Delta president Glen Hauenstein, who helped turn airline into industry profit leader, to retire in February

Delta Air Lines President Glen Hauenstein, who propelled the carrier to become the industry’s profit leader and championed the airline’s lucrative embrace of travelers willing to spend a little extra for a more luxurious travel experience, is retiring in February.

“Glen and his team have been central to Delta’s premium strategy, as we evolved over two decades to become the airline of choice for travelers who want to invest in great experiences in the air and on the ground,” CEO Ed Bastian said in a note to employees. “I could not have asked for a better co-pilot to help lead Delta in becoming the best performing airline in the world.”

Delta is promoting Joe Esposito, who has been at Delta for 35 years — most recently as senior vice president of network planning, pricing and revenue management — to executive vice president and chief commercial officer.

Hauenstein, 64, has been with Delta since 2005 and was named to his current role in 2016. He was previously executive vice president and chief revenue officer at the airline. He will become a strategic advisor until the end of 2026.

During his tenure, Hauenstein grew Delta’s international network and helped the airline identify new ways to earn more per seat, in part by successfully getting customers to pay for first-class seats it used to give away for free. In October, Delta said that premium-travel revenue would overtake sales from main cabin next year.

At times, Delta’s strategies proved successful with too many customers. Overcrowding in its Sky Club airport lounges prompted the airline to raise the entry bar to get rid of unsightly lines.

“Glen has played a significant role in Delta’s transformation since its [2005] bankruptcy filing,” said Henry Harteveldt, founder of Atmosphere Research Group, a travel-industry consulting firm. Hauenstein pushed for the now-industry standard to move the loyalty program to reward spending and not just miles flown and encouraged Delta to invest in better pricing and revenue software, he said.

Harteveldt added that Delta must also figure out when it will upgrade its cabin interiors and make sure it’s not alienating customers, some of whom have complained about high redemption rates for frequent flyer miles.

While Delta continues to generate more profit than other carriers, competitors like United Airlines have been investing heavily in revamped cabins, complimentary fast Wi-Fi and new planes. American Airlines, which had been late to the luxury travel boom, is also investing in better products on board and at the airport.

Along with leaning into affluent consumers, Hauenstein had also noted a trend of wealthy baby boomers who were willing to travel.

“Being a baby boomer, I can say this without fear of retribution. There’s only so much time to go to Europe or almost so much time to go see Australia or Japan,” he said on an earnings call in April. “And so you’ve got this wealth effect where this cohort of retirees is wealthier than any other cohort even with the most recent rundown, and they want to go do things.”