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What Are Your Holiday Travel Tips And Tricks? #deltatips

We’re a little less than a week away from the busiest travel day of the year (and 7 days away from what is arguably the yummiest day of the year) and many of our Delta travelers are busy prepping to visit family, friends and loved ones across the country and the globe.

We know traveling during the busy holiday season is hectic, which is why every year we spend lots of time and resources preparing—hiring extra staff, providing specialized training to our customer service team, sharing travel tips and more.

This year, our social media team is excited to bring YOU into the mix of our holiday readiness planning. ‘How?’ you may ask. Here’s the idea: our customers know the tricks of traveling like the back of their hands and we want to share your knowledge with the world.

Participating is simple (and much easier than cooking a Thanksgiving meal if you ask me).  Share your holiday travel advice (and be sure to include the #deltatips hashtag) on Twitter, Facebook or in a comment here on the blog, and our team will collect the best of the best to share right back here on November 23rd. We’ll also retweet our favorite tips throughout the week and post some nifty advice of our own.

So what are you waiting for? Come join the conversation!

Liz G.

Delta Social Media

An Event to Remember

Delta offers service to more than 350 destinations in nearly 70 countries (on six continents!). However, there is one more destination to which more than 125 frequent fliers eagerly descended upon for four full days to realize lifelong dreams and lasting memories.

That final destination was none other than the world headquarters of Delta Air Lines – a destination more sought after than lazily sipping a Pina Colada under a swaying palm tree by calm waters on the shores of a white Caribbean beach or skiing down the challenging snow-covered slopes of the wintry Alps.

I’m serious.

From October 21 through October 24, 2010, attendees of The 2010 Second Annual Delta Air Lines FlyerTalk Event were treated to an intimate inside look at the heart and soul of Delta Air Lines, including tours of the Delta Heritage Museum, the Technical Operations Center, the Operations Control Center, and the towers above Concourses A and E at the airport in Atlanta.

We also met senior executives during a five-hour question-and-answer session, worked as gate agents for the morning, piloted flight simulators, sampled Delta’s on-board food options near the Spirit of Delta Boeing 767 aircraft and attended an intensive day of Road Warrior Training – a program designed as a way to sample the training flight attendants must complete. We even got to go down the evacuation slide!

This event was designed to allow frequent fliers and Delta Air Lines employees to personally interact with each other to gain a better first-hand understanding of how the airline operates and what customers really want in an ideal flight experience. This event overwhelmingly exceeded those expectations. One thing’s for sure—we’ll never look at air travel quite the same way again.

And FlyerTalk members are already talking about next year’s visit!

Brian C.

FlyerTalk Event Participant

The Best Of Both

Private jet and commercial service together in one card.  Introducing the Air Elite Card

Did you know Delta is the only commercial airline with a private jet fleet?

It’s true. In fact, our private jet subsidiary Delta AirElite offers more than 25 years of experience in aircraft charter and management service, providing a flexible, comfortable and convenient travel options.

Now, we’re making it easier and more rewarding than ever to enjoy the best of both – Delta and Delta AirElite. We recently launched the Air Elite Card, offering the option to book private jet and commercial travel with just one call to our dedicated concierge team. With one call, premium travelers can now experience the ultimate travel solution.  Cardholders enjoy exclusive benefits including:

  • Simple and competitive “all-in” private jet rates locked in for up to two years
  • Guaranteed availability 365 days per year (Peak Day restrictions apply)
  • Choose a light, midsize or large cabin private jet or airline service on a trip-by-trip basis
  • 20% savings on qualifying Delta flights when booked in conjunction with a Delta AirElite flight segment
  • Two complimentary Premium Class Delta tickets upon purchase or renewal
  • Immediate complimentary SkyMiles® Diamond Medallion® status for you and a companion (or two to gift), which includes Delta Sky Club® membership, mileage bonuses and unlimited complimentary upgrades
  • Delta AirElite’s award-winning concierge service and Sky Priority™ benefits, such as priority check-in and boarding, expedited security, and baggage service

Seamless private jet and commercial travel – personalized to when and how you want it.

To purchase the Air Elite Card today or for more information, please call 877-541-3548 or contact us by email at airelitecard@airelite.com.

And if you are already a customer, we’d love to hear from you! Drop us a line or two in the comments section.

