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
September 28th, 2007 at 12:14 pm
My tip for ATL security… Even during the heaviest periods, going to Terminal North, all the way to the end of the check in counter by American there is a security line that is never long. Brings you out into the T-Terminal and from there you can walk to the underground train!
September 28th, 2007 at 12:21 pm
These are good, generic tips for novice travelers, but they don’t seem particularly useful for frequent flyers. How about some advanced tips, like:
* Which airports have dedicated security lines for Medallion members?
* Where to find carry-on-only check-in kiosks, and at which airports?
Maybe this information is already out there, and I just don’t know where to look for it!
As for the Tips for Healthy travel, some customers may be offended by the suggestion to delay travel if you are not feeling well. It’s a great theory, but particularly with the recent increase in change fees it just isn’t practical unless you are drastically ill.
September 28th, 2007 at 2:52 pm
For every flight now, I bring ear plugs. It is amazing the difference in “ambient jet noise” that I hear with and without them in, and for anyone that flies a lot it’s important to preserve our high frequencies!
September 29th, 2007 at 6:34 am
The tips are great for first-time travelers, but very much old news to seasoned world flyers. Some nice information would be a little more airport-specific, such as where check-in counters and regular baggage claim counters are for more airports (at least those airports that are fairly large), minimum reccomended transfer times for connecting airports (like LAX, SLC, ATL…)… things that would help a business traveler or a vacationing family learn more about the place they are going. Even little things, like that in HNL you have to pay $2 for a cart, yet in STR you get them for a quater (and when you lock it back to the other carts, you get a quarter back)… or where you can get a cab or bus… or where exactly the rental car lots are in the airport (and how long a shuttle ride might take you)…. THAT would be super helpful!
One way to reduce the cost of doing such detailed airport and travel plans is to make it available across the SkyTeam network, as a shared resource for all airlines in the alliance, and sharing in the creation of said profiles. The airports themselves can also help by sending in any changes to the managing team, making updates easier.
Umm… yeah, hope you like that idea Julie. Have an amazing week!
September 29th, 2007 at 6:51 am
I think what you’ve got is a good, basic start and reflects Delta’s tradition of caring customer-focused service. I also agree with banichiji — what you’ve got is fairly generic and coiuld be enhanced with greater detail tailored more to frequent travelers — and, for that matter, tips for families, those traveling with others who may have limited mobility, etc.
Ther’s also nothing very “Delta” about it. Why not offer tips from DL crew members or other employees? As relevant travel tip content on this blog gets built out, perhaps you could offer links to that from Delta.com?
Finally, I’d encourage Delta to better merchandise the Delta.com travel tips content to your customers. Include links to it in purchase confirmation emails and other pre-trip communications. Alert callers to Delta Res that it exists on Delta.com. Even if a person isn’t comfortable buying a ticket on Delta.com, this is the type of content she might find useful, and could potentially serve as a pleasant and helpful way to introduce her, or get her more familiar with, Delta.com.
September 30th, 2007 at 11:45 am
banichiji, Delta.com does have Medallion security lane information.
On the Travelling & Check-in dropdown menu, select Airport Information. Then select Frequent Traveler Security Lines.
http://www.delta.com/traveling_checkin/airport_information/frequent_traveler_security/
October 1st, 2007 at 2:12 pm
Some advice on traveling to Asia — unless you’ve got one of those wonderful non-stop Delta flights to Tokyo, Seoul, etc., there’s a chance you’ll have to switch airlines before you leave in SFO, LAX, SEA, etc. MAKE SURE you remember that even though you might not be flying Delta out of the country, they have baggage agreements with most other international airlines. Go to a gate agent before your domestic flight and have them check your bags ALL THE WAY to your final destination. If not, you will be faced with horrible delays in retrieving, re-screening and re-checking your baggage (LAX is the absolute worst). There are some instances when this isn’t possible, but this is the case most of the time. TSA requires you to re-claim everything upon your return, but at least this saves you a big headache on your way out of the USA.
October 1st, 2007 at 9:24 pm
Sorry for the delay in responding folks! I spent the weekend admiring the red rocks in the high desert near historic Gallup, NM. Here’s a tip: when the word “historic” is used as an adjective to describe motor lodges on Route 66, one thing it can mean is “no wi-fi”!
Thanks FlyerGirl for jumping in to answer the question on security lines. In fact, the Airport Information section, while not presenting it in “tip” format, still has some pretty good info. We’re working on adding a few new airport maps so delta.com will have at least as many as SKY Magazine, and you can peruse or print them before you leave or pull them up on your smart phone.
