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Are airlines making more money from credit cards than from flying?

Renata Sago Apr 3, 2019
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A passenger checks in for a flight at the Delta Air Lines desk at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, Illinois. Delta Air Lines recently beat Wall Street’s expectations reporting record first-quarter revenue. Scott Olson/Getty Images

Are airlines making more money from credit cards than from flying?

Renata Sago Apr 3, 2019
A passenger checks in for a flight at the Delta Air Lines desk at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, Illinois. Delta Air Lines recently beat Wall Street’s expectations reporting record first-quarter revenue. Scott Olson/Getty Images
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Delta Air Lines and American Express just renewed their credit-card partnership through 2019. By 2023, Delta expects to more than double its AmEx-generated revenue, to $7 billion annually. Delta is not alone — other major carriers are also racking up cash from credit-card deals. Are airlines now more in the credit-card business than in the business of flying people?

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