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Archive for the ‘Destinations’


eBoarding Now Available at Even More Locations

Back in the summer of 2008 when we launched mobile boarding check-in, it was the industry’s latest and greatest move forward in customer technology. A little more than two years later, we dramatically added to the number of locations globally where you can scan your eBoarding pass on your smartphone.

Delta eBoarding Pass

As a global airline we know how important it is for you to have eBoarding access in international as well as domestic cities. With 52 eBoarding pass enabled cities around the world, now you can travel through 43 cities in the US and nine airports in Europe with an eBoarding pass right from your phone!

We added 24 new eBoarding pass enabled locations since December including:

  • Berlin-Tegel, Germany (TXL)
  • Charlotte (CLT)
  • Des Moines (DSM)
  • Dusseldorf, Germany (DUS)
  • Fort Myers (RSW)
  • Frankfurt, Germany (FRA)
  • Grand Rapids (GRR)
  • Hartford/Springfield (BDL)
  • Jackson Hole (JAC)
  • London – Heathrow, United Kingdom (LHR)
  • London – Gatwick, United Kingdom (LGW)
  • Miami (MIA)
  • Milan-Malpensa, Italy (MXP)
  • Munich, Germany (MUC)
  • New Orleans (MSY)
  • Philadelphia (PHL)
  • Pisa, Italy (PSA)
  • Rome, Italy (FCO)
  • St Louis (STL)
  • San Antonio (SAT)
  • Stuttgart, Germany (STR)
  • Tampa (TPA)
  • Tulsa (TUL)
  • Venice, Italy (VCE)

We’re constantly adding new locations to our list, just visit delta.com/checkin and select the mobile check-in options for all the cities where eBoarding passes are available.

And the mobile upgrades don’t end there! In 2010 we improved mobile.delta.com and launched our popular iPhone and BlackBerry applications, each of which have built in tools that allow you to check-in and access an eBoarding pass from the palm of your hand. Coming soon, we’ll also add our Android app to the mix and continue to add new features to each of our apps in the future.

We’re listening to your feedback and delivering more tools to improve your travel experience and provide hassle-free check-in options. Have you had the chance to use an eBoarding pass recently? We want to know what you think.

Rick E.

Product Manager delta.com & Self Services

How to Win a Vacation and Cure Your Slice

No, that title is not a misprint! I’m going to tell you how to enter to win a vacation to the beautiful Sandals Emerald Bay in Great Exuma, Bahamas. And, I’m going to give you a few pointers you can test out on the golf course at the Sandals Emerald Reef Golf Course, where Golf Channel’s hit show, Big Break Sandals Resorts, was filmed this year.

Delta Vacations has teamed up with Sandals Resorts, Golf Channel, Big Break Sandals Resorts, and “The Shark” himself, Greg Norman, for the Sandals Emerald Bay Golf Getaway Sweepstakes. We are giving away a 5 night stay at the all-new Sandals Emerald Bay resort on the island of Great Exuma, Bahamas! The grand prize trip includes a $250 credit for the Red Lane® Spa and four rounds of golf on the spectacular Greg Norman designed Sandals Emerald Reef Golf Club.

This resort is definitely on the top of my list, especially since every room at the resort comes with butler service! This is one of those opportunities you don’t want to miss so enter now. While you’re entering the sweepstakes, be sure to check out the amazing pictures of the resort and golf course in the photo gallery!

Now for the slice portion. Pay attention because these tips will turn out handy at Sandals Emerald Bay!

Tip 1: Tee It Up

This is a very common drill that I find helpful. Tee the ball up normally and set up your club how you would before you tee off. Then place another tee right outside the toe of your club. This way, if you take an outside-in-swing (most slicers do) you will hit the other tee. By tucking in your right elbow (if you a right handed golfer), this will help promote an inside-out swing and will straighten your slice.

Tip 2: Finish High

This drill focuses on your follow through, which believe it or not is very important to your ball flight. Take a normal swing but focus on extending those arms through the ball and hold your follow through until the ball hits the ground. This will help promote a straighter ball flight and maybe even a bit of a draw with more distance.

Now that you’ve entered the sweepstakes and brushed up on your golf game, tell us, what’s your favorite beach and golf resort?

No purchase necessary. Must be at least 18 to enter. Sweepstakes ends 8/27/10. Visit www.sandalsgolfgetaway.com for complete details and Official Rules. Void where prohibited.

We’re the First! Now You Can Book Travel on Facebook.

We’re excited to let our customers know about some great additions from our IT and e-commerce teams this week. On Tuesday, we revealed the look of our new home page which is the first of many changes in the next several months on delta.com and today, we’re the first airline to launch a tool that let’s our Facebook fans book without ever leaving the site. Social networks are very popular with Gogo Inflight Internet on more than 500 of our planes and Facebook is the top used site by Delta customers in the air, which makes this a natural choice and gives you yet another option for booking your travel with us.

