ATLANTA, July 28, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Delta (NYSE:
DAL) today launched phase one of a test program designed to enhance
the gate experience and streamline the boarding process for
customers at T Concourse at Atlanta's Hartsfield–Jackson International
Airport.
As part of this three-month pilot project, customers will
encounter the following features when traveling through T1, T2 and
T3 gates:
- Mobile agent pods that are modern podiums with a smaller
footprint than traditional gate counters, opening up space for more
efficient boarding and additional customer seating.
- Handheld Nomad devices that allow gate agents to make seat
changes, check bag status and more, while also freeing agents to
more easily engage with customers rather than standing behind a
traditional gate counter.
- Boarding pillars that create four parallel lanes, not only
enhancing organization at the gate but also providing customers
with a clear path to boarding, improving traffic flow.
- E-Gates that enable passengers to seamlessly and efficiently
self-board by scanning their smart phone or boarding pass.
Later this year, phase two of testing will focus on increased
agent mobility, the customer's digital experience at the gate and
how to integrate biometric boarding based on testing under way at
Reagan Washington International Airport.
"Developing and testing these innovations is an important part
of our ongoing effort to improve the gate and boarding process for
our customers. This project marks a milestone as it will ultimately
allow us to realize the collective impact of several boarding
innovations on the overall travel experience," said Gil West, Delta's Chief Operating Officer.
"These developments will also accelerate the culture of hospitality
by minimizing barriers between agents and customers, driving even
more personal engagements and exceptional customer service."
These gate and boarding enhancements are the latest examples of
Delta's investments in innovation. Over the past year, Delta has
led the industry on a number of customer solutions
like replacing ID checks throughout the travel ribbon with
fingerprint scanning, biometric-based self-service bag
drop, RFID baggage handling, real-time bag
tracking via the Fly Delta mobile app,
more efficient and high-tech automated
screening lanes and a groundbreaking app that helps Delta
pilots avoid turbulence for a more comfortable flight.
Core to the innovation strategy, employee and customer feedback
from the ATL test will be incorporated into this new gate
experience to further improve the boarding process in Atlanta and across the network.
About Delta
Delta Air Lines serves more than 180 million customers each
year. In 2017, Delta was named to Fortune's top 50 Most Admired
Companies in addition to being named the most admired airline for
the sixth time in seven years. Additionally, Delta has ranked No.1
in the Business Travel News Annual Airline survey for an
unprecedented six consecutive years. With an industry-leading
global network, Delta and the Delta Connection carriers offer
service to 334 destinations in 62 countries on six continents.
Headquartered in Atlanta, Delta
employs more than 80,000 employees worldwide and operates a
mainline fleet of more than 800 aircraft. The airline is a founding
member of the SkyTeam global alliance and participates in the
industry's leading transatlantic joint venture with Air
France-KLM and Alitalia as well as a joint venture with Virgin
Atlantic. Including its worldwide alliance partners, Delta offers
customers more than 15,000 daily flights, with key hubs and markets
including Amsterdam, Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, Los Angeles,
Minneapolis/St. Paul, New York-JFK and LaGuardia, London-Heathrow,
Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Salt Lake City, Seattle and Tokyo-Narita.
Delta has invested billions of dollars in airport facilities,
global products and services, and technology to enhance the
customer experience in the air and on the ground. Additional
information is available on the Delta News Hub, as well as
delta.com, Twitter @DeltaNewsHub, Google.com/+Delta, and
Facebook.com/delta.
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SOURCE Delta Air Lines