?