Earlier this month we updated our smartphone site and plan to deliver other popular consumer applications. In the coming weeks, we will launch a new iPhone application which will offer the ability to check in for flights, check flight status, review flight schedules, set a parking reminder, review SkyMiles account balance and use eBoarding passes (in select cities) directly from your iPhone. Future releases of our app will include booking flights, selecting seats and tracking your progress toward Medallion status as well as features that will streamline your real-time travel experiences. 

We are ready to unlock the full power of social media and mobile apps as we step to future technologies that will provide innovative travel tools and greater convenience in your mobile world.

Denise F.

Delta Ticket Window project leader

Hawaii Travel Tips

One the best things about working for a travel company is being able to hear everyone’s stories of where they have been. I personally have never been to Hawaii, but I am fascinated by and wanted to get some tips of things to do when I do get to go. Here’s what I found:

Oahu

  • Climb to the top of Diamond Head, the view is definitely worth the hike.
  • Take a surfing lesson. Can you think of a better place to get a surfing lesson than on Waikiki Beach?!
  • Pearl Harbor is a must.
  • Visit the Dole Plantation–they have train rides, mazes, crafts, koi fish feeding and of course delicious pineapple…fun for the whole family.
  • Check out the Waimea Falls in the beautiful tropical garden in Oahu.
  • Honolulu Zoo has a “Snooze in the Zoo” allowing guests to stay overnight and enjoy storytelling, campfire songs and walking tours.   You can either set up tents or sleep under the stars.  If you don’t want to spend the night, take the “Twilight Tour” which offers a behind-the-scenes look at the lives of animals after the sun goes down.
  • See the famous Shangri La built in the 1930s on the Pacific Ocean over looking Diamond Head.  This home has a very extensive collection of Islamic Art and is considered one of Hawaii’s most architecturally significant homes.

Maui

  • Everyone should do the “Road to Hana” in Maui.  And if you decide to do it, rent or buy the tour guide CD because it tells you the cool spots to stop (waterfalls, pools, bamboo forests, black sand beaches, etc.) and it gives great history and information on the island.
  • If you’re going to watch the sunrise atop Mt. Haleakala on Maui remember it will get cold so bring a hat and jacket.  Also, you’ll need to get up very early, so go at the beginning of your vacation when you’re still adjusting to the time change.
  • You are in Hawaii so a luau is a must. Lahaina on Maui has some great ones.
  • Honolulu has a great Academy of Arts with over 50,000 pieces of art to enjoy.

Kauai

  • Take a helicopter tour of Kauai.  It’s an amazing way to see the island and feel like you are in Jurassic Park…minus the T-rex of course!
  • Cruise along the Na Pali Coast and drive the Waimea Canyon.
  • Go to the Kilauea Lighthouse and look for whales.
  • Visit Poipu Beach and see the monk seals sleeping.
  • Go to Puka Dog for the best hot dog you’ll ever eat.
  • Plan day trips and wear your bathing suit–all beaches are open to the public so it’s nice to end an adventure with a few beach stops on the way home. (You usually can’t drive more than 10 miles without hitting a “large” beach with parking and bathroom facilities).
  • Rent snorkel gear for the week. If you snorkel 3 days it will usually pay for itself.  Avoid getting it at your hotel and rent it from surf shops at the beach ($30/week compared to $21/week).

Big Island

  • Take a day trip up a volcano at the Volcanoes National Park.  You can witness lava flowing from the active volcanoes.

What are some of your must-do’s in Hawaii?

SkyTeam Celebrates Its 10th Anniversary

Today we are celebrating the 10th anniversary of the SkyTeam global airline alliance.  Executives of SkyTeam’s 13 member airlines, including Delta, are wrapping up a two-day meeting in New York to discuss future growth of the alliance and reflect on our past.

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Ten years ago, our alliance was a fledgling entity with only four founding members – AeroMexico, Air France, Delta and Korean Air.  Since then, SkyTeam membership has more than tripled and our flights and destinations have nearly doubled.  SkyTeam carriers today offer more than 13,000 daily flights to 898 destinations in 169 countries, up from 6,402 daily flights to 451 destinations in 98 countries at its inception.

At this week’s meeting alone, we chalked up a number of new growth milestones.  China Eastern has signed an agreement to formally begin the process of joining the alliance. Air Europa, TAROM and Kenya Airways became full SkyTeam members.  And, for the first time, Vietnam Airlines joined our meeting as a member.

We hope you’ll allow us to indulge a little as we look back at the first 10 years of the alliance in a video that was produced especially for today’s meeting in New York .   And we ask that you keep watching for more new developments in the years to come as we look for more ways to connect you to virtually any point on the globe.

Where have you traveled with SkyTeam? Tell us your favorite destinations @deltablog or post your comments here.

Charlie Pappas

Managing Director – Global Alliances