Corporate travel professionals have rated Delta No. 1 in the annual Business Travel News Airline Survey for the 11th year in a row by a wide margin, citing the airline’s responsiveness to customers as well as its flexibility-minded approach throughout the pandemic and beyond.

"Delta's historic 11th consecutive Business Travel News award is because of the Delta people who go the extra mile every day for our customers,” said Steve Sear, E.V.P. – Global Sales and Distribution. “We've spent the past year working tirelessly to ensure our customers are comfortable returning to the skies. We continue to prioritize and make investments that improve and elevate the travel experience – from curb to claim – while delivering exceptional service to all of our travelers.”

The survey asks corporate travel professionals to rank airlines on range of key attributes, including customer service, distribution, and pandemic response. Delta not only led all categories – the only airline to sweep for eight consecutive years – it also built on its scores year-over-year.

Key to this achievement are Delta’s world-class people, who have earned a number of other customer satisfaction awards this year – including the No. 1 spot in the J.D. Power 2021 North America Airline Satisfaction Study. 

Based on survey feedback, Delta’s business customers cited the following as most valued in 2021:  

• The elimination of change fees, allowing free standby for same-day changes and introducing more refundable fare products.
• Extended Medallion Status and key SkyMiles benefits into January 2023 to give the airline’s most loyal customers more flexibility.
• Continued to prioritize health and safety by maintaining and evolving the Delta CareStandard^SM with the help of customer feedback and guidance from Chief Health Officer, Dr. Henry Ting.  
• Increased staffing across the operation by 8,000 people, hiring new employees in Airport Customer Service and Reservations & Customer Care, as well as pilots and flight attendants.
• Established a leading role in making positive change, from being the first airline to commit to becoming carbon neutral on a global basis to closing the diversity gap both within the walls of our own company and the communities where we live, work and serve.
• Ensured all corporate customers remained well-informed of the latest developments throughout the pandemic, including hosting innovative town halls and providing frequent and transparent communication.

“The BTN survey is Delta’s report card in showcasing how we always strive to listen to our customers and act upon their valuable feedback,” said Bob Somers, S.V.P. – Global Sales. “Our Sales mantra of ‘Listen. Act. Listen’ guides the way in putting our travelers at the core of every decision we make, and we’ll continue to do so throughout our recovery and beyond. I couldn’t be prouder of the Delta people worldwide who consistently deliver a premium experience and set us apart from the rest because in short – our customers notice.”

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.