The FINANCIAL — For the 10th year in a row, corporate travel professionals have named Delta the No. 1 airline in the annual Business Travel News Airline Survey, with significant improvements over the airline’s already-leading 2019 scores.
The survey asks corporate travel professionals to rank airlines on a number of important attributes, from customer service to distribution. This year, the survey also asked participants to rank how well each airline responded to the COVID-19 pandemic, including overall response, effective communication and flexibility. Delta earned its top marks for pandemic response, customer service and communication, while also improving its score substantively in all other categories. Again this year, Delta led in all categories, and is the only airline to sweep all categories for seven consecutive years.
Delta is the only airline in survey history to win 10 consecutive times, thanks to its industry-leading employees.
“It’s always an honor to earn our customers’ trust and respect, but to receive this award in 2020 – when the stakes have never been higher – is incredibly gratifying,” said Delta CEO Ed Bastian. “In the face of historic challenges, we’ve stayed true to Delta values and have put our employees and our customers first. This recognition tells us we’re on the right path, and I could not be more thankful or more proud of the Delta team.”
Delta’s actions in 2020 – including many steps we’ve taken to respond to the COVID-19 crisis – have been guided by the airline’s “listen, act, listen” approach, which includes hearing customer feedback, taking action and then listening to make sure we got it right.
“Each year, we look for ways to bring our “keep climbing” spirit to life by going further for our customers,” said Delta President International and EVP Global Sales Steve Sear. “We kicked off 2020 by unveiling a host of new innovations at the Consumer Electronics Show, followed by an industry leading commitment to sustainability. Even though COVID-19 threw the industry and the world a heart-wrenching curveball, we responded by doubling down on the things our customers tell us are most important: their health and safety, continuous communication, and flexibility. The Delta team has banded together like never before this year, with each member working harder than ever for our customers, and for each other. I have never been prouder to be a part of this team. Once again, under incredible circumstances, they’ve proven they’re the best.”
Based on survey feedback, some of the actions Delta customers have most valued in 2020 include:
- Blocking middle seats through Jan. 6, 2021 to provide space for safer travel
- Unparalleled service from Delta’s corporate sales team and employees throughout the operation
- Providing constant communication to corporate customers, including personalized airport tours and Corporate Customer Town Halls so attendees could hear directly from Delta leaders and partner medical experts
- Rigorous mask compliance and implementing more than 100 layers of safety via the Delta CareStandard
- Flexibility, from offering industry-leading flexibility to plan, re-book and travel to eliminating change fees to being the first airline to extend Medallion status and offer extensions for Delta Sky Club Memberships
Business Travel News is the leading global source of business travel information and intelligence, reaching more than 44,000 corporate executives who are responsible for setting travel policy, managing and buying business travel/meetings for their companies.
