Deltas Q1 Earnings: Key Analyst Questions and Future Strategies to Watch
Delta's first quarter of 2025 has garnered a positive market reaction, as investors have responded favorably to the airline's ability to generate steady revenue growth and maintain profitability amid a turbulent operating environment. The company's management attributes the quarter's performance to the continued resilience of higher-margin segments, particularly Premium cabins and Loyalty programs, as well as strong international travel demand. CEO Ed Bastian highlighted Delta's "industry-leading reliability and premium service," while President Glen Hauenstein noted that "approximately 60% of our total revenue now comes from diverse, high-margin streams."
Despite softness in domestic Main Cabin demand and a more challenging macroeconomic backdrop, Delta's diversified revenue mix and operational discipline helped offset these headwinds. The company reported revenue of $14.04 billion, beating analyst estimates by 2.1% year-on-year and missing GAAP EPS estimates by 6.9%. Adjusted EBITDA was $1.2 billion, missing analyst estimates by 8.5%. Revenue Passenger Miles were up 1.47 billion year on year, at 55.68 billion.
During the Q&A session, analysts posed several questions regarding Delta's performance and future strategies. Conor Cunningham (Melius Research) questioned whether ongoing domestic softness could spill over to Premium and International segments, but President Glen Hauenstein explained that they are monitoring closely but see no evidence of weakness outside the Main Cabin yet. Andrew Didora (Bank of America) asked about the timing and geographic focus of capacity cuts, which Hauenstein clarified will begin in August, concentrated in the Southeast, and mainly affect off-peak Main Cabin flights. Catherine O’Brien (Goldman Sachs) probed how Delta can maintain cost targets while reducing capacity, and CFO Dan Janki detailed strategies including flexible labor scheduling, maintenance timing, and supplier negotiations. Duane Pfennigwerth (Evercore) sought specifics on which fleet types are being retired and the drivers of loyalty growth, with Hauenstein noting focus on retiring 757s, 767s, and older A319/A320s, and that loyalty growth is primarily from increased cardholder spend. Tom Fitzgerald (TD Cowen) inquired about competitive dynamics and risk of customer trade-down to low-cost carriers, with Hauenstein arguing that Delta’s strong brand and loyalty program should allow it to retain share, even as yields may fall.
In coming quarters, the StockStory team will be watching several key indicators for Delta's performance, including whether capacity reductions improve profitability on domestic routes, the resilience of Premium and International demand as macro uncertainty persists, and the ongoing impact of cost-cutting measures on margins and free cash flow. Fleet retirements, booking trends for summer travel, and the execution of new MRO contracts will also be important markers for Delta’s performance.
Delta currently trades at $48.19, up from $35.92 just before the earnings. Is there an opportunity in the stock? Find out in our full research report (it’s free).
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