Kelley Moore

Manager – Delta AirElite Business Jets

Terms & Conditions
For all domestic air transportation or international air transportation (each as defined by Delta) provided by Delta booked in accordance with the Air Elite Jet Card Agreement and in conjunction with an AirElite trip pursuant to the Delta Air Elite Jet Card Agreement, Cardholder shall be entitled to a 20% discount on published Y0 (domestic Coach Class) and F0 (domestic First Class) fares and a 20% discount on published J (international Business Class) or C (international Business Class) fares, respectively, in effect when booked. All other domestic fares or international fares for travel on Delta shall be at the published fares in effect when booked. All domestic and international fares booked in accordance with this Air Elite Jet Card Agreement are subject to all applicable rules published by Delta. Air transportation on Delta and Delta Connection® carriers is subject to Delta’s Contract of Carriage, which is incorporated into every ticket for travel and may be downloaded at http://www.delta.com. Delta reserves the right to amend its Contract of Carriage at any time. Your travel will be governed by the rules that are in effect on the date your travel begins. Delta ticket agents and employees cannot modify the terms of the contract without authority from a corporate officer.
Purchase of the Air Elite card is subject to Delta AirElite’s Terms and Conditions that are outlined in the then current Air Elite Jet Card Agreement. Delta AirElite flights are operated by Delta AirElite Business Jets, Inc., an FAA-certificated FAR Part 135 air carrier, or by another FAA-certificated Part 135 or Part 121 air carrier. Offers void where prohibited by law. Offers subject to change without notice. Other restrictions may apply.
Complete Diamond Medallion benefits and associated terms can be found at delta.com/about_skymiles. Gifted Diamond Medallion status will be effective within 2 weeks and membership credentials should arrive within 4 weeks. Complimentary upgrades are subject to availability and may not be available on all flights or in all markets. Taxes and fees for Award Travel are the responsibility of the passenger and must be paid at the time the ticket is booked. Award Travel seats are limited and may not be available on all flights or in all markets. All SkyMiles program rules apply to SkyMiles program membership, miles, offers, mile accrual, mile redemption and travel benefits. To review the rules, please visit Membership Guide & Program Rules. All Delta Sky Club rules apply to Delta Sky Club use.  To review the rules, visit delta.com/skyclub. Offers and benefits subject to change.

First Checked Bag Free? Check.

Go ahead and pack your bag ‘cause we’re now giving a free first checked bag to all of you with a Gold, Platinum or Reserve Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express.

Yep, you read that right. You’ll automatically receive your first checked bag free on all Delta and Delta Connection® flights for up to nine people within your reservation. That’s a savings of up to $50 on a round-trip ticket or $200 for a family of four.

It’s just one of the Card’s many benefits, including:

  • Pay with Miles option to redeem miles for part or all of your Delta flight
  • Exclusive Delta Sky Club™ access
  • Miles earned for everyday purchases and double miles for Delta purchases
  • A companion certificate upon annual renewal

So, check it out at delta.com/firstbagfree. Don’t have a card? Apply today. What do you think about this new benefit? Is it going to save you money this summer?

Tori O.

