Why does Delta support Obama's immigration plan?

In the week since President Obama announced his decision to implement immigration reform, critics have strongly voiced their opposition to the executive action. But in a show of support, Delta Air Lines on Friday announced their approval.

"Delta Air Lines applauds the steps announced this week to enact much-needed reforms to the nation's immigration system," Delta's Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer Joanne Smith said.

While companies often shy from taking a stance on controversial public issues, the fear of upsetting shareholders or potential customers didn't stop Delta.

"Because this problem needs to be solved. I can't speak about the legality of what the president says, but if you think about it, we are a nation of immigrants," Delta CEO Richard Henderson said on "CBS This Morning."

While Henderson noted that his grandparents were immigrants, but the issue was more important from a business standpoint.

"We have thousands of employees in countries all around the world," he said. "And immigration reform and having freedom to move across the border and to attract high-quality talent, because our company needs to reflect the diversity and values and differences of all the people that we carry around the world."

In the last year, major airline mergers have also made headlines, sparking worry that customers may be at the brunt of the deal. But Anderson insisted that with three major global carriers and three major national carriers, competition still thrives.

"You still have an incredibly competitive marketplace, and more than any other consumer product, airfares are perfectly transparent to consumers," he said. "You can go to any number of websites that are available 24/7 and get perfect transparency in pricing. And those websites are run by independent organizations that do a good job for consumers."

But the worry on everyone's mind is impending holiday travel. AAA reported it will be the busiest Thanksgiving in seven years with, weather permitting, 3.5 million Americans expected to be in the skies. And despite the dramatic drop in gas and oil prices, airfares are up about 1 percent with the average ticket price about $372.

"When you think about it, the industry has really only been profitable the last three or four years, and the last time it was this profitable, fuel prices were about 50 to 60 cents a gallon," Anderson said.

It seems plausible that lower fuel costs would directly correlate to lower airfares, but that's not the case. In the past year ending in September, airlines in the U.S. saved $1.6 billion on jet fuel, reporting a 5.7 percent profit margin in the first three quarters of the year.

While mergers and the need to appease stockholders have made it difficult for airlines to undercut fairs, Anderson assures customers can expect changes next year.

"I think you will see in the course of 2015, Delta is going to introduce a value fare," he said. "In other words, we're going to segment a cabin of the airplane and have a basic economy fare that is a no-frills fare that will reflect a lower price for the price-conscious consumer."