Where Fly Meets Fly: Delta’s debut at ESSENCE Festival 2024

Delta connects with multigenerational, premium Black women travelers through a weekend of elevated customer experience touchpoints.

Staff Writer

Jul 12, 2024 2:00pm

Delta Air Lines made its first ever appearance at the ESSENCE Festival of Culture from July 5-7, set against the culturally rich backdrop of New Orleans, as the festival celebrated its 30th birthday through immersive experiences and iconic performances from music legends.

Attendees of this year's ESSENCE Festival, which is deemed as the ultimate celebration of Black culture and known for many Black women's annual girls’ trip, were warmly welcomed by Delta as they arrived at the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) on July 4 through elevated customer experience touchpoints – from special onboard announcements upon arrival and greetings from Delta brand ambassadors after deplaning, to musical performances from 110 Brass Band, a local second line band, and coffee from Black-owned coffee brand, Portrait Coffee.

“Delta has been my love since I started here nearly 28 years ago, right here in New Orleans. Now, just to see that Delta is supporting this – the essence of Black women and our culture – is truly amazing,” said Steve Washington, Station Manager at MSY. “You can feel the energy, you can feel the vibe. This makes me Delta Proud.”

Following the airport excitement, Delta showed up big at ESSENCE Festival with an activation in the convention center to authentically engage with guests by celebrating friendships and shared travel experiences. Through Delta’s Fly Girl Travel Confessional – a dynamic, interactive booth – festival attendees had the opportunity to record their travel stories and identify their ‘Fly Girl’ persona, whether a Foodie, Cultured Queen, Turn Up, Planner or Social Plug.

The activation resonated with festival-goers from around the country, with over 3,500 guests stopping by to celebrate the unique experiences of travel-loving Black women – fostering a true sense of community and showcasing Delta’s commitment to increase representation in travel culture by authentically cultivating and connecting with Black travelers.

“Delta’s presence at ESSENCE Festival, a signature celebration of Black culture – and specifically Black women, is an incredible opportunity to reinforce our values and commitment to increasing representation in travel culture while uplifting the communities where we live, work and serve,” said Quinnie Jenkins, Delta’s Director of Sponsorships. “This moment is for Black travelers to feel empowered and seen – and to know that their travel experiences are valued.”

While at Delta’s booth, attendees also had the opportunity to taste specialty cocktails from Black-owned vendors that Delta partners with in-flight, such as Du Nord Social Spirits, the first Black-owned distillery in the U.S., and La Fête du Rosé, a premium rosé label whose founder advocates for underrepresented and underserved communities. Participants were also given specially curated Fly Girl merchandise including satin pillowcases, sweatshirts and more.

When asked why it was important for Delta to be present at ESSENCE Fest, one festival attendee enthusiastically stated that “Black people travel. We’re everywhere, we’re worldwide – so we need to continue to be represented, because we’re traveling.”

But Delta’s presence at the festival didn’t end there. Delta invited four Louisiana HBCU “Campus Queens” and Miss National UNCF from Wiley University, Xavier University, Dillard University, Southern University and A&M College and Grambling University to engage in Delta’s activations as our “Campus Fly Girls” content creators and ambassadors – giving them the unique opportunity to welcome customers with a vibrant second line as they arrived at MSY and meet excited alumni at the Delta booth throughout the weekend.

As part of this extension of the activation, Delta also granted the students and the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) with a financial contribution to UNCF, which allocated $10K merit scholarships to all five students for the 2024-2025 school year, as well as $10k in need-based scholarships to each of the Queens’ respective universities – underscoring Delta’s commitments to increase equitable outcomes through education.

"I'm still stunned. In full transparency, I received an email about my tuition balance a week ago, and I just got focused and started applying for scholarships daily,” said Youma D., the 89th Miss Xavier University of Louisiana. “This gift from Delta is beyond anything I could've imagined, and this ESSENCE Fest experience has been extremely thoughtful and intentional."