Delta to offer BNPL option through AmEx

Through AmEx’s Plan It BNPL tool, AmEx U.S. Customer Card members can now split payments made on Delta.com. The airline’s app will offer the same feature this spring.

Why should we care?
As the airline industry continues to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic, carriers have been forced to compete more aggressively within a smaller market and search for new sources of demand. Delta’s BNPL partnership is a clear attempt to woo younger customers. According to research conducted by AmEx, 68% of millennial and Gen-Z travelers said they would be more likely to book a flight if they could pay it off over time. It may be useful to compare this rollout to Alaska Airlines’s new service, which lets customers sign up for a “Flight Pass,” locking in 12 months of flights below market prices in exchange for a monthly subscription fee. If Alaska’s strategy pans out, then this may compel other carriers to prioritize novel independent revenue models (like Alaska’s strategy) over new financial partnerships (like Delta’s).