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Snapshot: A Look at Delta Air Lines by the Numbers

Aug. 27, 2019
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3 min read
A Delta Air Lines MD-90 takes off from Atlanta in June 2014
Snapshot: A Look at Delta Air Lines by the Numbers
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Delta Air Lines, which traces its origins to crop dusters in the southern US, adopted its current name in 1928 and has grown into one of the airline industry's iconic companies.

This decade, Delta has been buoyed by recognition for on-time flights and high customer-satisfaction levels. Its crews are easy to spot in newly updated uniforms by Zac Posen. Delta briefly became the world's largest carrier following its 2008 acquisition of Northwest, although it was overtaken by United after that airline's merger with Continental in 2010.

Delta recently reclaimed the title of world's largest airline by revenue, at least during the second quarter of 2019. Delta also has long operated the largest airline hub in the world at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.

Related: 5 Things You Need to Know About Delta SkyMiles


Here's what else you need to know about Delta:

Headquarters: Atlanta

CEO: Ed Bastian

Destinations: 304 in 52 countries

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Hubs: Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, Los Angeles, Minneapolis/St. Paul, New York JFK, New York LaGuardia, Salt Lake City and Seattle

Focus cities: Austin, Texas; Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky; Nashville; Raleigh/Durham and San Jose, California

Daily Departures: Around 5,000

Frequent-flier Program: SkyMiles

Frequent-flier Alliance: SkyTeam

Related: Delta Air Lines Says Boston Is Now One of Its Hub Cities

Busiest Airports by Number of Delta Passengers in 2018

  1. Atlanta (81.98 million)
  2. Minneapolis-St. Paul (26.06 million)
  3. Detroit (25.16 million)
  4. Salt Lake City (17.05 million)
  5. New York John F. Kennedy (16.63 million)
  6. Los Angeles (13.78 million)
  7. New York LaGuardia (11.98 million)
  8. Seattle (11.02 million)
  9. Boston (6.87 million)
  10. Orlando (6.30 million)

Source: Diio by Cirium

Related: The Best Credit Cards for Airline Lounge Access

Delta's Busiest Airports by Average Daily Departures in 2018

  1. Atlanta (918)
  2. Detroit (387)
  3. Minneapolis-St. Paul (367)
  4. Salt Lake City (240)
  5. New York LaGuardia (218)
  6. New York John F. Kennedy (196)
  7. Los Angeles (147)
  8. Seattle (141)
  9. Boston (91)
  10. Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky (64)

Source: Diio by Cirium

Planes in Delta's Fleet (Including Regional Affiliates)

  • Boeing 777 (18)
  • Boeing 767 (77)
  • Boeing 757 (116)
  • Boeing 737 (217)
  • Boeing 717 (91)
  • Airbus A350 (13)
  • Airbus A330 (44)
  • Airbus A321 (83)
  • Airbus A320 (62)
  • Airbus A319 (57)
  • Airbus A220 (18)
  • McDonnell-Douglas MD-88 (74)
  • McDonnell-Douglas MD-90 (34)
  • Canadair CRJ900 (158)
  • Canadair CRJ700 (42)
  • Canadair CRJ200 (119)
  • Embraer E175 (106)
  • Embraer E170 (22)

Source: Delta Air Lines 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2019

Related: Choosing the Best Credit Card for Delta Flyers

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  • Intro Offer

    As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.

  • Annual Fee

    $325

  • Recommended Credit

    Excellent to Good

Why We Chose It

There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)

Pros

  • 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
  • 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.