Inside Delta's Strategy to Capture the Premium Traveler

After Covid-19 hit, some wondered whether this pandemic, a Black Swan event no one expected, would change the airline passenger experience forever, altering what customers expected on board and at the airport. But Delta Air Lines reports it is nearly business as usual, even as variants continue to spread, an executive said this week in an interview.

Cleanliness, while important, no longer drives as much preference as earlier in the pandemic, said Ranjan Goswami, senior vice president for customer experience. Instead, despite all the change and upheaval, the airline's customers say they want the same stuff as in pre-pandemic times — faster Wi-Fi with streaming capability, on-time performance, and a more premium, more consistent experience, with hot food in business class. Customers also want more self-service options and digital tools so they can solve problems without speaking to an airport agent.

"People are g