With the NFC and AFC Championships featuring rivalry games this coming Sunday, this is the perfect time to go over a brewing rivalry that’s going on in the US Airline industry. That would be between the US legacy carriers Delta and United Airlines. Recently United has been attempting to take aim at Delta due to the former’s larger network. But there are other things that Delta has the edge on with regards to their service. This will get into more detail on how these two carriers compete. Starting with network/fleet size.
Route Network and Fleet
To begin with United has the largest airline network in the world and can fly anywhere they want to. In my post about the state of United Airlines, I talked about how United is able to plan new flights utilizing a vast array of aircraft as well as up gauge on existing routes. For example, if Newark to London Heathrow has higher demand than expected, United can easily swap a Boeing 767 (240 passengers max.) with a 777(350 passengers max.) in response.
On the other hand, Delta’s widebody fleet consists of mainly midsized widebodies such as the A330 and 767. Their A350-900 can hold up to 306 passengers. This is also why the Atlanta-based carrier decided to order up to 20 A350-1000s in order to remain competitive. In addition, United’s hard products are more consistent throughout their fleet due to their mammoth order of up to 270 new narrowbody aircraft as well as an order for 100 787 Dreamliners.
Not only were they able to procure aircraft, United also is in the process of retrofitting their narrowbodies with the United NEXT program with the latest bells and whistles. Moreover, the Polaris Business Class is the same in all of their widebody fleet. Delta on the other hand doesn’t have consistency with their Delta One hard product. While the newest aircraft (A350 and A330-900) has the latest Delta One, older aircraft don’t. But it isn’t just United’s fleet and network that they have the edge on.
Polaris Lounge
United also has an advantage on Delta with their lounge offering specifically with business class travelers. United has their Polaris Lounge for international business class passengers and is featured at all their hubs (except Denver).
Delta on the other hand just has their SkyClubs for their frequent fliers regardless of class. However Delta last year unveiled their Delta One lounge in response to United. Currently, Delta has this lounge in New York JFK, Boston, and Los Angeles with a new lounge opening up in Seattle in June of this year. But despite all these moves by United, there are reasons to believe that Delta will still have the edge.
Delta's Advantages
Even though United is catching up to Delta, the Atlanta-based carrier still has some distinct advantages. First and foremost is their customer experience. The airline is consistently the industry’s best in this category receiving awards from the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and JD Power.
In addition, their soft offerings are superior with their catering and other amenities. Lastly is their leadership. While United CEO Scott Kirby is young and ambitious, Delta CEO Ed Bastian is steadfast in his approach while having a better relationship with his employees. When an airline takes better care of their employees, it eventually carries over into their customers. If you want to learn more about this, I highly recommend watching this video from flaps 10 below:
Will United Overtake Delta?
With all of this being said, is United overtaking Delta? Even though United has a much larger network on paper, Delta still has an edge in customer satisfaction and a stronger brand image. United could overtake Delta if they can get a deal done with their Flight Attendant union as well as improve on their catering. One day, I’m going to do a transcon throwdown and truly see which airline is better. But what do you guys think? Will United be the Top Gun in the US Aviation? Or will Delta stay as the king? Do let me know in the comments below and keep looking to the sky!
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