Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL) Q1 2024 Earnings Call Transcript

Scott Group: Okay. And then, I just want to follow-up just on RASM a little bit. So, if you just — last year, your absolute RASM in the second quarter just meaningfully outperformed seasonality, and then you underperformed in Q3, right? If you look this year, you’re guiding again like to really outperform like pre-pandemic seasonality. I’m wondering, do you think that there is a seasonal shift from Q3 into Q2 relative to what we used to see and does that help in Q2? Does it potentially hurt Q3? I’m just curious your thoughts on that.

Ed Bastian: I have thoughts, some very — yes, it has changed. And it’s related to schools coming back in the South in particular earlier and earlier into August. As a matter of fact, here I believe schools in Georgia go back the first week of August now. And so, that has materially changed, I think over the years, making the second quarter stronger and making the third quarter a bit weaker. But I think we’re — as we think about how we plan that now, we’re incorporating that into our capacity plans moving forward.

Scott Group: Okay. All right. Thank you, guys.

Operator: Thank you. Your next question is coming from Ravi Shanker from Morgan Stanley. Your line is live.

Ravi Shanker: Thanks. Good morning, everyone. So, it looks like your leverage is getting to be in a pretty good place. When do you think you can start flexing the balance sheet for other use of cash, kind of CapEx, cash return kind of over the next 12 months?

Ed Bastian: Well, thanks, Ravi. We’re not in a position yet to make any comments or any decisions around that. We still have more debt than we’re comfortable with and that continues to be the first call on cash to continue to take risk off the table. Interesting, I was looking at some numbers preparing for this call, if you look at our target for the end of this year and you factor in that we actually have eliminated the Pension H obligation, which we had at the end of 2019. We’re actually pretty close to the leverage ratio we were at the end of 2019 entering the pandemic. So, we have made a lot of progress. That said, we’ll be talking a bit about that at our Investor Day in November. And — but the first call will be and will be for some time to pay down the debt. Yes.

Ravi Shanker: Got it. That’s helpful. And maybe as a follow-up and a little bit of a nuanced detail question here, kind of obviously, with the Paris Olympics kind of being a pretty big catalyst for transatlantic travel in this summer, kind of are we thinking of that potentially bringing on some noise towards end of 2Q, early 3Q? Kind of is that something that you would caution us in terms of modeling our cadence versus seasonality?

Ed Bastian: Well, generally, the Olympics are not good for airline revenues, and this year I think is no exception to that. So, while we see a very favorable backdrop for Europe in its totality, there are some challenges for Paris as generally business travel ceases to and from the local markets as the Olympics approach. So, I wouldn’t say that that’s going to be a windfall. It’s actually going to be a bit of a headwind for us in the numbers we shared with you.

Glen Hauenstein: That said, we are very excited as the sponsor of Team USA for the Paris Olympics and we’ll get through it.

Ravi Shanker: Very helpful. Thanks, guys.

Operator: Thank you. Your next question is coming from Helane Becker from TD Cowen. Your line is live.

Helane Becker: Thanks very much, operator. So, hi, team. I just have two questions. In the first quarter, your landing fee seemed a little bit higher than I would normally expect to see for a first quarter. Is that — maybe you can explain that rather than me suggesting what it could be? And then for my follow-up question, one of the issues that American Express cardholders have, of which I am one, is acceptance rate, especially in Europe. And I’m wondering if you’re starting to see an improvement in that area as well. Thank you.

Dan Janki: Yes. On landing fees, when you look at it year-over-year, yes, they’re up, volume, one; two related to the cut-in as it relates to our generational redevelopment projects, you’re picking up some of that expense. And then I would say the third item, airports across the country in 2022 and 2023 benefited from Cares. And as those have now gone away, they’re adjusting their rates and you’re seeing that come through.

Helane Becker: Okay. That’s very helpful.

Ed Bastian: And on American Express global acceptance rates, we worked very hard years back with American Express on improving the domestic acceptance rates and right now they’re at all-time highs in terms of the number of merchants that you can use American Express at domestically and they are also doing that internationally. So, particularly places that we’re strong and we work with them on prioritizing those places that Americans like to go for vacations.

Helane Becker: Okay. Well, that’s very helpful. Thank you, guys.

Operator: Thank you. Your next question is coming from Andrew Didora from Bank of America. Your line is live.

Andrew Didora: Hey, good morning, everyone. So, Glen, I had a question just with regards to your capacity. How are you thinking about the cadence as we move into the back half of the year? Obviously, with the first half capacity up north of 6%, 3Q schedules are still sort of above your 3% to 5% original guide. How should we think about your growth as we move through the back of the year, because it would imply-based on 3Q schedules that 4Q would be down. I kind of find that hard to believe, but just any thoughts there would be helpful. Thank you.