AI concierge? Air taxis? Delta Air Lines Unveils Partnerships and ‘New Era of Travel’

On By Littum

LAS VEGAS – What began as a lone, fledgling crop duster operation in Macon, Georgia has now grown into a global airline serving nearly 200 million travelers each year.

One hundred years after its inception, Delta Air Lines unveiled its vision for the next century in front of thousands of people at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on Tuesday.

“For the past 100 years, Delta has been driven by a simple mandate: Always put people first in everything we do. And that’s as true today as it was in 1925, when the very first Delta pilots took to the skies ,” said Delta CEO Ed Bastian.

But aviation, of course, has come a long way since 1925, and Bastian said he knows Delta needs to stay on top to stay ahead of the curve with customers.

“Technology is transforming the way we travel, with artificial intelligence at the forefront of shaping our future. But at Delta, it’s not technology for technology’s sake. It’s always about putting people first. We call it ‘innovation with heart,’ to use technology to create first-class experiences with humanity at the center,” said Bastian.

Compared to a century ago, Delta’s ability to innovate is tremendous, and if you’re a frequent traveler, he said, you won’t want to miss out on what’s in store for Delta in 2025 and beyond.

Personal journey

Bastian said it’s critical that Delta have a “deep understanding” of how each of their individual customers prefer to travel, and to get a better idea of ​​this, Delta is partnering with Provo-based Qualtrics.

Last year, Qualtrics looked at nearly 7 million records of feedback from Delta customers to identify what people care about most when it comes to travel.

“Everything we work on together is about these personal moments, and you know, how do you deliver them in an individual, highly contextual experience at scale?” said Ryan Smith, co-founder, longtime CEO and current executive chairman of Qualtrics. “What if you could tell Delta yourself how you feel (and) how you actually want to be cared for? This is the opportunity that we’re opening together through AI, and it’s the years ahead that we’re looking forward to to.”

So how will Delta go about personalizing travel experiences and giving travelers more control over their journeys?

Access the AI-powered Delta Concierge via the Fly Delta app.

“Delta Concierge will act as a thread across your experience. A (generative AI) powered, personal assistant that meets your needs, provides real-time guidance and delivers tailored recommendations … with the deep knowledge and insight that we already has built up,” said Bastian.

An example of this in action is one most people are probably familiar with. Imagine that you are preparing for a trip. You’ve crossed all your T’s and dotted all your I’s, and the only thing left to do is call your ride or drive to the airport.

The only problem? The traffic is crazy. Like, miss your flight.

Through the app, you can communicate with Delta Concierge and, if necessary, take advantage of another new partnership, Delta announced Tuesday — this one with Joby Aviation, an electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft that intends to function as an air taxi service. It’s a way to beat the traffic.

“Joby is going to transform how we move through the travel experience. And it’s not the distant future we’re talking about,” said Bastian. “We expect Joby to fly for the next few years, starting with our service to Los Angeles and New York City.”

And this is just one of the unique and cutting-edge features offered through Delta Concierge.

In-flight entertainment

On Tuesday, Delta announced a new version of Delta Sync, combines in-flight Wi-Fi with a curated, cloud-based seatback experience that creates curated moments for travelers.

Of course, this came with the announcement of Delta’s partnership with YouTube.

Through the partnership, YouTube will join the Delta Sync experience to bring SkyMiles members – Delta’s frequent flyer program – fresh, dynamic, ad-free content from YouTube Premium and YouTube Music that reflects their lifestyle and how they stay entertained at home, both personal devices and Delta’s back entertainment.

“We are so excited to partner with Delta to bring YouTube’s amazing creators and content in a highly curated way, unique and exclusive to Delta’s in-flight entertainment ecosystem,” said Mary Ellen Coe, YouTube Chief Business Officer. “Through our partnership, Delta customers will be able to enjoy our favorite creators, podcasts, music and all without commercials.”

In 2025, Delta will also launch a new line exclusive to the airline’s inflight entertainment network called “Well Traveled,” designed to help customers integrate wellness into their flights.

The host of the show? Seven-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback Tom Brady.

Brady will share the tips and tricks that allowed him to win those Super Bowls and three MVP awards during his career.

Other partnerships

Continuing the sports theme, Bastian also announced that Delta is partnering with online sports betting giant Draft Kings.

Bastian said this partnership will “build on the gaming portfolio that we already offer today via Delta Sync and our seatback monitors.”

In addition, Delta is also partnering with Uber in an effort to create a seamless transition between air and land travel.

With 50% of Uber reservations beginning or ending at an airport, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said the company plans to start with something close to Delta customers’ hearts: SkyMiles.

“SkyMiles members will be able to earn miles when they use Uber and Uber Eats. So for every Uber X ride you take to the airport, as well as premium and reserve rides, you’ll earn miles and it won’t stop there . You also earn miles for qualifying restaurant and grocery deliveries that you order with Uber Eats,” Khosrowshahi said, adding that the partnership will launch this spring.

Despite Delta’s success over the past 100 years, Bastian believes there are still envelopes to push when it comes to providing a first-class travel experience, and he’s confident the airline can get there.

“This is the beginning of a new era of travel. So as we set off into our next century, fasten your seat belts. Our best is yet to come,” he said.

For more information on Delta’s plans for the next century, click here.

Key Takeaways for this article were generated with the help of large language models and reviewed by our editorial team. The article itself is entirely human written.