I’m getting the feeling that one of the best things we could do is offer a permanent section for our customers and employees to submit their own tips for the rest of the Delta community to use. Sounds like I need to have a chat with Jacob…
October 29th, 2007 at 5:12 pm
I agree with Royal-Jet-Service. The Delta crews can tell you where to eat, shop and how to get around any city in the system. Pool that expert knowledge for the benefit of the customers. Place it either in your monthly magazine or on your Delta.com website.
November 16th, 2007 at 9:38 pm
I have written to the Delta folks several times about this on the website and always get the canned answer - a link to the Crown Room locations on the web site. What I think Delta should do is have Crown Room logos with nearest gate locations on the airport signs at ATL, SLC and some other possible locations. American Airlines does this at their hubs, no problem finding the Admiral’s Club at ORD, MIA, or DFW. At ATL, you’re guessing where the club rooms are located because they are not consistent between concourses. This could so easily be added to the signs that point to the underground trams and baggage claim. A Crown Room logo and B25 or the closest Crown Room would seem to be an easy thing. I’m not suggesting any new signs, and there’s plenty of space on the existing signs to add this. I’m real curious why this is a problem?
November 20th, 2007 at 4:11 pm
Get Clear Registered Traveler Program to more DL sites!
I fly each week between FLL and IND (via ATL). The Clear Program is up and running at IND. Being prescreened my ID and BIO (iris or fingerprints) are verified and i move past the entire security queue right up to the mangetometers. This is an incredible advancement for business travelers! Its free the first year if you’re diamond with Hyatt otherwise its $99 how can you beat that!?!
As Clear moves into airports like JFK they’re being co-sponsored by airlines like Virgin. Why isn’t DL doing more to get it at airports like FLL? You have lots of commuters that go thru there every week. With Cruise season starting (FLL is the Cruise Capitol of the USA). All the tourists start coming and bog up the security queues.
I’ve written to DL, Broward County Aviation Dept and the TSA. Everyone says everyone else has to take the initiatitve!
Come on Delta! Step up to the plate and help make this a reality for your regular business travelers! You have alot of them at FLL!
November 21st, 2007 at 5:27 pm
Permit Silver Medallion access to the priority security lanes.
I actually choose other airlines at specific airports because the competition allows access (e.g. Star Alliance carriers) to the separate security lane and Delta does not. My favorite benefits of having status on multiple airlines are 1) separate check-in lines and 2) security lanes. Since the other benefits of status are losing their value (e.g. upgrades, miles redemption), why not supplement where it makes a big difference… customer’s time. Besides, members with status typically know how to move through security more quickly than the average flyer.
November 21st, 2007 at 10:05 pm
I suppose as a better than 100K Platinum flying almost all domestic routes, I’m going to come off sounding arrogant, but that’s not the way it’s meant. If certain airports are giving access to silver level people in the short line, Wow. Go for it. Score. I don’t see that at any airports I tend to go to. These days when planes are just a glorified bus service, it’s getting tough to get special treatment if you don’t fly outragous mileage. I’ve had recent flights where I’ve been as high/low as #34 for an upgrade on a song plane with 26 first class seats already filled and I’m platinum. That implies probably 50 platinum’s or more on the flight. One flight in the last month had 96 silver medallion or better members on a 134 seat plane. They had to split medallion boarding into 3 groups. I’ve seen the gold and platinum medallion line at Washington National longer than the regular line.
It’s getting so that anything less than platinum is only good for mileage awards. Even as platinum, if I have a low priced ticket I have less than a 25% chance of seeing an upgrade. It blows being silver these days. The only value I’ve ever seen from silver is getting some added bonus miles and usually getting my 20″ rollerboard in the cabin where the plebians may not. I just see it getting worse.
November 28th, 2007 at 10:20 am
Wow Brownbag! Try flying ATL to FLL on a Thursday night. Most of the aircraft is Gold and Platinums. Everyone is riding in the back. And you know how comfortable those 757’s are! It seems everyone at DL is focused on the customer (and the regular ones like us).
So here’s an idea:
Since you have many Gold’s and Plantinums travelling to locations like FLL every Thursday night, why not move aircraft with larger 1st Class cabins (767s) into those slots (like the evening ones that land at 1900, 2200 and 0019 hrs). DL could accomodate more of their regular customers.
Remember those older L-1011’s they had huge 1st Class cabins!