Approximately 6 million U.S. travelers are expected to take domestic flights during Thanksgiving, a 2% increase from 2024. However, bookings have dropped 4.48% due to a government shutdown that has dampened demand.
The FAA's order to cut flights at 40 major airports has significantly impacted bookings in the final week, leading many travelers to rethink their plans due to concerns over delays and cancellations.
Despite the economic uncertainty, Delta Air Lines expects to fly about 6.5 million customers during this period, indicating strong demand for their services. United Airlines also anticipates a record 6.6 million passengers over a 13-day period during Thanksgiving.
This surge in expected air travel, despite the drop in bookings, suggests that Delta is well-positioned to benefit from the holiday travel season.
Wall Street analysts forecast DAL stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for DAL is 81.36 USD with a low forecast of 69.00 USD and a high forecast of 90.00 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
16 Analyst Rating
Wall Street analysts forecast DAL stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for DAL is 81.36 USD with a low forecast of 69.00 USD and a high forecast of 90.00 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
16 Buy
0 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 65.830
Low
69.00
Averages
81.36
High
90.00
Current: 65.830
Low
69.00
Averages
81.36
High
90.00
Susquehanna
Christopher Stathoulopoulos
Positive
maintain
$70 -> $85
2026-01-09
Reason
Susquehanna
Christopher Stathoulopoulos
Price Target
$70 -> $85
AI Analysis
2026-01-09
maintain
Positive
Reason
Susquehanna analyst Christopher Stathoulopoulos raised the firm's price target on Delta Air Lines to $85 from $70 and keeps a Positive rating on the shares as part of a Q4 preview. The firm sees a "constructive fundamental backdrop" for the airlines into fiscal 2026. Select carriers will benefit from brand loyalty and diverse revenue streams, the analyst tells investors in a research note.
Citi
Buy
maintain
$77 -> $87
2026-01-07
Reason
Citi
Price Target
$77 -> $87
2026-01-07
maintain
Buy
Reason
Citi raised the firm's price target on Delta Air Lines to $87 from $77 and keeps a Buy rating on the shares. The firm updated targets in the airlines group as part of a Q4 earnings preview. Citi's business travel barometer has bottomed, the analyst tells investors in a research note. However, the firm still expects the supermajors to issue "conservative" outlooks for 2026.
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TD Cowen
Buy
maintain
$77 -> $82
2026-01-07
Reason
TD Cowen
Price Target
$77 -> $82
2026-01-07
maintain
Buy
Reason
TD Cowen raised the firm's price target on Delta Air Lines to $82 from $77 and keeps a Buy rating on the shares. The firm adjusted targets in the airlines group as part of a Q4 preview. The industry "navigated the shutdown better than expected and demand looks to be entering 2026 with good momentum," the analyst tells investors in a research note.
BofA
Andrew Didora
Underperform
maintain
$28 -> $37
2026-01-06
Reason
BofA
Andrew Didora
Price Target
$28 -> $37
2026-01-06
maintain
Underperform
Reason
BofA analyst Andrew Didora raised the firm's price target on Southwest (LUV) to $37 from $28 and keeps an Underperform rating on the shares. Delta (DAL) kicks off airline earnings on January 13 and the firm believes Q4 earnings season and 2026 full year guidance will set an early tone for the stocks, says the analyst. The firm sees a constructive fundamental backdrop for airline stocks into 2026 and expects the structural re-shaping of the industry continues, the analyst tells investors in a year ahead preview for the group.
About DAL
Delta Air Lines, Inc. provides scheduled air transportation for passengers and cargo throughout the United States and around the world. The Company has hubs and markets in Amsterdam, Atlanta, Bogota, Boston, Detroit, Lima, London-Heathrow, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Minneapolis-St. Paul, New York-JFK and LaGuardia, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Salt Lake City, Santiago (Chile), Sao Paulo, Seattle, Seoul-Incheon, and Tokyo. Its segments include Airline and Refinery. Its airline segment is managed as a single business unit that provides scheduled air transportation for passengers and cargo throughout the United States and around the world and includes its loyalty program, as well as other ancillary businesses. Its refinery segment operates for the benefit of the airline segment by providing jet fuel to the airline segment from its own production and through jet fuel obtained through agreements with third parties. The refinery's production consists of jet fuel as well as non-jet fuel products.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
