Delta's premium cabins keep growing, but fuel cuts its 2026 profit outlook

Delta Air Lines is making more money from people who sit up front, but fuel is eating into it. The airline reported its third-quarter results on Oct. 9, and the message was mixed. Demand is strong, yet profit fell short of what Wall Street wanted, and Delta cut its outlook for the year.

Fuel costs drag down profit

Delta earned $1.72 a share in the quarter, excluding special items. Analysts had expected about $1.92. Adjusted revenue rose 16% to $17.6 billion. That figure leaves out sales from Delta's oil refinery. Counting the refinery, revenue topped $20 billion.

The problem is jet fuel. Delta now expects to spend about $6 billion more on fuel this year than it planned. Tension between the United States and Iran has pushed prices up across the industry. CFO Erik Snell said jet fuel was running around $4.50 a gallon this week.

So Delta lowered its 2026 forecast to $5.10 to $5.60 a share, down from $6.50 to $7.50 in July. For the fourth quarter, it expects $1.15 to $1.65 a share, with revenue up about 20%. The quarter is already almost 60% booked, and CEO Ed Bastian says holiday demand is strong.

The front of the plane keeps growing

Premium revenue rose 18% in the quarter, faster than the airline as a whole. Loyalty revenue also rose 18%. Corporate sales grew by double digits, and the week after Labor Day was Delta's best week ever for business bookings.

Delta's credit card deal with American Express is a big part of that story. Bastian said Amex should pay Delta more than $9 billion this year, on the way to $10 billion.

The airline is leaning into the trend. It plans to grow premium seats by 6% to 7%, while total seats in the fourth quarter grow less than 2%. Main Cabin seats will actually shrink compared with a year ago. If you fly economy, expect fewer cheap seats and fuller planes. If you buy up, expect Delta to keep adding the seats you want.

Lounges get a new service push

On the earnings call, Delta said it has started a hospitality training program for staff at its 60 lounges and clubs. That covers Sky Clubs and the Delta One lounges for long-haul business class travelers.

Los Angeles is the showcase. Delta now runs two Delta One lounges there, including the Delta One Lounge in Terminal 3, plus the Sky Club in Terminal 3. Delta One passengers also get a private path from the curb to the lounge. The Sky Club in Terminal 2 is closed while it is rebuilt. Seattle has a Delta One Lounge and two Sky Clubs.

More premium flyers also means more crowded clubs. In New York, the line to get into the LaGuardia Sky Club has hit 80 minutes at busy times, even with visit limits in place.

The Pacific push, and a Riyadh question

Delta is growing fastest overseas. From Los Angeles, it is adding flights to Hong Kong, Manila and the South Pacific. Executives say the goal is to beat United across the Pacific. United CEO Scott Kirby scoffed at the plan in late September. He told his pilots that the Pacific markets Delta is opening are "low yield and half empty."

The newest route is the hardest one. Delta plans to start flying from Atlanta to Riyadh on Oct. 23 on an Airbus A350. It would be the first nonstop flight to Saudi Arabia's capital by a US airline. But Houthi missile attacks hit Riyadh's airport this week and killed three people, including a Saudia pilot. Bastian said that "safety is going to make the call" and that Delta will update customers soon. Our Riyadh story has the latest on which airlines are flying.

Closer to home, Delta had a rough start to the week. On Oct. 6, a technology problem cut the link to some of its systems behind the scenes. Delta said on Oct. 7 that its systems were stabilizing.

What it means for travelers

Delta is betting that customers will keep paying more for comfort, even as fuel gets pricier. Bastian says Delta raised fares about 20% this year and expects them to hold even if fuel falls.

For SkyMiles members, a new perk is on the way. Delta and World of Hyatt plan to let elites in each program earn in the other, starting in the coming months.

If you hold a Sky Club membership or an Amex card that gets you in, plan for busy clubs at peak times. If you are booked to Riyadh, watch your email and the Fly Delta app. Delta has not said yet whether the Oct. 23 launch will go ahead.