Dear readers,
You called it. In December, Delta Air Lines president Glen Hauenstein teased plans to combat an increasing problem — passengers who book flights but do not show up. Many of you told me airlines have only one solution: overbooking.
On Thursday, during Delta's first quarter earnings call, executives outlined several changes to the airline's revenue management strategy to accommodate three post-Covid phenomena — a higher number of late cancellations, a new booking curve, and a changing (and shrinking) business travel market. It’s not clear these will last forever, but Hauenstein said the airline wants to "harness the demand set better," and make real-time adjustments for what has become the new normal.