General Manager, SkyMiles

Terms & Conditions
Basic Cardmembers (not Additional Cardmembers) with the Gold Delta SkyMiles Credit Card, Platinum Delta SkyMiles Credit Card, Delta Reserve Credit Card, Gold Delta SkyMiles Business Credit Card, Platinum Delta SkyMiles Business Credit Card and Delta Reserve for Business Credit Card are eligible to receive the first checked bag fee waiver on Delta and Delta Connection carrier tickets. Waiver is only of normal first checked bag fee for a bag that is not overweight and not oversize under Delta’s applicable rules. Additional checked bags will be subject to the applicable baggage fees as outlined by Delta’s rules and the purchased fare. The first checked bag fee waiver will be applied to all passengers traveling in the reservation containing the Basic Cardmember’s SkyMiles number (up to nine waivers). If more than nine passengers are within the same reservation the waiver will only be applied to eligible passengers. The first checked bag fee waiver will only be applied on flight segments which originate on a Delta or Delta connection carrier operated flight. Codeshare flights are not eligible. New Cardmembers and Cardmembers upgrading from another Delta SkyMiles Credit Card product will be eligible for the checked baggage fee waiver benefit after receiving their card from American Express. Offer terms and conditions subject to change. Additional restrictions may apply.
Program is limited to Gold and Platinum Delta SkyMiles and Delta Reserve Credit Cardmembers, as well as to Gold and Platinum Delta SkyMiles Business Credit Cardmembers and Delta Reserve for Business Credit Cardmembers. New Cardmembers and Cardmembers upgrading from another Delta SkyMiles Credit Card product with a U.S. point-of-sale address in their SkyMiles account are eligible to use Pay with Miles upon receipt of their new Card. Eligible only on Delta and Delta Connection® carrier flights booked at delta.com under the DL code. Flight will be marked as Pay with Miles eligible. Minimum 10,000 miles for redemption. Pay with Miles tickets are not eligible for mileage accrual, Medallion Complimentary Upgrades, Medallion Segment Qualification, Medallion Qualification Miles, or Best Fare Guarantee. Refundable fares paid for fully or partially with miles will be refunded in accordance with the Pay with Miles terms and conditions. Redemption requirements may differ based on fare. For terms, conditions, and restrictions, visit delta.com/paywithmiles. All SkyMiles program rules apply. To review the rules, visit Membership Guide & Program Rules.
Sky Club Reduced Rate benefit is limited to Gold and Platinum Delta SkyMiles Credit Cardmembers and may be used only in conjunction with same-day ticketed air travel on any airline. Payment must be made with a Gold or Platinum Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card. Cardmember must be at least 21 years of age to access Clubs with a self-service bar, unless accompanied by a parent or legal guardian who is also accessing the club with a $25 pay-as-you-go pass or who is a Club member. Please drink responsibly. Up to two guests are permitted upon payment of $25 per guest. Partner lounges are not included. Amenities may vary among airport club locations. Offers and rules subject to change. Additional restrictions may apply. All Delta Sky Club rules apply. To review the rules, please visit delta.com/skyclub.
The Delta Reserve Cardmember must be traveling on a Delta-coded or Delta-operated flight. Name on ticket must match name on Delta Reserve Card. The Delta Reserve Cardmember must be at least 21 years of age to enter Clubs with a self-service bar, unless they are accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. The Delta Reserve Cardmember’s spouse and children under the age of 21 or up to two companions may enter the Club as complimentary guests. Complimentary access is only for Delta Sky Clubs. Codeshare partner and other alliance partner lounges are not included. The Delta Reserve Cardmember must present his or her valid Card and same-day, airline ticket to club agents. Note that amenities may vary among airport Club locations. Meeting rooms may be reserved for a fee. All Delta Sky Club rules apply. To review the rules, please visit delta.com/skyclub. Offer and rules subject to change. Additional restrictions may apply.
This offer applies to qualifying Delta, Delta Connection carrier, and Delta Shuttle® flights taken with the purchase of a fare that is eligible for SkyMiles mileage credit. Offer applies to Delta Vacations® packages but not other all-inclusive packages. Bonus miles will be posted to your Delta SkyMiles account 8 to 12 weeks after the end of each month. All Delta SkyMiles program rules apply. To review the rules, please visit Membership Guide & Program Rules.

Our Extreme Airport Makeover

We’re excited to report the completion of another merger milestone this week (and this one’s been a doozie). We’ve updated 247 airports around the world with Delta branding as part of our merger with Northwest. Talk about easier said than done. This merger makeover was like having a dinner party while you’re renovating the kitchen.

Our number one goal was to make the process seamless for our customers. We had to ensure that flight operations could continue unaffected while we made some major changes at each airport. That means we updated all airports between the last flight out and the first take-off the following day – quite the graveyard shift for a lot of Delta folks who made it happen.

So, how did we do it? We’ve been planning this integration since September 2008, and there isn’t a group or department at Delta that hasn’t been involved. From Airport Customer Service to Corporate Real Estate all the way to Information Technology and Cargo, this accomplishment is a true team effort!

While you may have only seen Northwest signs come down and the Delta signs go up, so much more was going on behind the scenes. We assessed each and every airport and completed an extensive 150-line checklist to make sure we had dotted our “I”s and crossed our “T”s.

Everything had to be reviewed and planned appropriately. In some cases, this was as “easy” as taking two operations (check-in counters, gates, etc.) and consolidating them into one. In others, we worked with other airlines to move their operations (and our employees did physically move other airlines) before we could start setting up our operations. Once we had the blueprint for the airport, we began the process to ensure that all necessary elements were ordered and in place prior to consolidation – things as big as new loading bridges and ticket counters all the way down to boarding pass readers and checked baggage tags – had to be moved, ordered or replaced. Finally, we worked with just about every department to confirm we were all ready for each respective big day. Sales, marketing, IT, operations, catering, customer service, even phone and janitorial services had to be ready at all 247 airports!

Minneapolis Airport Before

Minneapolis Airport After

Between November 2008 and January 2010, we rebranded 15 to 20 airports around the world per month. The end result: one combined airline with a consistent presence across the globe (not to mention $75 million in savings per year by ensuring more efficient airport operations).

All in all, we’re pretty thrilled to check off another major merger to-do. Tell us what you think. Have you noticed any changes at your hometown airport? How’s it look?

John H.
Corporate Real Estate