Delta Air Lines, one of the largest and oldest airlines in the world, is working on innovative services to redefine air travel. As the airline approaches its 100th anniversary in 2025, Delta CEO Ed Bastian used his CES keynote to highlight the company’s achievements and future plans. The keynote was held at the Sphere, featuring special videos and appearances by celebrities like Viola Davis, Tom Brady, and Lenny Kravitz.
One of Delta’s exciting projects is the development of a personal virtual assistant called “Delta Concierge.” This AI-powered service aims to assist passengers on their travel day, starting from their home. The virtual assistant ensures passengers arrive at the airport on time, and if there’s a problem with reaching the airport by car, it can even call an air taxi. Delta has partnered with the startup Joby to offer these services at their New York hubs, pending necessary approvals.
Upon arriving at the airport, the Delta Concierge uses technologies like indoor navigation, facial recognition, and personalized electronic luggage tags to streamline the check-in process and minimize security checks. This service is integrated with airport systems, making the journey smoother for frequent flyers with rewards miles and lounge access.
During the flight, passengers can plan activities at their destination with the help of the concierge. The in-flight entertainment system offers a tailored program and an automatic translation service, providing content in any desired language. Delta has also announced an exclusive partnership with YouTube, allowing passengers to access YouTube content without ads and offering loyal customers free access to parts of the YouTube Premium and YouTube Music library.
In addition to the concierge service, Delta plans to launch a program in 2025 to reduce jet lag for passengers flying across multiple time zones. This will involve special cabin lighting designed to optimize sleep and wake cycles.
As the flight nears its destination, the Delta Concierge monitors the arrival time and assists with navigating the destination airport. It can even pre-book an Uber to pick up passengers at the right time. Although Uber’s CEO Dara Khosrowshahi appeared to suggest this service is already in place, the partnership with Uber primarily allows passengers to earn rewards miles on Uber and Uber-Eats rides. Currently, over 15% of Uber rides start or end at airports.
Throughout his keynote, Ed Bastian highlighted Delta employees, which resonated well with the audience. While the presentation didn’t introduce revolutionary concepts, it offered ideas that could make air travel more enjoyable. Frequent flyers might be more interested in how the Delta Concierge could help with missed connections or lost luggage, but such issues might become rare in the future. The keynote was well-received by Delta’s employees and loyal customers, showcasing the company’s commitment to enhancing the travel experience.