Free in-flight Wi-Fi is nice. So is a complimentary cocktail at 35,000 feet. But Delta and T-Mobile aren’t done finding ways to make their customers happy.
The two companies have spent the past few years building a partnership that gives travelers a few extra reasons to choose Delta and T-Mobile. Now, with the launch of T-Mobile’s new T-Mix wireless plans, they’re already thinking about what might come next.
In an interview with Fast Company, Ranjan Goswami, Delta’s chief marketing officer, and Mike Belcher, T-Mobile’s senior vice president of business development, partnerships and loyalty programs, confirmed that they’re exploring additional perks, including potentially expanding Delta’s offerings beyond SkyMiles.
“We started with Miles, but what else can we do together?” Goswami said. “What do T-Mobile customers want?”
Neither executive was ready to share specifics, but both made it clear that the companies have more ideas in the works.
T-Mobile’s new plans could mean more Delta perks
Announced in October, T-Mix takes a different approach to wireless plans. Instead of giving everyone the same collection of benefits, T-Mobile is letting customers pick the perks they’ll actually use.
The plans, which launch in November, come in three tiers: Standard, More, and Loaded. Prices start at $55, $75, and $95 per month for a single line, respectively, with AutoPay, plus taxes and fees.
Depending on their plan, customers can select between one and three benefits through a feature called Picks. Options include subscriptions and perks from companies such as Netflix, Apple Music, DoorDash, YouTube Premium, and Delta Air Lines.
For frequent travelers, one of those choices is Delta SkyMiles, giving eligible T-Mobile customers another way to earn airline rewards.
Customers can also switch up many of their selections during designated windows throughout the year, so they’re not necessarily stuck with the same perks forever.
And Delta might eventually offer more than just miles.
“You know, I would hope that our offering in T-Mix is even more broad,” Goswami told Fast Company when asked what the partnership might look like three years from now.
“I think there’s so much space to experiment there because T-Mobile’s built a platform that allows us to put so many choices in front of customers, and we’re excited to kind of be a part of that journey,” Goswami said.
Belcher said customer feedback will play a big role in determining what gets added next. T-Mobile is already gathering suggestions from customers and frontline employees, and those ideas could help shape future offerings.
“And so, you know, if we get other ideas from customers on what they want to see between Delta and T-Mobile, that’s something we’ll look at,” Belcher said.
For now, neither company has announced any specific new Delta perks or when they might arrive.
From free Wi-Fi to drinks and now airline miles
The Delta and T-Mobile partnership has come a long way since the companies first teamed up to bring free in-flight Wi-Fi to Delta passengers.
What started as a connectivity benefit has grown into something much bigger.
According to Goswami, Delta expects to surpass 115 million logins to its Delta Sync Wi-Fi service, powered by T-Mobile, this year. The service is now available on roughly 1,300 aircraft, including flights to the Asia Pacific region.
And passengers are doing a lot more than checking email. With free connectivity, travelers can stream entertainment, catch up on work, or follow live sporting events while they’re in the air.
The companies later added another benefit: a complimentary premium in-flight drink for eligible T-Mobile customers flying Delta.
Now, with SkyMiles available through T-Mix, the partnership is expanding beyond the flight itself.
“We added on drinks. Now we’re in T-Mix, and you know, watch this space. We’re working on more stuff,” Goswami said.
Belcher said the goal behind expanding the partnership is pretty straightforward.
“What influenced us to evolve it was to continue to deliver more value to our customers,” he said. And the conversations aren’t stopping with T-Mix.
“You know, we’re continuing to talk about other things that we can do across our ecosystem,” Belcher said.
Of course, those freebies also have a business benefit.
Goswami described how something as simple as a complimentary drink could get passengers talking. If someone sitting next to a T-Mobile customer sees them receive a free drink, they might start wondering what other perks they’re missing out on. That could make them more interested in switching wireless carriers. Likewise, a T-Mobile customer who starts earning Delta miles might be more inclined to book their next flight with the airline.
In other words, a free drink isn’t necessarily just a nice gesture. It can also be a pretty effective marketing tool.
Why Delta and T-Mobile want to keep expanding their partnership
The companies’ relationship is also part of a bigger shift in how brands think about customer loyalty.
These days, earning points or getting the occasional discount isn’t always enough to keep customers coming back. Companies are increasingly teaming up with brands outside their industries to offer benefits people can use in everyday life.
“I think partnerships are the future. No brand can be on their own,” Goswami said.
Delta already has relationships with American Express, Starbucks, and Uber, giving customers opportunities to earn rewards in places that have little to do with booking a flight.
T-Mobile has been doing something similar for years through T-Mobile Tuesdays, which offers customers weekly freebies, discounts, and other benefits.
Belcher explained that the company’s approach to loyalty is a little different from the traditional model. Rather than asking customers to prove how loyal they are to T-Mobile, the company wants to show customers why it’s worth sticking around.
“We flip the script on loyalty a little bit,” Belcher said. “We feel it’s T-Mobile’s job to show our loyalty to our customers.”
T-Mix takes that idea further by giving customers more say in which benefits they receive, rather than assuming everyone wants the same things. And for Delta, that creates an opportunity to reach customers who might not otherwise be thinking about the airline.
Neither company is saying exactly what the next benefit will be. But considering how quickly the partnership has grown from free Wi-Fi to cocktails and airline miles, there’s a good chance customers will have more to look forward to.
As Goswami put it, the companies are already working on more stuff.
