Delta introduces time-saving technology

To provide customers with an even faster, more convenient booking and check-in experience, Delta Air Lines, the world’s largest airline, has simplified the ticket purchase process at delta.com and introduced an improved kiosk experience at airports throughout the country, as well as curb side check-in for customers travelling internationally.

“Delta is committed to providing faster, more convenient self-service options for our customers,” said Josh Weiss, managing director of delta.com. “Whether they are visiting delta.com or checking in at a kiosk or curb side, these enhancements save time for our customers whenever they travel with us.”

Delta’s improved kiosk technology, now available at more than 1,300 Delta kiosks in 195 U.S. cities, reduces the number of screens a passenger clicks through when checking in. The new system also provides easier access to flight itineraries and real-time weather conditions at their destination. In addition, customers can elect to bypass baggage-check screens if they are not checking bags, trimming the transaction to as little as one click - from start to finish.

Delta anticipates more than 26 million customers will check in using kiosks in 2008 and expects the new kiosk technology will reduce already quick transaction times by as much as a minute for many customers.

New functionality at delta.com allows customers to save their profile to reduce steps in the booking process, saving many online customers time by allowing them to complete booking in 30 seconds or less - from start to finish. According to a recent Gomez Business Process benchmark study, Delta currently leads the industry in flight search response time and flight search availability.

To expedite the check-in process for passengers travelling internationally, Delta also introduced curb side check-in and baggage drop at all Delta domestic and select Delta Connection curb side locations. Delta, including its Northwest subsidiary, is the only U.S.-based carrier to offer this service at every U.S. curb side location the airline serves. Effective from December 1, Delta will discontinue the $3 curb side check-in fee charged for domestic and international customers travelling on Delta and Northwest-operated flights at airport locations worldwide. Customers can save even more time by checking in for their domestic or international flight, and checking bags, at delta.com.

This month, Delta is giving its SkyMiles members even more reasons to check in online, awarding a total of five million SkyMiles, including a grand prize of one million SkyMiles, in an online sweepstakes at delta.com.

To be eligible for the “Million Mile Sweepstakes,” Delta customers must check in online and print their full boarding pass with destination highlights at delta.com between November 18, 2008 and February 28, 2009. The boarding pass will include a code customers can enter at delta.com/sweeps to participate in the sweepstakes. Customers can enter the sweepstakes a maximum of one time per day.

In addition to the one million mile grand prize, 160 prizes of 25,000 miles will be awarded to customers who check in online and experience delta.com’s faster, more user-friendly check-in process. Sweepstakes winners will be selected at random and announced by March 15, 2009. Consumers may also enter without making a purchase. More details are available in the official rules.

With recently implemented features to expedite the check-in process for passengers checking in using delta.com, kiosks or personal digital assistants (PDAs), more than 80% of Delta customers are choosing to use self-service or curb side check-in.