Steven Larkin, Director of Sales-Canada, Delta Air Lines
What’s new for Delta Air Lines in 2017? Delta One suites (complete with sliding doors) onboard new Airbus A350 aircraft, and Premium Select, Delta’s answer to dedicated premium economy class, says Steven Larkin, Director of Sales-Canada, Delta Air Lines in this edition of Friday 5.
1. How many U.S. destinations does Delta currently offer? Any new U.S. routes launching in 2017?
“Delta flies from 11 Canadian cities connecting through our hubs in Atlanta, Detroit, Los Angeles Minneapolis, New York JFK and LaGuardia, Salt Lake City and Seattle to over 200 cities across the U.S. including Hawaii and Alaska. This year Delta will launch seven new routes with three new markets including Lisbon, Berlin, and Glasgow, from New York-JFK, as well as new service between Boston and Dublin. We will also be launching new Pacific service Atlanta – Incheon and resuming service between Atlanta and Brussels in April.”
2. Delta’s fleet increased from 925 jets to 960 from 2015 to 2016. Will this pace continue in the near future?
“Delta currently has 832 aircraft with a commitment to 25 state-of-the-art Airbus A350-900 and 25 A330-900neo to replace older generation Boeing 747 and 767 aircraft starting in 2017 and 2019, respectively. The order for 25 state-of-the-art Airbus A350-900 aircraft and 25 advanced Airbus A330-900neo aircraft fits within Delta’s existing capacity and capital expenditure plan and continues the airline’s focus on making prudent, cost-effective investments in its fleet.”
3. Delta is investing $50 million towards preventing lost and delayed luggage. How is this working out?
“Delta’s focus on innovation has moved further forward with the roll out of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID). The $50 million investment sees a luggage tag with an RFID chip attached to every checked bag, which enables real-time tracking as the suitcase makes the journey from check-in desk to arrival carousel. Tags are read by encoders during each stage of transportation with this data passed back to customers via the Fly Delta app.
“Thanks to GPS tracking, the app also provides map views of a bag’s last-known location and information about which airport terminal, concourse and carousel the bag can be collected from. Once complete, Delta will offer RFID tags and scanning at 344 stations around the globe.”
4. What else is new for Delta in 2017?
“The A350 aircraft will showcase the new Delta One suite, the first business class cabin to feature a sliding door at each suite. Plus the new aircraft will see the introduction of Premium Select – a dedicated premium economy class cabin. Delta will also be debuting the new stylish Zac Posen-designed uniforms for all uniformed staff at Delta towards the end of the year.”
5. What’s the secret to maintaining success in the airline industry?
“The key to Delta’s success is the Delta people and the culture of the business. We are 80,000 strong with a clear purpose to deliver the best customer experience possible and always ensure we have the customers back.”
