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.

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

Many of our experienced travelers have heard this announcement at the gate before: “Ladies and gentlemen, today’s flight is going to be very full. If you have flexible travel plans and would be willing to take another flight, please come see us at the desk.”

We know that soliciting volunteers to rebook to a later flight adds time for us at the gate and can lead to departing after the scheduled flight time, which we always try to avoid.

In November, we moved this announcement earlier in your travel process for U.S. domestic flights by allowing you to volunteer to take a later flight as soon as you check in (assuming you have flexible travel plans). This allows us to eliminate the “auction” process at the gate, lets you tell us how much value you place on changing your travel plans and gives our agents more time to rebook you and get the flight out on time.

Once you tell us you’re interested we’ll ask how much you’d like to receive in travel vouchers in exchange for your flexibility. The system allows you to enter any whole dollar based on typical values offered to customers during the volunteer process.

Your offer is forwarded electronically to the agents already at the departure gate for review, which allows our agents an early start on rebooking you on the next available flight while you’re en route to the gate area. This new technology is a great time saver for our flexible customers because it allows us to have your revised travel options ready to discuss with you when you arrive at the gate in the event we decide volunteer seats are needed.

Of course, if your travel plans are not flexible, there’s no need to volunteer. By soliciting volunteers early, our goal is to avoid inconveniencing anyone. If, however, an involuntary denied boarding occurs, our standard policies apply which provide up to $400 if you’re scheduled to arrive 1-2 hours later than your original arrival (1-4 hours later internationally) and up to $800 if you are scheduled to arrive more than 2 hours later than your original arrival (more than 4 hours later for international) should you be forced to take a later flight.

Over the last few years, we have made substantial improvements in reducing the number of customers asked to give up their seats involuntarily, in large part thanks to our customers who are flexible. For the first nine months of 2010, only about 0.04 percent of mainline Delta customers were asked to give up their seats involuntarily – the best rate among major U.S. airlines according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Across our system we’re continuing to innovate and find ways to put you in control of your travel options as early in the process as possible. From online and mobile check-in to accepting bag fees online and notifying you immediately of a potentially oversold flight, we want our technology to tell you as much about your travel as possible from your first click.

If you have seen or used these new options in your travels with us, we’d like to hear from you. How did it work? Did you like the new options?

Cheryl B.

Product Specialist

delta.com and Self Service

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