>> well, we'll talk to ed bastian and see what he has to say.vement in delta shares, what the company says about q2, summer travel demand and offsetting rising fuel costs lots to discuss. don't go anywhere. he's next on "squawk box." xfinity mobile runs on america's most reliable 5g network, but for up to half the price of verizon, so you have more money for more stuff. this phone? fewer groceries. this phone? more groceries! this phone? fewer concert tickets. this phone? more concert tickets. and not just for my shows. switch to xfinity mobile for half the price of verizon. that's a savings of over $500 a year. switch today. >>> welcome back to "squawk box. futures right now, dow has moved from under $100 to over $100 and now over 100 almost over 200 could be the next tick, 199 and change right now on the dow, s&p indicated up just under 30, and the nasdaq up right now about 122 points or so >> delta airlines reporting first quarter results with a smaller than expected loss and a beat on the top line shares are surging on this, up by about 6.5%

above what analysts expected they expected low to mid-single digits this why when you listen to ed bastian said it is a great time for the industry and particularly delta as they head into the summer. >> the demand is phenomenal. we've never seen in our company's history demand for our products and services at the level we are in the month of march we had the highest sale in bo books bookings of any month in history. >> in march the revenue for delta topped monthly revenue since before the pandemic. not just it was pre-mandator it was better than months before the pandemic an indication just how strong the demand is right now. there are headwinds no the just for delta but all the airlines jet blue expected to remain high same time challenge of adding staff, delta hired 14,000 workers in the last year and half hand are going to be adding more all of the airlines are trying to ramp up because they have to add more flights two airlines we'll focus on next week as they report their quarterly results, you got united and american. we'll talk to the ceos of those airlines we talked about jet blue

delta's ceo, ed bastian. >> they are ready to go they have spent as much time as they can manage at home they spent as much money as they can fixing their houses and gardens. now they want to do something else. >> reporter: but across all airlines there aren't as many seats as there were before the pandemic. and budget airlines often don't have the staff to recover quickly when weather throws schedules into chaos. that means, if your flight is canceled, it could take days to find an open seat. for stranded spring break families -- >> telling me you are going to give me a $200 luv voucher is not going to cut it. especially when i have to pay over $500 a night for a room. >> reporter: frustration is boiling over tonight tom costello, nbc news, washington >>> in new jersey today, a small plane crashing into the lawn of a home in the neighborhood about 35 miles west of newark authorities say the pilot, who was the only person on board, suffered minor injuries and is expected to be okay. the flight too off from north carolina investigators say the pilot may have lost control in high winds. >>

ed bastian displand why he's been pushing for the requirement to end. >> i feel very strongly that theld be lifted and let individuals, including our own employees, make their own decisions. >> reporter: but passengers speaking to cbs news have a different view. >> i just feel safer flying and being in tight quarters with a lot of people with a mash. >> considering the numbers are actually going up, i think it's a very smart idea. >> reporter: a recent poll found 60% of americans support a travel mask extension. and the spread this month of the ba.2 subvariant of omicron is why the c.d.c. says its order is still needed, determining its next move based on upcoming data of hospitalizations and deaths. >> people are just so angry and frustrated, that, unfortunately, we have been the victim of assaults, both on and off the aircraft. >> reporter: lyn montgomery is the president of southwest's flight attendant union, which opposes travel mask extensions, citing the housands of unruly passenger incidents during the pandemic, most over masks. >> there's a direct correlation between the mask ma

but delta airlines' ceo ed bastian saying it's time to move past mask mandates. >> we've done it for two years and it's time to move beyond that and now make that the responsibility of individuals. >> reporter: it comes as the battle over masks heats up all over again. the city of philadelphia today putting its indoor mask mandate back into effect to curb a spike in new cases. >> being careful. being careful is the best way to be. >> reporter: but some frustrated businesses and residents are now suing to stop the mask rule. >> people have just generally had enough of this government overreach. >> all right, so, here's where we are tonight. 'have a with us tonight. the bottom line, no federal travel mask mandate moving forward, so the airlines are no longer going to require this? >> reporter: that's right, david. the airlines for weeks have been lobbying the federal government to lift this mask mandate and the airlines saying tonight they will not require passengers for now to wear those masks on planes. the flight attendants union reminding people that you can wear a mask if you want

delta airlines ceo ed bastian saying the company has begun working with starlink to provide in-flight starlink and conducted tests of the technology no word from spacex. rounding out the musk trifecta, anti-discrimination laws have been looking into tesla. the revelation coming to light in the legal battle with tesla in california over harassment and racial bias. the department of fair housing sued tesla saying the company turned a blind eye on factory workers. >>> and amazon with another labor fight. in new jersey, the warehouse has enough votes to hold elections as soon as this year they will gain the right to hold the election and they have to prove 30% of staff and location are interested in a vote early they aris month, an amazo hou warehouse in staten island is the first to vote for the union. >>> it is costing more to eat, literally nearly every crop is up in price from last year that includes maybe the most important crop of all. that is corn corn, of course, not just a deliciou deli deli delicious summertime treat it is in anything you buy. president biden allowed for expande

