Delta Says Travelers Still Love Airline Credit Cards Even Though Miles Are Worth Less
Photo Credit: American Express and Delta have considerable competition in the airline-branded credit card space, but Delta said customers still want new cards in record numbers. Delta Air Lines
Skift Take
Yes, airline frequent flyer programs probably were more lucrative a decade ago. But savvy travelers can still get a lot of value out of the programs and their affiliated credit cards.
Airline customers love to complain that miles aren't worth what they used to be — and in almost all cases, that's true, thanks to some impressive recent inflation — but travelers still love airline credit cards, Delta Air Lines executives said Thursday.
During its second quarter earnings call, the airline said it's on-track for its fourth consecutive record year of new credit card acquisitions through its partnership with American Express. The company has been Delta's credit card issuer since 1996, with the sides re-upping their deal most recently in 2014.
"We are the leading growth vehicle in their co-brand portfolios by a large margin," Ed Bastian, Delta's CEO, told analysts.
It may sound surprising. For one, there's a dizzying number of airline branded credit cards available, and some carriers, like American Airline
