It’s hard to believe, but the year will be wrapping up soon. It really seems like just yesterday was the start of spring, and both spring and summer travel was on the minds of Americans everywhere. But, the first day of fall is just days away, and with that comes getting ready for holiday travel as the year winds down.
When it comes to travel, Delta Air Lines is one of the biggest airlines in the world. The airline helps 200 million travelers to more than 350 vacation spots annually. “We remain committed to ensuring that the future of travel is connected, personalized and enjoyable,” the company says on their website.
Delta Air Lines Has Positive Projections
Now, Delta has delivered some good news. While the airline previously predicted that travel would only grow 0 percent to 4 percent this year, due to much lighter travel earlier in the year, they’ve changed that projection.
Now, according to Delta’s full-year and current-quarter earnings forecasts released on Thursday, September 11, the airline is projecting growth of 2 percent to 4 percent, which is better than that 0 percent to 4 percent initial prediction. It’s a sign that travel demand is on the upswing again, and major airlines are expressing optimism about the future of travel heading into the end of the year.
According to the Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, airfares rose 4 percent in July 2025, which is part of the reason for the optimism. The report also showed that Americans are taking advantage of travel discounts to travel both in the U.S. and outside the country.
According to Seeking Alpha, “The company, which is presenting at the Morgan Stanley Laguna Conference later today, said it now sees Q3 revenue between $16B and $16.3B before adjusting for third-party refinery sales and revenue of $14.9B to $15.2 billion after adjustments.” They add that the Seeking Alpha consensus estimate for Q3 revenue for Delta is $15.79 billion.
The news caps off a good year for Delta, even though travel has largely been down for all airlines. The airline was No. 11 on the 2024 tally of Fortune’s 50 Most Admired Companies, ranking higher than any other airline on the Top 50 list. It was also No. 1 on the roster of Fortune 50’s Most Admired Airlines.