pricing power strong in q2 as your economist said earlier on the segment, ed bastian pointed out, theavel survey this morning, leisure team did, and is inflation going to hit consumer at the lower end? what happens if you're airfare goes up by $100. might not stop that travel if your miami hotel room becomes $2,000 a night does that pull back that consumer spending? seeing it in travel survey published today. 40% of economies/mid-sized hotels will see shorter stays if prices go up by a 20% increase investors questioning the elasticity of the curve and how strong the consumer can continue throughout the summer and into the fall. >> not today today is a good day for everything that touches airlines, hotels boeing leading the dow american airlines leading s&p up 11%. what do you do with these stocks now? which do you like and which not so much? >> really favored airlines into the quarter. all the stocks covered whether aerospace, airlines and on a pricing catch saw strength across the board. continue to like airlines on pricing and what we're monitoring how long can the consumer stay str

t >> reporter: delta airline's ceo ed bastian poi >> reporter: delta airline's ceo ed bastian pointing to the challenges his own crew members face. face. >> are you comfortable with your >> are you comfortable with your passengers dropping masks now? passengers dropping masks now? >> i think our customers are comfortable dropping masks >> i think our customers are comfortable dropping masks. i th i think our employees are tired of wearing masks.are tired of wearing masks our employees especially on our employees especially on board those flights are tired of board those flights are tired of policing masks. policing masks >> reporter: since january 2021, >> reporter: since january 2021, the faa has received more than the faa has received more than 7,100 reports of unruly 7,100 reports of unruly passengers, more than 70% passengers, more than 70% related to face masks. related to face masks. outside the u.s., british airways, virgin atlantic and klm are among the airlines that have made masks optional. outside the u.s., british airways, virgin atlant as a growing number of destinations f

. >> it's worth noting ed bastian, whose name i mispronounced, made those comments hours before they extended the mandate the former fda commissioner mae scott gottleib i dr. scott gottlieb is with us of thht decision on masks? >> i'me story. doctor, good to see you. what do you think, right decision on masks? >> i'm not surprised they extended it two weeks. there's a surge right now in the mid-atlantic and northeast right now. i think we're further into that surge than we think. we're probably not picking up most of the cases that are occurring and we're probably going to see those cases decline as we head into the next two to three weeks. i'm not surprised they extended it i think they can reasonably lift it the scuttlebutt is when they lift it, i think they will when the may 1 deadline is up, they will impose a mask requirement when you get on and off a plane. those are the points of highest risk because you don't have the high quality air filtration when you get on and off the plane that's going to be a more contentious debate it will be hard to enforce that if in fact that's whe

how about like bad weather maybe ed bastian and his team at delta will turn out to be too bullish. we don't know. more important, though, these two industries, the banks and travel are not for everyone. both the pangs and the airlines can be very sink or swim, so you might not want to extrapolate too hard to the rest of the economy. perhaps we should think about something with a longer term perspective. did you know that today procter & gamble increased its dividend by 5%? the 66th year that the firm boosd s payout i know, only yields why because the stock has steadily rallied for ages well-managed, great products everyone used them in the slowdown as i said to the cnbc investing club today, shampoo, proctor here's another one, if you think bastian is right and the airlines are doing fabulously, then how about a destination we told investment club members in our morning meeting that if people were traveling, they'd head to the most coveted vacation spot on earth, they're going to disney world. right now -- whoa, a lot of negative mojo about disney as a matter of fact, i can't recal

here is what ceo ed bastian told phil lebeau earlier. >> the demand is phenomenal.ve never seen in our company's history demand for our product and services at the level we are we expect it through the first part of the summer into the second quarter only about 85%. partly it's because international restrictions are limiting what we can fly internationally. domestically about 90%. >> so for the june quarter, they see operating margin 12 to 14. street at 6. >> look, i listen to a man who can be critical and negative when it should be jetblue. there will be no merger. because pricing can go up big. >> yeah. i think we're both in the same camp on that as are many others in terms of opportunity to potentially get spirit to even listen to them. >> yeah. >> let alone agree to a deal yeah, overall are there they earning their cost of capital? getting close. >> that's what the atlanta airport is like. >> i flew delta. i flew delta from palm beach it was a cool wedding what was amazing was -- if you don't want to the go on that plane, they don't want you on that plane becaus

delta ceo ed bastian, if it was up to him he thinks we should get rid of masks. that is not stopping americans from traveling. the reason delta reported a loss in the first three months of this year because of the rise in omicron cases. if you look at march, delta ceo saying he is looking at record bookings in the month. despite the fact, neil, air fares going up 20% in the month. talking about producer prices and inflation, i well you this, in this environment if you're an airline, a company able to raise prices despite the fact that you can raise prices in this type of environment. somebody else talking in my ear there. lost my train of thought. you know what i mean, neil. you get rewarded overcome inflation raising prices people still buy your tickets, that is interesting, too, you can look at the renewed activity maybe a sign interest rates have to continue backing up, especially with the added wholesale inflation report today, looking at that rate, you would think that would keep this pushback going. it is not happening today. 10-year coming town. i'm wonder

de delta's ceo ed bastian on "squawk box" last week >> i feel it should be lifted and individuals and employees make decisions and personal accountability for health on board or planes. the air is the cleanest air you will find anywhere with the hepa filters and cleanliness of the airplanes. it is time to let the masks go and let the people decide. >> uber said as of today masks are no longer required for riders and drivers the biden administration official says the cdc recommends people wear masks on public transit. sarah nelson from the flight attendants association called for calm on airplanes. she is not really weighing in heavily. doesn't want more confrontation based on you are not wearing one. i am wearing one people don't need to fly with you. i would not recommend that we will speak with sara in the 8:00 a.m. hour her organization represents the flight attendants. there are a lot of reasons i don't ride the subways they don't have the same air circulation as planes. you think you walk out at the nasdaq, there is no one with masks on at the ipo. at least you would rather have