Having lived in New York City, London, and Hong Kong, I’ve been a status holder on several airlines. Sometimes I love to travel, and other times it’s truly exhausting. Either way, Delta is the airline I choose—even when it’s more expensive.
As a Black executive and an avid skydiver, one thing has become clear to me over the years: Delta feels the most inclusive to me. And the vast majority of my Black friends that are frequent flyers use Delta as their primary airline, too.
No corporation is perfect when it comes to inclusion. And I have heard stories of others having negative experiences with Delta. I won’t excuse those incidents nor minimize those negative experiences.
Delta has not paid me to write this article, and I don’t mean to provide any free advertising for them. But, as the CEO of my own business, my experience at Delta has taught me a lot about what it means to build an organization that feels inclusive.
Ultimately, this article isn’t about Delta, but rather about reflecting on what brands can do to best serve customers. Here are my takeaways.
Service from the start
If the Drake lyric “started from the bottom now we’re here” was an airline, it would be Delta.
Too often, it has been my experience on other airlines that you’re not treated like somebody until you’re a high-level status holder. When I was the youngest-serving member of the MIT Sloan Executive Alumni Board, I recall my dean saying “the MIT alumni experience starts on your first day as a student.” I recall feeling impressed that he so eloquently put into words the value of prioritizing alumni from day one. This is how I have always felt on Delta.
America is still relatively early in its journey toward racial equality. My own 66-year old mother went to segregated schools in North Carolina until the 6th grade. And the vast majority of Black adults like me aren’t coming from wealthy families where traveling in luxury was a norm. So, for many Black adults today, we are still starting our travel journeys. In my experience, Delta embraces that journey for us with decency and respect.
Before I held any status on Delta, I remember constantly thinking, “wow, they’re so nice to me.” It was different. And now that I am a Diamond Medallion member, they make it so easy for me to include my family and friends. From being able to “gift” status as a perk, to allowing my friends to upgrade with me based on my status, Delta makes it easy to bring my people along.
Here’s what I learned: Treating all of your customers with respect, regardless of their status, can help control for other kinds of bias that is so often baked into our society. And it can help build life-long loyal customers.
Reflecting all customers
Delta was the first airline with which I not only saw myself today, but also saw the traveler I wanted to be in the future. I recall being surprised the first time I saw a poster of a Black family enjoying the luxuries of the Delta lounge.
And the inclusion didn’t just stop there. I often walk down the jet bridge of LaGuardia or John F. Kennedy Airport onto a Delta flight and see posters that include gay couples, interracial couples, and a variety of family compositions. It felt like everyone was included and welcomed to the brand. We were all part of the family—all on equal footing—and it honestly just felt good to see. To me, it feels like Delta doesn’t tokenize Black people; rather, they include them.
Truly inclusive organizations prioritize making all customers feel seen and welcome.
Removing friction
There is a decades-old mantra shared with almost every Black kid in America, it seems: “You have to work twice as hard to get half as much.” In our professional lives, we expect to work harder for that promotion. We expect to fight harder to have our voice heard, or get a seat at the table. The list goes on. I cannot understate the collective exhaustion of Black professionals today. For many of us, we’re just tired of fighting.
So, whether it’s being able to easily get an automatic upgrade as a low status holder, use the app to change my flight seamlessly, or enjoy a mimosa in Delta Comfort+, Delta is where I can truly let my hair down, and relax.
What this taught me is that removing barriers and friction for customers is not only good for business, it’s also good for inclusion.
Now, is Delta perfect? Of course not. No organization is. But outside of skydiving, where I jump out of planes for fun many times a month, it’s the place in the sky that I’ll call home.
Isa Watson is the founder and CEO of a venture-capital backed social app, Squad, a skydiver, and author of the upcoming book, Life Beyond Likes: Logging Off Your Screen and Into Your Life. Follow her on Instagram & Twitter at @isadwatson