ATLANTA, Dec. 20, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) is ready to spread holiday cheer as it carries approximately 4.3 million customers during the holiday travel season, from Dec. 20 to Jan. 2. With more Delta people serving customers in airports and in the air, de-icing equipment at the ready and tested contingency plans for severe winter weather, Delta looks forward to offering holiday flyers a smooth traveling experience throughout the entire winter season.
"Delta professionals are prepared, experienced and ready to meet the demands of high passenger loads over the holidays. The team at Delta is second to none, providing our customers with award-winning customer service that, combined with facility improvements at airports throughout the world, will deliver a less stressful travel experience," said Steve Gorman, Delta's executive vice president of Operations.
Dec. 20, 21 and Jan. 2 will be the heaviest travel days over the holiday period, with up to 375,000 Delta customers flying each of the days.
Delta comprehensive pre-holiday checklist covering staffing, operational coordination, contingency planning and equipment availability readies the airline to ensure it is prepared to offer exceptional service through the holiday season.
In addition, Delta's preparedness for severe winter weather is focused heavily in the U.S. Northeast where plans include contingency procedures for addressing winter weather issues such as icing and runway, taxi-way and tarmac snow-clearance.
Customers will experience upgrades to airport facilities where Delta has invested heavily, offering faster check-in, more robust information sharing and improved airport amenities wherever customers fly, including:
* Delta's newly re-designed lobby at Atlanta's Hartsfield Jackson
International Airport welcomes 25,000 customers daily.
* Online and kiosk check-in make airport arrival quick and
convenient, with the added convenience of "Baggage Drop" areas in
Atlanta, Salt Lake City, LaGuardia, JFK and Cincinnati.
* Customers who sign up for Delta Messenger receive real-time
updates on flight changes, delays and cancellations via mobile
device, phone or e-mail.
* Dynamic, multi-lingual signage throughout the lobby provides
at-a-glance information in English and Spanish in Atlanta and
Salt Lake City.
* Self-service kiosks offer both domestic and international check-in
in English, Spanish and French in Atlanta, Salt Lake City and JFK.
* In New York, renovations at JFK include dedicated BusinessElite
and SkyMiles medallion member check-in at Terminal 2, refreshed
BusinessElite lounge and Crown Room Clubs and new international
check-in kiosks throughout Terminals 2 and 3.
* In more than 100 cities served by Delta Connection, approximately
275 kiosks are available to ensure a convenient check-in and
boarding experience.
* And, on flights of more than 2,000 miles (approximately four
hours), customers in coach class can order from a new food-for-
purchase menu including offerings from renowned chef Todd English.
Delta Air Lines operates service to more worldwide destinations than any airline with Delta and Delta Connection flights to 324 destinations in 58 countries. Since 2005, Delta has added more international capacity than any other major U.S. airline and is the leader across the Atlantic with flights to 36 trans-Atlantic markets. To Latin America and the Caribbean, Delta offers more than 650 weekly flights to 61 destinations. Delta's marketing alliances also allow customers to earn and redeem SkyMiles on nearly 15,000 flights offered by SkyTeam and other partners. Delta is a founding member of SkyTeam, a global airline alliance that provides customers with extensive worldwide destinations, flights and services. Including its SkyTeam and worldwide codeshare partners, Delta offers flights to 489 worldwide destinations in 106 countries. Customers can check in for flights, print boarding passes and check flight status at delta.com.
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