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REVENUE RECOGNITION
 6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2026
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]  
REVENUE RECOGNITION REVENUE RECOGNITION
Passenger Revenue
Three Months Ended June 30,
Six Months Ended June 30,
(in millions)2026202520262025
Ticket$13,771 $12,246 $24,538 $22,314 
Loyalty travel awards1,247 1,092 2,277 2,033 
Travel-related services589 529 1,094 1,000 
Passenger revenue$15,607 $13,867 $27,909 $25,347 

Ticket

We recognized approximately $5.8 billion and $5.7 billion in passenger revenue during the six months ended June 30, 2026 and 2025, respectively, that had been recorded in our air traffic liability balance at the beginning of those periods.
Loyalty Travel Awards

Loyalty travel awards revenue is related to the redemption of mileage credits ("miles") for air travel. Our SkyMiles loyalty program allows customers to earn miles by flying on Delta, Delta Connection carriers and other airlines that participate in the loyalty program. Customers can also earn miles through participating companies, such as credit card, retail, ridesharing, car rental and hotel companies, who purchase miles from us under their respective marketing agreements. Our most significant contract to sell miles relates to our co-brand credit card relationship with American Express. During the six months ended June 30, 2026 and 2025, total cash sales from marketing agreements related to our loyalty program were $4.5 billion and $4.0 billion, respectively, which are allocated to travel and other performance obligations.

Current Activity of the Loyalty Program. Miles are combined in one homogeneous pool and are not separately identifiable. Therefore, revenue is comprised of miles that were part of the loyalty program deferred revenue balance at the beginning of the period as well as miles that were issued during the period. The timing of mile redemptions can vary widely; however, the majority of miles have historically been redeemed within two years of being earned.

The table below presents the activity of the current and noncurrent loyalty program deferred revenue and includes miles earned through travel and miles sold to participating companies within marketing agreements with those companies.

Loyalty program activity
(in millions)20262025
Balance at January 1$9,262 $8,826 
Miles earned2,701 2,387 
Miles redeemed for air travel(2,277)(2,033)
Miles redeemed for non-air travel and other(116)(109)
Balance at June 30
$9,570 $9,071 

Travel-Related Services

Travel-related services are primarily composed of services performed in conjunction with a passenger’s flight and include baggage fees, administrative fees and on-board sales. We recognize revenue for these services when the related transportation service is provided.

Other Revenue
Three Months Ended June 30,
Six Months Ended June 30,
(in millions)2026202520262025
Refinery$2,091 $1,141 $3,745 $2,203 
Loyalty and related1,344 1,127 2,565 2,209 
MRO315 239 695 390 
Miscellaneous106 62 176 118 
Other revenue$3,856 $2,569 $7,181 $4,920 

Refinery. This represents refinery sales to third parties. See Note 9, "Segments," for more information on revenue recognition within our refinery segment.

Loyalty and Related. This primarily relates to revenue from brand usage by third parties embedded in miles sold, which is included within the total cash sales from marketing agreements, discussed above. Loyalty and related also includes the redemption of miles for non-travel awards and revenue from our vacation package operations, lounge access (including access provided to certain American Express cardholders) and travel products (e.g., commissions from car rentals or hotels booked with our commercial partners).

MRO. This represents revenue from our Delta TechOps third-party maintenance, repair and overhaul ("MRO") business.

Miscellaneous. This is primarily composed of revenues related to codeshare agreements and international commercial joint venture contractual settlements.
Revenue by Geographic Region

Operating revenue for the airline segment is recognized in a specific geographic region based on the origin, flight path and destination of each flight segment. A portion of the refinery segment's revenues consists of fuel sales to the airline, which is eliminated in the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements. The remaining operating revenue for the refinery segment is included in the domestic region. Our passenger and operating revenue by geographic region is summarized in the following tables:

Passenger revenue by geographic region
Three Months Ended June 30,
Six Months Ended June 30,
(in millions)2026202520262025
Domestic$10,673 $9,318 $19,392 $17,418 
Atlantic3,112 2,872 4,629 4,245 
Latin America990 954 2,317 2,288 
Pacific832 723 1,571 1,396 
Total$15,607 $13,867 $27,909 $25,347 

Operating revenue by geographic region
Three Months Ended June 30,
Six Months Ended June 30,
(in millions)2026202520262025
Domestic$13,957 $11,417 $25,459 $21,472 
Atlantic3,620 3,283 5,487 4,929 
Latin America1,146 1,093 2,706 2,615 
Pacific1,034 855 1,959 1,672 
Total$19,757 $16,648 $35,611 $30,688