“Taking care of our business customers and offering the right programs to meet their needs is one of our core values,” explains Fabiano Laux, Delta Air Lines’ City Sales Manager, Tampa Bay & Central Florida Region. Sixty-five years in the Tampa Bay area and going strong, it is the Delta way.
(photo courtesy Delta Air Lines)
Earlier this year, Delta’s operations in Tampa Bay relaunched daily service to Amsterdam expanding seamless connections to over 100 cities in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and India; grew its international reach in from Tampa to Mexico and Great Britain thanks to partnerships with Aeromexico and Virgin Atlantic; and has just launched its new SkyMiles for Business program.
This most recent innovation, launched in November 2024, serves small and medium-sized businesses/enterprises. Companies earn travel rewards and have exclusive benefits that include flexible, customizable travel solutions to best serve their needs. It’s a white glove travel management experience without the price tag.
“As a thank you to our business partners in Tampa Bay, we have an exclusive promo code Tampa Bay Chamber members can use when enrolling for SkyMiles for Business,” added Laux, who relocated to the Tampa Bay region 14 years ago and fell in love with the community.
“I’ve had the opportunity to experience firsthand the exciting economic growth and development of our city and the ideal economic environment it has created for small and medium-sized enterprises,” said Laux, “The future is very bright for our region.”
Here’s more of our conversation with Delta leader Fabiano Laux, who manages corporate and agency accounts in the Tampa Bay Region, and Matteo Curcio, Senior Vice President for Europe, Middle East, Africa and India.
Q: Fabiano, let’s start with one of the newest things happening at Delta – the SkyMiles for Business program. What’s the special offer specifically for members of the Tampa Bay Chamber?
A: Thank you for inviting me to have this conversation and I’m excited that we can extend this special offer to members.
- Visit www.skymilesforbusiness.delta.com/s/sign-up
- Complete the enrollment process with your company Tax ID
- Apply your SkyMiles for Business number to employee flights
- Chamber Members enroll with promo code: SM4BTBCHAM
- Purchase an eligible ticket and complete the flight within 90 days of enrollment to earn your company a $50 eCredit
Q: How long has Delta been serving the Tampa Bay area?
A: Via Tampa International Airport, we’ve been serving the region for nearly 65 years. We started service to TPA on January 18, 1959. Delta’s Customer Engagement Center in Tampa opened in 1954 at the Hillsboro Hotel, where it remained until 1964 when it was moved to the Westshore area. On November 1, 1980, we moved to our present location at the Bridgeport Center. The facility in Hillsborough County covers 32,000 square feet and is home to over 850 specialists working in many capacities such as SkyMiles Sales & Service, Premium Sales & Service, Messaging, Customer Experience, and more.
Q: What differentiates Delta?
A: We never stop looking for ways to make every Delta trip feel tailored to each customer. Our people’s genuine and enduring motivation is to make every customer feel welcomed and cared for across every point of their journey with us to ensure the future of travel is connected, personalized and enjoyable.
It’s a vision that industry publications and leaders have taken note of and amplified with various recognitions. In 2024 Delta was recognized by J.D. Power for being No. 1 for First/Business and Premium Economy Passenger Satisfaction and recognized as North America’s most on-time airline by Cirium for the third consecutive year. The recognition comes after serving more than 190 million Delta customers in 2023.
Q: Since October 26, Delta restarted daily service between Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS) and Tampa International Airport (TPA) for the winter season. Why Amsterdam and how’s it going so far?
A: According to the U.S. State Department, the Netherlands is one of the largest investors in the U.S., supporting over 800,000 jobs, and is the eighth largest importer of U.S. goods. The U.S. is the largest foreign direct investor in the Netherlands ($885 billion in 2021) and has its second largest bilateral trade surplus in the world with this country ($18.2 billion in 2021).
Matteo Curcio, Senior VP for Europe, Middle East, Africa & India added, “By seamlessly linking Amsterdam’s vibrant international hub—Delta’s most-served airport in Europe—with Tampa Bay’s renowned beaches, Delta is offering customers a gateway to explore the best of Europe and America. With our premium amenities and extensive global network, travelers will have a lot to enjoy during the winter travel season.”
Q: What’s in store for Delta employees and travelers in 2025?
A: Our TPA offerings will expand further in June 2025 with a direct flight to Austin, Texas. The daily nonstop service via Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS), will continue to position Delta as the airline of choice for customers traveling to and from Tampa Bay with the introduction of these new routes to Austin.
Building on the success of 2024’s footprint by Delta and its partners in Amsterdam, Mexico City and London, Delta employees in Tampa Bay bring to life Delta’s slogan this year “Champion Every Journey” – created especially for the 2024 Olympics in Paris to honor the different journey of each athlete to reach the games in Paris.
“We operate 40 peak day departures, connecting to all our domestic hubs: Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, Los Angeles, Minneapolis St Paul, New York City (LGA and JFK), Salt Lake City and Seattle. We also provide service to Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky (CVG) and Raleigh-Durham (RDU),” explained Laux. And that’s not the only place you’ll find the local Delta team hard at work. Several miles from its blue concourse at TPA, nearly 1,000 employees in the Westshore business district work on everything from Global Ticketing Support to Spanish lines of business.
Rounding out our interview, as we always do, we asked how this member company since November 6, 2018, has engaged with the Chamber.
Q: How has the Chamber been a resource for Delta?
A: Delta’s involvement in the Tampa Bay Chamber has provided us with valuable networking opportunities with company members and to build relationships with influencers from the region. It’s also helped us spread the word about our exciting new route services from Delta and our partner airlines, Virgin Atlantic, Aeromexico, and WestJet. We’ve also been able to sponsor events and increase awareness of our products and services within the business community.
Did You Know?
- Delta’s roots date back to 1925 and Huff Daland Dusters. Founded in Macon, Georgia, this was the first aerial crop-dusting company, and its 18 planes became the largest privately owned fleet in the world at that time.
- Their crop-dusting operations ranged from Florida to Arkansas, and west to California and Mexico. It also launched the first international mail and passenger route on the west coast of South America.
- In 1928, the company was renamed Delta Air Service by C.E. Woolman – the principal founder of what would become Delta Air Lines. In 1929, Delta operated its first passenger flight from Dallas, Texas, to Jackson, Mississippi.