Delta splits $1.6 billion in 2019 profits among 90,000 employees

Delta is splitting a record $1.6 billion in 2019 profits among its 90,000 employees, the airline has announced. Each employee will receive a bonus worth 16.6% of their base pay — approximately two months' salary.

"Delta would be nothing without our 90,000 people," Delta CEO Ed Bastian said on LinkedIn after the announcement. "They deserve all the credit."

Delta adopted a profit-sharing model after the airline merged with Northwest Airlines in 2012. The 2020 bonuses mark the sixth year in a row that Delta has divvied up more than $1 billion to its employees, coming as 2019 profit margins were a record 23% higher than the year before.

Full- and part-time employees will receive profit-share checks, according to CNN. Do happy employees provide better service? They might well. Delta consistently ranks #1 on "best and worst airlines" lists, including TPG's very own. Our reviewers said that although Delta "didn’t top the timeliness or cancellation categories, it took a more-than-respectable silver medal. That, plus the fact that Delta was buoyed by its pervasive route and lounge networks and commendably low bump rate, was enough to put it over the top over [2018]’s No. 1, Alaska."

“2019 was a truly outstanding year on all fronts — the best in Delta’s history operationally, financially and for our customers," Bastian said in a statement issued to TPG. "Our people, and their commitment to bringing best-in-class travel experiences to our 200 million customers, are the foundation for our success. I’m pleased to recognize their outstanding performance with a record $1.6 billion in profit sharing for 2019. As we enter 2020, demand for travel is healthy and our brand preference is growing, positioning Delta to deliver another year of strong results, including earnings per share of $6.75 to $7.75.”