Nicole Sheedy, City Sales Manager, Delta Air Lines

Invest: spoke with Nicole Sheedy, city sales manager at Delta Air Lines, about how Raleigh’s momentum is showing up in air travel demand, premium expectations, and the push for stronger global connectivity. “The future is global,” Sheedy said.

Over the past year, what changes in travel demand or customer behavior have stood out most to you, and how have they influenced how your team is thinking about growth?

I do not know that it is a change as much as it is the continued growth in travel demand in Raleigh. We are seeing a large uptick in both corporate and leisure travel. Demand has remained steady and continues to grow year over year.

A lot of that is reflected in our loyalty program trends, and what we are seeing here is a lot of demand for premium. Customers are looking for higher-level experiences; to meet that need, we have premium products on all of our flights to and from Raleigh.

We have made investments in premium products throughout the travel ribbon, whether it is the new Delta One Lounge, upgraded Sky Clubs, or an elevated experience onboard. Those are areas where we are growing across Delta, and you can see that in the growth we are seeing in Raleigh and other similar markets.

We received a report on the Raleigh market recently that said Raleigh corporate passengers are flying in premium cabins, whether it is Comfort+ or first class, once every three months. I was floored by that, even being in the industry. It speaks to how frequently people are engaging with premium services now and how expectations have evolved.

From your vantage point, what makes certain regional markets rise faster than others in today’s aviation landscape?

What makes Raleigh rise to the top, for Delta and in general, is the friendliness of the business climate here as part of the larger economy. It is easy to relocate here personally, and it is easy for companies to find a footprint and grow that footprint here.

That growth is coming from multiple directions. It is the growth of the population, the entrepreneurial and startup sector, and the established businesses that may be looking for locations here. When you have that kind of momentum, it shows up quickly in travel demand.

From an aviation perspective, that demand appears in both corporate travel and broader business activity. Companies are expanding, new teams are arriving, and existing businesses are traveling more frequently. That mix is what drives a market forward.

From an airport perspective, what factors matter most when airlines decide where to invest capacity and new routes?

Overall, it is demand and traveler needs. We track where our customers are going, and that informs what routes we might be launching.

We are focused on keeping Raleigh globally connected. That includes looking for areas where our airline partners can come in and service new international destinations, and it also means continuing to strengthen the domestic network.

As the business population in Raleigh continues to grow, and as corporate travel increases, we want to make sure Raleigh is connected to top business destinations in the U.S. Those are areas we are constantly monitoring and focusing on, and that is where we are looking to grow.

Raleigh leaders often talk about connectivity as an economic advantage. How does that show up in your day-to-day work with corporate customers?

Connectivity is a real differentiator for companies, especially when they are weighing how to scale in a region. Corporate travel is often about making business easier, reducing friction, and supporting growth in a way that feels efficient for employees and leadership teams.

When a region is well-connected, it helps companies move faster. Teams can get to meetings, customers can visit, and partners can travel in and out without losing time to complicated itineraries. That is why we pay attention to what our customers need, where their teams are traveling, and what destinations matter most for business.

It also shows up in the way customers think about the airport experience. Corporate travelers care about reliability, the overall experience, and how smoothly travel fits into a busy schedule. Those expectations influence how we think about service and what investments will matter most.

What are you seeing in terms of premium expectations, and why do you think that is becoming a bigger driver of decision-making?

Premium has become a meaningful part of the travel decision for many customers. People are still traveling for work and leisure at high levels, and they are also looking for comfort, consistency, and an experience that feels more elevated.

For corporate travelers, it can be about arriving ready for the day, having space to work, or having access to amenities that make travel less stressful. For leisure travelers, it is often about treating travel as part of the experience, not just a way to get from point A to point B.

That is why investments in premium products matter. Whether it is a higher level of experience onboard or through the airport, those upgrades are influencing customer satisfaction and loyalty. The market data we see in Raleigh supports that, and it helps explain why premium continues to grow.

Technology is disrupting every industry. What role is it playing in passenger experience and expectations across aviation?

We are leveraging technology to improve customer experience in a couple of ways. One example is creating a more seamless airport experience through touchless ID, where you can move through parts of the process without fumbling for an ID and instead use facial recognition technology to help you board.

