How Delta CEO Ed Bastian built a massive partnership with American Express that now generates over 10% of the airline’s revenue

In 1996, the same year Delta Air Lines transported the Olympic flame from Athens, Greece, to Los Angeles, the Olympic Games were held in its hometown of Atlanta. That same year, the carrier launched a partnership with American Express that would change the company’s trajectory: a co-branded credit card allowing Amex users to redeem Delta SkyMiles. 

Nearly three decades later, the credit card—along with a raft of other perks—accounted for $8 billion, or about 10%, of Delta’s revenue in 2025.