For many of our customers we’re getting into what’s affectionately known as “the most wonderful time of the year.” For airlines, it can also be one of the most challenging—winter months means snow and freezing rain in many parts of the country and globe.
With winter weather in full swing, I wanted to give you an inside look at how Delta prepares for imminent weather, and also share some tips should you find yourself with delays or cancellations this busy travel season.
At Delta we started preparing for winter at the end of last year’s winter season. Here’s how:
- 30 dedicated meteorology professionals give us an around-the-clock look at the weather that’s specifically tailored to Delta. We’re the only major airline with our own meteorology department!
- 410 Delta deicing trucks stay filled with fluid from September to May, ready to make sure that come rain, snow, sleet or hail – as long as it’s still safe to fly – we’re keeping your flight on schedule.
- Hundreds of Airport Customers Service agents were recently added in our busiest airports to make sure we’re staffed to offer quick support during irregular operations.
- 800 Delta Red Coats are in our hubs and other major airports equipped with handheld technology that lets them handle nearly any transaction on the spot from anywhere in the airport.
But even with all of our preparations, sometimes there is simply no way to stop severe weather from impacting your travel plans. We’ve prepped for that, too:
- Free Delta Messenger flight notifications allows you to subscribe to get updates on all flights, or get a one-time alert on a specific flight.
- @DeltaAssist real-time customer assistance through Twitter. Before, during and after your flight, the Delta team is working to get you to your destination with minimal disruption.
- Live travel advisories on delta.com help you stay up-to-date on everything impacting travel around the globe.
And of course all of Delta’s customer service channels are always available to you.
I hope I’ve been able to shed some light on our winter operations and equipped you with the tools and information you need to have a happy and enjoyable winter travel season!
Happy Holidays,
James F.
GM-OCC Operations Management
December 23rd, 2010 at 12:42 pm
Good info & great work:)
December 23rd, 2010 at 7:02 pm
James – You should also mention that those passengers that are impacted by weather and delayed arrivals can get the latest and up-to-date information on their connecting flights, gate information and itineraries while in-flight on almost all the domestic Delta mainline aircraft with free access to Delta.com on Gogo in-flight WIFI in the U.S.
December 26th, 2010 at 1:42 pm
I live in Atlanta, am a diamond member and love commercial aviation. Does delta ever give behind the scene tours to elites like other airlines?
December 26th, 2010 at 4:38 pm
James,
This is an interesting behind the scenes look. I realize managing logistics and customer service for a global airline is no small task. It’s good to see the time and channels Delta has developed to create a frictionless customer service experience.
Unfortunately, this Holiday weekend is turning out to be an epic meltdown for Delta. Your customer service channels are failing. The 800 number is completely down. The Delta.com re-booking tool is not working. Your @DeltaAssist support team is overwhelmed with inquiries and not responding. Your blog has zero update on the status. Your Facebook page is flooded with angry complaints.
From a consumers perspective, it’s as if Delta’s staff are *intentionally* hiding from a mob of consumers that they know they can’t deal with. Flight cancellations during a storm are inevitable. Being short-staffed during the holidays can be expected. But to be 100% unreachable across all channels is a huge customer relations and PR mistake.
When the storm clears and things are back to normal, I’d be interested in your response as to how all of the storm preparations STILL resulted in a collapse of your systems and staff, how you’re going to improve next time, and how you feel these breakdowns are impacting Delta’s reputation and consumers’ trust in your brand.
-Andrew
December 26th, 2010 at 9:56 pm
*Update* Since Delta’s systems are down, I went to MSP to speak with a ticket agent directly. The agent I spoke with (Carol) was fantastic and did a great job of answering questions, getting people re-booked on flights, etc. I want to thank Carol for doing an amazing job of representing the Delta brand during a very chaotic travel time when Delta’s electronic systems were failing.
December 27th, 2010 at 1:58 pm
1. Delta Messenger doesn’t seem to work – I shouldn’t have to log in at 1:30 AM when I have to get up at 3:30 AM to drive to the airport to find that my flight has been canceled when I haven’t received any email or notification via phone about the changes and I confirmed I’m subscribed – this is unacceptable.
2. Delta Deicing Trucks – many do not know but if you are flying Delta but you are not flying Delta main line, your aircraft most likely will take much much longer to get through the deicing process simply because it’s a main line vs. Delta connection carrier.
Very unsatisfied Diamond medallion customer who has had the worst experience in over 13 years of loyalty to Delta.
December 27th, 2010 at 5:30 pm
I generally have a dim view of American airlines these days, but I am compelled to thank Delta for the way they treated me this past weekend. I had a roundtrip ticket USING MILES (and from Amex no less, not from flying a lot on Delta) from JFK to CVG. Although Delta’s terminal at JFK is a special version of hell–on my departure on 12/23, only one of the security lines was operational–the flight was flawless and on time, AND (for reasons known only to God) I was seated in an exit row seat. (I am not a gold, silver, or whatever member of Delta’s Skymiles–I’m just an occasional flier on them) Although I was ticketed to return on Monday, the approaching snowstorm prompted me to try to reschedule my return to NYC later Christmas Day. Low and behold, on-line I was able to get a seat on a flight from CVG to LGA that evening at only an additional 2500 miles (and no further charges), PLUS I was seated in the 1st/business section. AND the flight was on-time. Obviously, this entire experience was a very scary one: never before have I felt so positive about an airline experience as this one, and I fear that the gods of air travel will make me suffer in some way on some future flight, be it on Delta or any other carrier. Nonetheless, thank you, Delta!