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Archive for September, 2007

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Let’s talk travel tips!

Published September 28th, 2007 in Airport | 14 Comments →

When you get right down to it, what we’re really about at Delta is getting you safely and conveniently from point A to point B and making sure you enjoy the ride. But, hey, we travel too, and we know that sometimes travel in the post 9/11 world can be a bit (?!?!) of a hassle. Being basically helpful folks with our roots in Southern hospitality, we created a section for delta.com called Travel Tips.

In this section, so far we have:

  • Airport Tips, which includes some things you may not have thought of that will help get through the airport as painlessly as possible.
  • Baggage Tips to try to demystify how, what, and how much to pack.
  • Tips for Healthy Travel, which includes literally pages of information to help you make sure you stay well enough to enjoy your trip—particularly when you’re taking those fabulous long trips to exotic places. (Have you heard of schistosomiasis? Ewww!)

That’s all great, you say, but what’s the point? Well, here’s the payoff for you and me both—you get to tell me what’s missing. Do we need whole new sections, or should we add a bullet or two here and there? If you could write this section yourself based on your travel frustrations, what would be in it?

Tell me…I’m all ears!

Julie Palmer
Manager – Website Content
delta.com & self-service

But will it play in Peoria…?

Published September 27th, 2007 in Onboard | 34 Comments →

The phrase, “Will it play in Peoria?” has long been used to rank the appeal of something to mainstream America. The phrase initially came into fashion during the vaudeville era, when it was believed that if a new show was successful in Peoria, Ill., it would work anywhere in America.

If you look at the video entertainment that airlines (including Delta) have offered in the past, I’ll bet many of the programming decisions were based on that age-old question. Whatever was least likely to offend the greatest number of people ended up onboard. And that usually meant a pretty blah entertainment offering.

Over the past year we’ve been progressively programming movies that are more hip and that were released theatrically with a PG-13 or R rating. Of course, we’re still editing our overhead offering to content standards on par with network TV stations. And in many cases, films are edited to even stricter airline standards.

We provide a disclaimer with specific content warnings prior to every film aired onboard and provide ratings and content overviews in Sky magazine. Another thing to remember is that many films are released with an R rating due to profanity or adult dialogue. But with the profanity edited out, the film likely wouldn’t be rated R in a theater.

For instance, we recently aired “Georgia Rule.” This film was rated R theatrically, but we removed all profanity. And while the film included mature dialogue, movie audio can only be heard through headphones. With that in mind, we rely on parents to decide if it’s appropriate for their child to listen to the audio track.

This shift in the type of entertainment we offer has not gone unnoticed. As you might expect, this move toward offering popular Hollywood movies and some great independent films has resulted in a lot of customer feedback…some quite passionate. However, the overwhelming response from our flyers has been very positive.

I’d like to hear your thoughts. Do you like the direction we’re taking?

Chris Babb
Manager – Global Product Development
In-Flight Entertainment

Global Good Is Taking Off

Published September 25th, 2007 in Community, SkyMiles | 8 Comments →

Hey everyone,

OK, so you want to use your miles for a luxurious vacation to Hawaii, Europe or another exotic destination, right? I can’t blame you. However, many of your fellow SkyMiles members are now bidding their hard-earned miles to do physical labor in a foreign country.

SkyMiles members (and my Delta co-workers) are buzzing about the chance to be a part of the growing “voluntourism” trend and participate in the first-ever SkyMiles Global Good Auction.

The winning bidder and a guest will take off with Delta’s Force for Global Good and Habitat for Humanity in November on an around-the-world experience, which will include accommodations, airfare, a four-day build in Mumbai and sightseeing around India. Participants will join 40 Delta employees to build 100 homes, where more than 600 men, women and children will eventually reside.

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So far, we’ve seen a great response! With less than four days of bidding left, 44 SkyMiles members have bid on the package, and the current bid is 110,000 miles. To top the off the altruism, the winning mileage bid will be donated to Habitat for Humanity.

So you still have time to check out the SkyMiles Auction for more details on the Habitat build and our other cool Auction packages (maybe a spa outing or golf getaway in Florida is more your speed?). Then, bid your miles and enjoy!

Jeff Robertson
Managing Director – SkyMiles

P.S. – We plan to add a new slate of Auction items once a quarter so be sure to check them out regularly and let us know what you think.

Designing the Way You Check-in

Published September 24th, 2007 in Airport | 41 Comments →

Hailing all road warriors,

Have you noticed our recent improvements to the kiosk check-in experience, such as the addition of new languages, international check-in, excess baggage handling, and baggage drop? Well, we’re not stopping there…and we need your help!

airport-kiosks.gifWe have an opportunity to take the kiosk—and the online check-in experience—to a whole new level and we want to hear from you.

One of the things you told us on delta.com/change was we should offer drink vouchers from the kiosk. Another comment was, “Why do I have to press ‘Continue’ on every kiosk screen?” And, “How can I redesign the electronic check-in experience?” Okay, maybe not that one, but here’s your chance, Champ!

  • What else would save you “airport time” either online or at the kiosk?
  • What do you love and don’t want us to change?
  • If we could change just one thing, what would it be?

We always appreciate your feedback—feel free to use this blog or our new “Feedback” widget on delta.com to tell us what you like and don’t like about each and every page on our site. Our user-centered design focuses on you, so let us know.

Mark Cohen
Manager, User Experience Design
delta.com & Self-Service Products

Where has “Oregon(e)?”

Published September 20th, 2007 in Destinations | 10 Comments →

oregon13.jpgI am pretty sure that when you think about going on vacation you wouldn’t pick the state of Oregon as a top 30 destination. I am from southern Oregon, currently living in Atlanta and recently went home to visit my family and show my “southern belle” girlfriend what Oregon has to offer.

Oregon has something to offer almost everyone. Hiking in the mountains, white water rafting, a beautiful coastline (although the water is a little chilly), some of the best golf courses in the country and many other great features.

My all-time favorite place to go in Oregon is Crater Lake. It is the deepest lake in North America and 30 miles from where I grew up; in Klamath Falls. If you catch it on a beautiful sunny day, the water turns an amazing blue!

Oh and did I mention that Oregon is also home to the two-time defending National College Baseball Champions, the Oregon State Beavers (where I went to college).

So as far as I’m concerned Oregon hasn’t gone anywhere and is alive and well. So next time you’re thinking about places to go on vacation, think about Oregon and all it has to offer. Delta and Delta Connection SkyWest offer flights to every part of Oregon. We offer service into Portland, Salem, Redmond, Eugene and Medford.

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So, “Happy Traveling” and be sure to let me know if you need any tips or have any questions about your next vacation to Oregon. Go Beavers!

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Zach Wallin
Product Analyst
delta.com & self-service

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