And you guys thought I was just a baseball player and blogger… Well, I’ve figured out what my career would have been had I not made it to the Major Leagues (or the NFL or the PGA Tour) – I would have made quite the Delta airport representative!

Last week I had the opportunity to make a surprise appearance at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport on behalf of Delta. A few members of the Tomahawk Team as well as Homer, our mascot, joined me in meeting tons of Delta travelers and employees. It was pretty funny to see people’s reactions when they realized who I was. I think my jersey (not to mention the Tomahawk Team and Homer) was a dead giveaway, but I guess nobody was expecting to see me there so I got a lot of double-takes. Anyone happen to run into me??!!

I started the visit out by surprising Delta customers and employees at check-in…shaking hands, taking pictures, and signing photos and even boarding passes. I snuck up on a couple of travelers who were using Delta’s self check-in units and asked if they needed any help – I don’t think they were expecting to look up and see me rather than a Delta representative. Of course, I’m pretty much an expert at the self check-in process since we travel so much. It’s definitely my preference because it’s so fast and easy!

Next, and easily my favorite part of the experience, was visiting the airport’s USO lounge. It was very humbling to shake hands with the troops and thank them for what they’re doing for our country. I’d love to get a bunch of teammates back there soon when they’re expecting a big group of troops to come through. I talked to several soldiers, both men and women, who were on their way to Iraq and it really put things in perspective. Just think, in a couple of hours they were leaving for months at a time to go fight for our country – meanwhile I was heading to the ballpark to play baseball. Pretty incredible what they do. Thank you to each and every one of them!

But it was then that my true potential as a Delta representative began to shine through…

I had the opportunity to board an incoming flight from New York and be the first to welcome the Delta customers and travelers to Atlanta. We just so happened to be playing the Mets that night, so I was able to have a little fun. After introducing myself and welcoming the passengers to Atlanta, I managed to get a little “friendly” trash-talk in to any Mets fans. Delta is also partnered with both of the MLB teams in New York, so there was definitely some Mets/Yankees/Braves banter going back and forth! But rivalries aside, I invited those who’d be in town that night to pick up a couple tickets to the game from the Tomahawk Team at the gate. It was great to be able to surprise and reward Delta’s great customers and employees. I hope some Mets fans had the chance to come experience Turner Field. They’ve got a fantastic new stadium this year and I’m excited to play there this week.

I capped off the day by boarding an outbound flight to New York. I scanned boarding passes and then made my way to the cockpit to wish the pilots and passengers well. I’ve done quite a bit of flying myself this past week, to Miami, Philadelphia, New York and finally back home to Atlanta.

I have to say the whole day was a hit! I got a lot of behind the scenes experience at the airport and on the plane too. By the way, if you haven’t been in Delta’s Sky Club (formerly the Crown Room) I’ll say a membership is definitely worth it. I spent a little time in there last week and you’re missing out if you haven’t been. The Delta group is always so fun and welcoming, and clearly they like to give their customers a memorable experience. I hope everyone I met last week enjoyed it – I sure did!

If you had the chance to work at Delta for the day, which job would you try? Flight attendant? Gate agent? CSA (Customer Service Agent)? Blogger?

Jeff Francoeur
Atlanta Braves

You might have read today that our friends in Orlando became the 9th carrier in North America to announce they would offer in-flight Wi-Fi and we’d just like to say, “Welcome to the Wi-Fi Club!”

Since we announced our plans to equip our entire domestic mainline fleet with Wi-Fi last August, we’ve now reached the 50% point, with Wi-Fi installed on nearly 150 pre-merger Delta aircraft. And by the end of the summer, we’ll have more than 300 Wi-Fi-equipped aircraft flying border-to-border and coast-to-coast. But wait, there’s more! By spring of next year we’ll expand that to include approximately 200 pre-merger Northwest aircraft.

Let’s talk more numbers…as of today, May 12, there are 211 Wi-Fi equipped aircraft in the world…and Delta operates 66% of those planes.

So while some carriers continue to test the service on “select” routes and while some have announced that their “entire” fleet of 28 aircraft or 136 aircraft will be equipped soon, Delta offers more planes and more flights with Wi-Fi to more destinations than any other airline. For specific information on flights and planes, see my weekly Wi-Fi updates here.

We all like to trumpet having the biggest, best, or broadest (planes, in-flight entertainment, Wi-Fi network). But none of that means anything unless there’s real value to you, our customers. The rollout of in-flight Wi-Fi presents a clear value – to both business and leisure travelers. The news releases, PR,  and marketing blitzes will continue as more airlines add the service. And more and more planes will be converted to Wi-Fi hotspots, enabling you to catch up on e-mail, shop, surf, chat…while zooming along at 500 mph, seven miles up. For more information on pricing and details, visit our in-flight Wi-Fi access page at delta.com

Isn’t technology great!?!

Chris B.
Sr. Product Manager, IFE