We all know them. We see them in the airport donning that famous red blazer. They are Delta Red Coats and it’s their pleasure to serve you.

With the busy holiday travel season behind us, we wanted to build on the travel tips we’ve shared via social media the past few months and give you some insight on what you can expect from Delta in 2011. To that end, I sat down with one of our very own Red Coats for some insight into their world.

Delta: Thanks for taking the time to talk with us Michelle. Shall we start off by sharing a little background on our Red Coat program?

Michelle: Sure! The program was revitalized in 2007 at our New York-JFK hub. Today there are about 800 of us in many large airports across the U.S.

Delta: What does a typical day look like for you?

Michelle: Every day I assist customers from all walks of life and from all over the world. I work at Delta’s Detroit hub, where we see customers from all over the U.S. and Canada as well as Asia, Europe and South America. I walk around the airport and see customers arriving from Brazil, returning to Paris or on their way to Japan.

Delta: Yes, our Red Coats are certainly famous for your ability to provide one-on-one help from anywhere in the airport. So how exactly do you assist customers without being behind a counter?

Michelle:  We’ve got new technology and the know-how to get what you need. We use hand-held devices to resolve problems on the spot and issue printed boarding passes, meal vouchers, Sky Club passes, travel passes and other coupons.

Delta: That’s great. And lastly, can you share any advice with our customers traveling in 2011?

Michelle: Of course. While we’re here in the airports to serve you, there are some tools customers can use to help themselves if they wish. We have kiosks that can help with flights and information as well as scan-and-go stations where a simple scan of your boarding pass can give you a new one in most situations if you need to be rebooked.

Liz G.

Delta Social Media

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

As an Airport Customer Service (ACS) agent, I get a lot of questions from customers about what exactly it takes to get their Delta flight off the ground. And with the busy holiday travel season fast approaching, I thought it would be fun to give you a behind-the-scenes look at a day in the life of your Delta flight.

Many months ago, your flight was planned for and assigned an aircraft. Then it was placed up for sale on delta.com and other sales channels, assigned a flight crew and, more recently, assigned ACS agents.

From here, it’s all about execution. We know you want to get where you’re going on-time, and that’s our highest priority (next to safety, of course). How does this happen? Among many things, our colleagues in maintenance sign-off on overnight checks (to make sure all components of your aircraft are working as they should), pilots conduct their own walk-around inspections on their aircraft, and flight attendants prep the cabin for boarding and ensure cabin safety equipment is in order.

We also make certain that checked bags are securely loaded, and after boarding we check that the important weight and balance information is properly given to the flight crew for the optimum operation of your aircraft.

It may sound simple, but the whole process is actually quite complex! But at the end of the day, when we close the door and push the aircraft back with our ground vehicles, it’s of great satisfaction to me and my colleagues to know we’ve met the call of the day and sent you on your way to your holiday gatherings.

Thanks for making Delta a part of your Holiday season. Happy Holidays and I look forward to seeing you next time you’re in Atlanta!

David G.

Airport Customer Service