That is a technology investment, but it is also about reducing friction. When the experience is smoother, it changes what customers expect, and it also changes how airports and airlines can think about flow and efficiency.

Another major area is connectivity. We have had free Wi-Fi for several years on Delta flights, and we continue to think about how to improve the onboard experience. We want that experience to feel more like what people expect at home, including the content and brands they are used to engaging with.

You see technology improving customer experience throughout what we call the travel ribbon, from the airport experience through the onboard experience and beyond.

How has onboard Wi-Fi changed what travelers expect from the flight experience itself?

People appreciate being able to send a quick email or stay in touch via text, but what we have found is that it creates peace of mind. Even if you are not actively being productive on board, it makes the flight feel easier because you do not feel as disconnected.

It is the difference between being completely out of commission for six hours and being able to stay loosely connected to what is happening at work or at home. That matters for business travelers, but it also matters for anyone traveling with family, coordinating pickups, or handling a moving schedule.

It makes the experience feel more modern and more aligned with how people live. Once customers have that experience, it becomes part of their baseline expectation, and that shapes how airlines think about service and investments going forward.

Sustainability is a central topic in aviation. How is Delta balancing environmental goals with the need to expand service and meet demand?

Sustainability is a huge topic in aviation, and Delta is moving forward with it. We have overarching sustainability goals, and achieving them requires a holistic approach across the company.

In my area on the corporate side, one thing I am proud of is how we are partnering with corporate customers. Sustainability is important to them, too, so we are working on partnerships where together we will buy sustainable aviation fuel and other solutions to reduce the carbon impact of flying. That shared commitment matters because it moves the conversation from intention to action.

As a company, we are also moving forward with next-generation aircraft to make flying more sustainable. There are projects focused on reducing weight and waste on the aircraft, and we have fully electric ground equipment in several stations. It takes effort across departments, and it also requires customers and stakeholders to work alongside us to help achieve sustainability goals and decarbonize aviation.

Looking ahead, what are Delta’s key priorities in markets like Raleigh over the next few years?

Our priority is continued growth, and a big part of that is keeping Raleigh globally connected. I have been proud of the expansion of partners flying into Raleigh, including Air France, Aeromexico, and WestJet, which have seasonal flights. I would like to see more of that because it opens up the world for Raleigh.

Another priority is deeper integration in the community. We have a strong community engagement team, and we want to bring Delta more into the fabric of Raleigh through local connections and partnerships. That includes supporting the community in ways that align with our culture and the needs of the region.

We want Raleigh to continue to feel connected, supported, and positioned as a place where business and travel can thrive together.

Delta often emphasizes community engagement. What does that look like in Raleigh, specifically?

It is in the Delta culture to support the communities where we have a large population of employees and strong service. We work across a number of pillars, including Environment, Equity, Education, and Entire Wellness.

We have partnerships with Junior Achievement, focused on exposing young people to careers in Delta. There are many career paths at a company like Delta that are not always visible from the airport, and it is important to show that there are opportunities across a wide range of roles.

We also work with organizations like the YMCA, and we do a lot with children’s hospitals, including Duke Hospital. Another area I am excited about is wellness. We have a wellness pillar, and we partnered with a local company to launch a corporate 5K Team Challenge to connect with travelers and the community through a health-focused initiative.

One of our most successful partnerships has been with Raleigh Pride, supporting the LGBTQ community. We had employees from across Delta involved, including airport employees, flight attendants, and sales teams, showing up together to support that partnership. It is about touching a variety of areas and showing up consistently where the community needs us.

What trends in air travel will most shape airline strategy and regional connectivity over the next five to 10 years?

The future is global. A major trend will be how we serve communities like Raleigh with more global service, whether that is through next-generation aircraft that can fly farther and more sustainably or through continued network expansion and partner growth. You are going to see more global expansion, and connectivity will remain a major priority.

We also talk about a statistic at Delta that only one in five people in the world has ever been on an airplane. That puts the opportunity into perspective. From a business standpoint, it is significant, but it is also about access and connection.

We know travel brings people together and helps achieve goals, so the question becomes how to make travel accessible for more of the global community. In our industry, we are surrounded by frequent travelers, so it can be easy to forget that flying is still not the reality for most people. That is why accessibility and global connectivity will continue to shape strategy for years to come.