ATLANTA, March 2, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Customers
traveling through B Concourse at Atlanta's Hartsfield–Jackson International
Airport today will notice a more streamlined boarding process at
five Delta (NYSE: DAL) departure gates.
The latest upgrade to the boarding process features branded
pillars to create four parallel lanes, keeping customers out of the
walkway and providing a separate queuing area for Premium customers
and those needing special assistance. The airline plans to roll out
this interim solution to additional airports if customer feedback
continues to be positive.
"We tested a variety of boarding processes, and our customers
and employees let us know that this iteration makes their
experience better," said Bill
Lentsch, Delta's Senior Vice President – Airport Customer
Service and Airline Operations. "We're excited to provide this
interim solution, and we'll continue to evaluate new processes and
technologies to make the customer experience even better."
As Delta develops new solutions to improve the boarding process,
the airline looks to take the "hold room" feel out of the gate
space and create an interactive area full of meaningful
distractions that keep customers engaged and entertained while they
wait, Lentsch explained.
"Delta is determined to create the friendliest airport customer
experience in the industry," said Tim
Mapes, Delta's Senior Vice President & Chief Marketing
Officer. "Improving boarding is a major priority for us, and we
want it to be as easy as possible for our customers and airport
customer service agents. As this new boarding process rolls out,
our customers will experience less crowding and confusion at the
gate in addition to a more seamless transition when entering the
plane."
Delta is a key partner in the $6 billion infrastructure
modernization project at the world's busiest hub and this boarding
process will continue to rollout at Delta gates across
Hartsfield–Jackson International Airport as part of a $400 million terminal and concourse
renovation.
This boarding adjustment is the latest example of Delta's
commitment to innovation. The airline has also implemented
innovative customer experience solutions like RFID baggage
handling, real-time bag tracking via the Fly Delta mobile app, more
efficient and high tech security lanes and a groundbreaking app
that helps Delta pilots avoid turbulence for a more comfortable
flight. Last November, Lentsch discussed Delta's ongoing boarding
tests in a column on the Delta News Hub.
Small tweaks to the Delta boarding process over the past few
years have led to the implementation of zone boarding based on
loyalty. The enhanced pillar queuing system will continue to allow
customers to board by zones.
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 323 destinations in 57 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