Delta Air Lines announced yesterday that it is providing all eligible employees with a 4% pay raise, the fourth consecutive increase since emerging from Covid-19 in 2022. This comes after the Atlanta based carrier distributed a $1.4 billion profit sharing bonus to employees around the globe.
Delta is Moving Ahead With Pay Raises Amid an Uncertain Industry Outlook
Delta CEO Ed Bastian announced the pay increase back in January 2025 during a leadership conference when strong travel demand had the airline positioned for its best financial year in history.
Unfortunately, a lot can change over 100 days and we’ve now seen a softening of demand in the travel sector with airlines reforecasting projections downward. Things have changed so much that American elected not to provide guidance past Q2 2025 in an earnings call earlier this month.
When speaking about the market and Delta’s commitment to its people, Bastian said this:
“For a century, Delta has acted on the belief that when we invest in our people first, they deliver excellence for our customers. Combined with the strength and resiliency of our business, these core values will continue to set Delta apart even as we face new pressures.”
With this most recent raise, Delta will have increased investments in compensation by 25% or more for each of its largest frontline workgroups since 2022.
The Delta Difference Starts With Happy Employees
Delta knows that its major differentiator comes from its people. Over my many years of travel I have consistently found that Delta employees are happier and more empowered to do their jobs than just about any other carrier.
I flew through Atlanta on Delta this past weekend and stopped to check out the new Sky Club in Terminal D (review coming soon). Every employee I interacted with was genuinely proud of the new lounge and eager to tell me about it, which is something that can’t be forced from the top down.
A large portion of Delta employees, including flight attendants, are famously non-Union. Delta has made this possible by investing in employees and keeping the unions at bay. It’s a strategy that’s working for the airline it seems as multiple groups have tried to organize only for efforts to fall short.
This may have something to do with the fact that the airline has paid out over $10 billion in profit sharing over the last ten years, with each employee taking home an average of five weeks in extra pay this year. The company was also named one of Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For in 2025.
Summary
Amid shaky market conditions, Delta Air Lines is moving forward with a pay raise for all eligible employees. Though the raise was announced back in January, as Delta was preparing for a stellar financial year, the carrier has committed to a 4% raise across the board for 2025. This is the fourth consecutive year the airline has provided a raise to employees.
