Delta Air Lines vs easyJet

Overview

Delta Air Lines is a major US carrier headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. According to Wikipedia, it was founded in December 1928 as Delta Air Service and began passenger operations on 17 June 1929. It is a founding member of the SkyTeam alliance and is listed on the New York Stock Exchange. It reported revenue of US$63.4 billion for 2025 and about 103,000 employees.

Network and hubs

Delta operates nine hubs: Atlanta (its largest), Boston, Detroit, Los Angeles, Minneapolis/St. Paul, New York JFK, New York LaGuardia, Salt Lake City and Seattle/Tacoma. As of April 2026, Wikipedia says it flies to 64 countries on more than 1,000 routes across the Americas, Europe, Africa, West and East Asia and Oceania. Regional services under the Delta Connection brand are flown by Endeavor Air, Republic Airways and SkyWest. Delta holds stakes in partners including Virgin Atlantic (49%), LATAM and Aeroméxico, and codeshares with many SkyTeam and other airlines.

Fleet

Wikipedia, citing Delta's 2025 Form 10-K, gives a mainline fleet of 987 aircraft, with an average age of 14.8 years at December 2024. Delta operates the world's largest passenger fleets of the Airbus A220, Boeing 717, 757, 767 and Airbus A330. Wide-bodies (A330, A350, Boeing 767) serve long-haul routes. Delta's Form 10-Q for March 2026 has a detailed fleet table.

On board

Cabins vary by route and aircraft:

• Delta One: lie-flat business class on long-haul and some transcontinental flights, with meals, an amenity kit and bedding.
• First: on domestic and some short- and medium-haul international flights, with 37–40 in of pitch.
• Premium Select: premium economy on many long-haul aircraft.
• Delta Comfort+: 34–36 in of pitch, priority boarding and complimentary drinks on flights of 250 miles or more.
• Main Cabin: 30–33 in of pitch, with free snacks and soft drinks on flights of 250 miles or more. Meals are free on long-haul international routes and sold on some other flights of 900 miles or more.
• Basic Economy: same service with fewer flexibility options, no ticket changes and seats assigned at check-in.

Delta Studio entertainment is available on many aircraft. Wikipedia reports free Wi-Fi for SkyMiles members on most domestic flights from 2025.

Good to know

• Baggage allowances and fees depend on fare, route and status. Check the Delta website before travelling.
• Basic Economy fares do not earn miles or Medallion qualifying miles (since December 2021) and cannot be upgraded.
• Delta Sky Club lounge access comes through membership, top-tier status, certain American Express cards or international Delta One tickets. Day passes ended in January 2019.
• The SkyMiles loyalty programme says miles do not expire.
• Punctuality: Cirium data cited by Wikipedia put Delta at 84.72% on time in 2023. Wikipedia also notes Delta's domestic cancellation rate exceeded the industry average in 2026, with pilot availability cited as a factor.

Overview

easyJet is a British low-cost airline and package holiday group. According to Wikipedia, it was founded in 1995 by Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou and is headquartered at Luton Airport. The parent company, easyJet plc, is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a FTSE 250 constituent. It operates flights through affiliates easyJet UK, easyJet Europe and easyJet Switzerland, and sells package holidays through easyJet Holidays. It is not a member of any of the three major airline alliances.

Network and hubs

The easyJet corporate site reports 1,273 routes to 165 airports in 37 countries as at 31 March 2026. Operating bases listed by Wikipedia include London Gatwick (the largest), London Luton, London Southend, Manchester, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Bristol, Birmingham, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin Brandenburg, Geneva, Lisbon, Milan Malpensa, Nice, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Paris Orly and Rome Fiumicino. The network is mainly short-haul Europe, with services to North Africa.

Fleet

The airline reported 356 aircraft as at 31 March 2026 (source):

• Airbus A319: 79 (156 seats)
• Airbus A320ceo: 180 (180 or 186 seats)
• Airbus A320neo: 75 (186 seats)
• Airbus A321neo: 22 (235 seats)

The average aircraft has 182 seats.

On board

easyJet operates a single-class, low-cost model. This profile does not yet include verified details of seat pitch, meals, entertainment or Wi-Fi. Check the easyJet website for current information.

Good to know

• The frequent-flyer scheme is called easyJet Plus, according to Wikipedia.
• Baggage allowances, change fees and lounge access vary by fare and route. Confirm them on easyjet.com before booking.
• The Wikipedia article gives a figure of 321 aircraft in one section and 356 in its infobox, so the airline's own March 2026 figure is used here.