Elon Musk and CEO Ed Bastian clash over Starlink, while rivals promote faster Wi-Fi and court Delta’s frequent flyers.

  • Delta is the only major U.S. airline choosing Amazon Leo instead of Starlink for in-flight Wi-Fi. 
  • CEO Ed Bastian criticized Elon Musk’s reputation, prompting Musk to attack Delta’s connectivity and Bastian’s leadership. 
  • Carson Group’s Ryan Detrick said he now prefers United because of Starlink, citing a poor Delta Wi-Fi experience.

Delta Air Lines (DAL) stock is headed for a weekly loss and is drawing attention as Elon Musk's feud with CEO Ed Bastian escalates over the airline's rejection of Starlink. Carson Group's Ryan Detrick has backed Musk, saying he "can't see why anyone flies Delta" if internet access matters, while United Airlines (UAL) and American Airlines (AAL) court Delta's elite flyers. 

Delta Air Lines stock edged 0.2% higher overnight. The stock is down nearly 1% so far this week. 

Delta CEO And Musk Clash Over In-Flight Wi-Fi 

Delta is the only major U.S. carrier choosing Amazon's Leo for in-flight Wi-Fi, even as rivals roll out Starlink, widely considered the fastest option available. Investors are weighing whether Delta has fumbled the one amenity passengers most want fixed. 

The feud began when Bastian explained why Delta passed on Starlink. He said the airline tested the service but chose not to partner with Musk. "If you know his reputation, it's all true what they say about him," he said. 

Musk responded in kind. He mocked Delta’s connectivity, writing that the "best way to sandbox an AI is to put it on a Delta flight" because it will have no chance of reaching the Internet. He then said Bastian "will lose his job," and argued in an X post on Thursday that “Any CEO who deliberately damages the company he runs due to some random personal gripe doesn’t deserve to run their company!”

Carson Analyst Praises United’s Starlink Wi-Fi 

Ryan Detrick, chief market strategist at Carson Group, offered a firsthand account supporting SpaceX’s (SPCX) Starlink. He said he now prefers United because it has Starlink. "I literaly like to fly united now. I fly united because they have starlink".

“I had to fly Delta two weeks ago, and the WiFi didn't even work. Then I flew United this week and it was so perfect and seamless. Guess we will see how the free markets treat this, but I can't see why anyone flies Delta if you need to be on the Internet at all.”

Starlink uses low-earth-orbit satellites, so passengers report almost no latency and pages load as soon as they type an address. United and Southwest are close to finishing installations, and American and Alaska will soon cover a critical mass of their fleets. 

Delta, by contrast, has picked Amazon's (AMZN) Leo, which won't enter beta until next year. That means rivals should finish their rollouts before Delta starts installing, and the airline plans to equip only about half its fleet. No one yet knows how the system will perform.

Rivals are already pouncing. United posted that its "fast, free inflight Wi-Fi from Starlink is game-changing" and invited flyers to switch, promising to match their hard-earned status. American Airlines pitched a similar offer, telling frequent flyers to "match status, not energy" and offering equivalent AAdvantage tiers for those who submit proof of status from another carrier. 

DAL Stock: Retail View 

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment around the stock turned ‘neutral’ from ‘bullish’ the previous day. 

A user said, “You’d think CEO’s would’ve learned to keep their radical politics out of running a public company. Major fail for Delta.” 

DAL stock has gained 21% year-to-date.

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