Recommend attended the Delta Vacations University trade show at the Georgia International Convention Center in Atlanta, Georgia, this September, which brought together around 800 travel experts from the US and Canada to connect with destinations and brands within the Delta Vacations umbrella. The Delta Airlines brand bundles Delta flights with expert-vetted hotels, activities and car rentals to more than 330 destinations in 67 countries worldwide.
The trade show took a break last year to focus on in-destination training for travel advisors. Unlike a traditional FAM trip, Delta Vacations hand-selected individual agents for these trips based on the theme of the training, and then brought in destination experts to provide structured and targeted education in a classroom setting – in addition to providing the advisors the opportunity to experience the destinations for themselves. Following the success of these education sessions, the Delta Vacations University trade show will continue to take place every other year, rather than annually, so the brand can focus on this in-destination training during the off-years.
The company announced a new certification and training program set to launch in 2026, which will enable travel advisors to become Delta Vacations certified. The focus on education is a core component of the brand’s strategy, as it understands the importance of travel advisors as its voice in the marketplace. In order to help advisors better understand the complexity of its SkyMiles program, it has created a range of educational tools and a marketing campaign to communicate how the system works, including flyers, social media posts and short video content.
Delta Vacations is the only tour operator that offers the ability for advisors’ clients to earn bonus miles on top of their flight miles, and then use those miles to pay for their vacation. Clients can earn status by booking with Delta, and also earn Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQDs) on the total package, which accelerates their ability to achieve Medallion status. The company has also reduced the amount of time it takes for MQDs to be deposited following a booking from 6-8 weeks to 15 days for 98 percent of its customers, and intends to extend that turnaround to 100 percent of bookings going forward.
“The one thing that I cannot over-emphasize is the fact that a client can come to their travel advisor with their SkyMiles, pay for their Delta Vacations package, and the advisor still receives their full commission, even on the percentage that’s paid with SkyMiles,” says Kristen Molloy, VP of Sales, Delta Vacations. “That is probably the most important piece of this because it truly shows our travel advisors our commitment to them, and in turn they commit to our programs as well.”
New Delta Vacations Pro Booking Platform for 2026
The company also announced the roll-out of a new booking platform set to launch in the early part of 2026 called Delta Vacations Pro. The modernized, streamlined booking engine has been tested by travel advisors and built with their needs in mind. Features will include side-by-side air pricing, allowing advisors to swiftly calculate what an upsell would look like, as well as helpful sort and filter options that will enable advisors to search by schedules, price and number of stops. The platform will also allow an advisor to see the value of SkyMiles and MDQs in real time ahead of making a booking, as well as provide a centralized hub for booking maintenance.
While the brand acknowledges the evolving role of AI as an assisted contributor to travel, it sees the technology as more of an assistant to travel advisors than a replacement, emphasizing the importance of human connection over automation.
“I think the human element of the travel advisor is core to validating and helping to shape what’s right for clients and their family,” says Kama Winters, President, Delta Vacations. “And I think that in a world that is starting to be driven by computers in a lot of ways, having that human touch – the person that knows who you are – is going to continue to be critical to a lot of the types of travel we want to sell.”
The company reports double digit growth in most areas over the past year as well as its biggest Q4 in 2024 following the introduction of new benefits such as the ability for members to earn MQDs that contribute towards attaining Medallion status.
“When we look specifically at Q4, our next big travel period, what we’re talking about is the push for SkyMiles members,” said Katrin Koenig, Chief Commercial Officer, Delta Vacations. “So what used to be a mileage run at the end of the year, as everyone tried to get to their new status level, this is now really fueling bookings with Delta Vacations. Instead of getting your next status by purchasing three or four flights and frantically traveling during or before the holiday period; now you can book one vacation with Delta Vacations to get to the next tier.”
Sustained Growth in the Luxury Segment
Within the luxury segment, Delta Vacations reports that 95 percent of its land revenue comes from four and five-star properties, while 40 percent of its flight bookings are for premium cabins. In order to meet the demand for luxury experiences, the company has added new product in Europe including six Red Carnation hotels in London, which are all historic family owned luxury properties, as well as SCHLOSS Roxburghe in Scotland, which is a countryside hotel providing an alternative option to staying in Edinburgh. In response to demand for vacation options on the Greek Islands, the brand has added 14 Laconian Collection hotels, which are also family owned luxury properties.
In addition to expanding in Europe, Delta Vacations is also adding new destinations globally, driven by demand from its Medallion members. New product has been added in the last two years to destinations such as Lima, Cusco, Santiago, Curacao, Medellin, Barbados, Granada and Saint Vincent, as well as an upcoming option in Marrakech. The brand has also added more than 300 immersive experiences across 60 percent of its destinations.
“When you think about our Medallion customers, they want premium,” says Koenig. “They really want that quality, so a lot of investment has gone into private tours. Private cab tours in London are very popular and have seen tremendous demand, as well as private truffle hunts in Florence, private guided tours of the Vatican in Rome or the Louvre in Paris. And we’re also looking into the journey in general, not just when you get to the destination but the airport experience, especially in the Caribbean where we have partnered with pre-arrival and departure lounges to give our clients that extra luxury that they expect.”
Delta Vacations reports that booking windows had shortened earlier this year due to the current geopolitical environment, but this uncertainty was sitting less within the luxury segment. However, advance purchase times have now started to elongate again and get back to traditional booking patterns. Premium bookings have remained consistent with no significant declines, and demand overall has continued to pick back up for Q4 this year and into 2026.
“We’re seeing continued opportunity in some of the destinations where we may not necessarily have as complete a portfolio,” says Winters. “Such as smaller niche destinations where we may only have five or six properties, and we’re looking to expand that and give customers more choice. Luxury travelers are looking for more unique destinations, such as castle properties, tree house properties, or once-in-a-lifetime experiences that aren’t the standard opulent hotel. Even if that’s just one or two nights of their trip, and they combine a more traditional hotel stay with some of these unique accommodations for a few days.”
For more information, visit delta.com/us/en/delta-vacations.
