Delta Becomes the Official Airline of the PGA Tour

Delta Air Lines announced today that it will become the official airline of the PGA Tour and the PGA Tour Champions.

Delta has always had strong tie-ins with the game of golf, the carrier is a Tournament Partner of the Masters Tournament and sponsor of the Mizuho Americas Open for the LPGA Tour. Delta also sponsors PGA and LPGA Tour athletes Patrick Cantlay, Stewart Cink, Tony Finau, Rose Zhang, Nelly Korda, Michelle Wie West and Rachel Kuehn.

As part of its partnership with the Masters Tournament, Delta adds a ton of one-off flights to Augusta Regional Airport (AGS). The airline will operate up to 1,900 daily seats into the airport from nine different destinations for this year’s tournament.

Delta CEO Ed Bastian had this to say about the partnership:

“Delta and the PGA TOUR are two global organizations focused on best-in-class performance, a spirit of continuous improvement, and the power of the experience economy. Our partnership with Jay and his team will give customers incredible opportunities to experience the PGA TOUR in new ways while furthering our mission of better connecting the world.” 

PGA Tour Commissioner, Jay Monahan, added:

“We are thrilled to have Delta Air Lines aboard as the Official Global Airline of the PGA TOUR and PGA TOUR Champions. Golf and travel have always been inextricably connected, and we look forward to partnering with Delta on tailored experiences and to bring PGA TOUR content direct to their customers through their inflight entertainment offerings, another display of Delta’s commitment to a highly personalized customer experience.” 

According to the airline, they will work with the PGA Tour to provide bespoke experiences to SkyMiles Members through the SkyMiles Experiences platform. This includes offering access to TPC Network golf courses, including the iconic TPC Sawgrass, and more.

Via the SkyMiles Experiences platform, Members can unlock once-in-a-lifetime opportunities through bid or buy-now options that highlight the powerful and authentic connection between golf fans and Delta’s most loyal customers.

This partnership makes perfect sense to me as Delta has positioned itself as the most premium of the big three U.S. carriers, with United close on its heels. Golf fans tend to be older with more disposable income though I’m not sure how much partnerships like this really influence buying decisions for everyday travelers. It will be interesting to watch what activations and promotions Delta rolls out as part of this partnership.

Summary

Delta Air Lines has become the official airline of the PGA Tour and PGA Tour Champions as part of a multi-year deal. This partnership expands on Delta’s existing golf sponsorships and it will be interesting to see what the airline does to promote this partnership in the future.

(Images courtesy Delta Air Lines)