Delta Air Lines (DAL) stock is down ahead of Thursday's market open — as well as into the trading session — after the company reported a second quarter earnings miss. While travel demand has spiked going into the summer travel season, airline operators have been troubled to translate that into record profits, particularly as ticket prices eased.

Delta CEO Ed Bastian spoke to Yahoo Finance, stating travel demand and the operator's customers are "very healthy" but has run into challenges in appealing to the "lower-end" traveler due to airfare costs. He also weighed in on Delta's latest partnership with LATAM Airlines to expand travel routes to and from South America.

The Morning Brief's Brad Smith and Seana Smith look back on Bastian's comments, comparing Delta's performance to other airline stocks.

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This post was written by Luke Carberry Mogan.