How Delta Airlines is changing the travel narrative

Beyond traveling from one point to another or one country to another, travel experience is getting more exciting, educative and interesting especially as technology is changing the face of air travel.

While some airlines are yet to catch up with latest technologies and innovations that could set the travel experiences apart, Delta Air lines is taking the bull by its horn and is keeping pace with most recent technologies, in a bid to make the travel experiences of its loyal customers second to none.

Delta’s flagship A350

The recent launch of its A350-900, has been the discuss of its loyal travellers across various countries who cannot wait to get on board the aircraft to experience the Delta one suite, the new Premium Select cabin and a main Cabin with an enhanced feel. The A350 enters into service this month.

Delta Air Lines has scheduled its flagship A350-900 aircraft on one of four daily flights between Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport and Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport, effective March 31, 2018. Amsterdam will be the first trans-Atlantic destination for Delta’s A350 aircraft, offering customers an elevated travel experience in every class of service throughout their flight. Delta will also deploy the A350 on Detroit-Shanghai service beginning April 19, 2018.

With the addition of Amsterdam, Delta will fly five international routes from DTW using the A350. The first aircraft is scheduled to enter service later this month between Detroit and Tokyo-Narita on Oct. 30, with service to Seoul, Beijing and Shanghai starting Nov. 18, Jan. 17 and April 19 respectively.

Gareth Joyce, senior vice president, Airport Customer Service told reporters who attended its Customer Experience Showcase in Atlanta that the airline’s investment in the new aircraft, and in the overall travel journey, is about creating a better experience for customers.

“Our goal is to create powerful memories for our customers to take home with them,” Joyce said. To that end, innovation and customer service work hand in hand. The power of culture is the one thing competitors can never compete with us on. By using innovative technologies, we free our people up to have more meaningful interactions with customers,” he explained.

“The A350 sets a whole new standard for aircraft. It offers a 20 percent improvement in operation costs per seat and 25 percent increase in fuel efficiency compared to comparable aircraft,” Gil West, chief operating officer told the reporters.

Automatic check-in

Delta Air Lines has also added automatic check-in to the Fly Delta app to streamline the check-in experience for customers and take the guesswork out of accessing a boarding pass.

The new functionality available on the latest version of the app, automatically checks in eligible customers 24 hours prior to their scheduled departure. Customers receive an alert via email or push notification, open the app, acknowledge the federal government mandate for restricted items, and their boarding pass is there along with all the tools needed for their trip.

“Our customers have told us Delta can eliminate some of their stress associated with upcoming travel if they know their boarding pass is ready and can see their seat assignment. Auto check-in provides that peace of mind in a simple, automated solution that also saves valuable time,” said Rhonda Crawford, vice president, Global Distribution & Digital Strategy.

Once inside the app, customers can add checked bags, change seats and purchase upgrades – all from the ‘Today’ mode.

“We’ve approached the app experience with the intention of making it as intuitive as possible. Take, for example, the bag button in ‘Today’ mode: once a customer adds a bag, the bag button will dynamically change to display ‘Track My Bags’ so they can take full advantage of Delta’s industry-leading RFID bag-tracking capabilities, through the app,” Crawford continued.

Auto check-in is generally available to customers with domestic-only itineraries who already have a seat assignment or are auto-assigned a seat at check-in. Customers who require assistance with special requests like traveling with a pet in the cabin or traveling as an unaccompanied minor need to continue checking in with an agent.

With more than half of Delta travellers using Delta’s mobile tools to navigate their experience, Delta regularly updates the app for the benefit of customers. Earlier this year, Delta updated its industry-leading app with the ability to access trip information offline and became the only airline to integrate airport way finding maps into the boarding pass to make them accessible by touching the departure city code, arrival city code or gate numbers, and through My Trips, Flight Status and the “More” section.

In-flight dining experience

The airline is also elevating the in-flight dining experience once again by introducing new services throughout the aircraft on international flights. Early next year, customers in the Delta One cabin flying to select European destinations from New York-JFK and Atlanta [including CITY NAME], will be able to pre-select their meal to ensure they receive their first choice on board.

These enhancements will be followed by upgraded meals and service ware in the Main Cabin starting in mid-2018.

Following the initial launch of pre-select meals, Delta plans to expand the service firstly to Delta One customers on all international routes both outbound and inbound to the United States and then to all passengers in the Delta Premium Select cabin by the end of next year.

Customers eligible to participate in the programme will receive an email communication six days prior to their flight asking them to select their meal. Delta will roll out pre-select through additional channels later in 2018.

“Our customers have told us that they value having more control over their experience inflight, specifically around selecting their meal options in advance to ensure they receive their first choice. This is just another way we are providing options to our customers to make sure their culinary experience on board is like dining at their favorite local restaurant,” said Lisa Bauer, vice president – on-board services.

The improvements to Main Cabin service will include newly designed trays and upgraded rotable service ware that will complement investments in meal quality to provide customers a restaurant-style dining experience.

Customers will see the first changes next month when they begin receiving menu cards, which will include information on timing for each meal service and details on the inflight food and beverage offerings. In December, the airline will launch new upgraded cutlery in the Main Cabin before the new meals are served next year.

“We know that people eat with their eyes, so investing in our menus, service ware and cutlery on board to enhance the overall presentation and functionality of our meals is a big part of our culinary strategy. It’s one of Delta’s biggest investments in the Main Cabin dining experience to date.

“Our goal is to truly recreate the experience our customers would have at their favourite restaurant at 30,000 feet, taking into account what menu items naturally complement one another, the service behind the offerings and the overall presentation,” Bauer said.

Main Cabin customers on long-haul international flights are also treated to complimentary beer, wine, Prosecco and spirits plus sleep kits.

Option to pre-select meals

In addition to these, Delta will begin rolling out the option to pre-select meals in 2018 as part of the airline’s focus on personalizing the on-board customer experience based on direct customer feedback. Pre-select will allow Delta One customers to choose their meal beginning six days prior to select international flights to ensure they receive their first choice on board.

The rollout comes on the heels of a pre-select meal test conducted this summer that resulted in a significant increase in customer satisfaction scores and positive flight attendant feedback.

“This is just another way we are providing options to our customers to make sure their culinary experiences on board are like dining at their favourite local restaurant.”

Following the initial launch, Delta plans to expand pre-select to include all international routes both inbound and outbound, offering pre-select on flights between the U.S. and Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia and South America.

By the end of 2018, Delta plans to continue to expand pre-select, offering the technology in both First Class and Delta Premium Select.

Customers eligible to participate in pre-select will receive an email communication six days prior to their flight asking them to select their meal. Delta will be enabling pre-select through additional channels later in 2018.

Redefining international main cabin

The airline is also redefining the international Main Cabin dining experience with a series of thoughtful investments that will enhance the way customers spend their time on some of Delta’s longest flights.

“This is one of Delta’s biggest investments in the Main Cabin dining experience to date. Our goal is to truly recreate the experience our customers would have at their favourite restaurant at 30,000 feet, taking into account what menu items naturally complement one another, the service behind the offerings and the overall presentation,” ,” said Lisa Bauer, vice president, On-Board Services.

Enhancements will begin rolling out in November and will continue to expand into 2018.

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