How Delta Airlines is transforming in-flight CX

At CES 2023, Delta Airlines CEO Ed Bastian gave a keynote speech discussing the latest CX innovations at Delta Airlines. One such innovation was the rollout of the Delta Sync application, which promises to change in-flight customer experiences forever.

Here we take a look at what is so special about the drive for quality CX at Delta Airlines and how the Delta Sync app enables personalized air travel that drives customer loyalty.

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Delta Sync promises to transform CX in aviation

In his session, Bastian offered attendees a peek at what is on the horizon for Delta Airlines with regard to its CX offerings. He made the announcement that the airline would be rolling out free Wi-Fi for all of its passengers over the next few years, but he did not stop there.

Bastian also spoke about how the free Wi-Fi gives customers inflight access to the airline’s US$1bn personalization and loyalty initiative, Delta Sync. It is an ecosystem of digital services  available to all members of the airline's loyalty program, SkyMiles. It promises a "new standard of personalized travel" as well as partner rewards on the ground and bonuses for continued bookings. 

Partnerships with other brands are essential to its delivery. The airline has partnered with the likes of Paramount+ for free in-flight streaming and New York Times to offer access to its games. Delta will also drive personalized prompts and suggestions related to the passenger's destination through the inflight entertainment system, for example restaurant or hotel recommendations. 

By continuously seeking to meet customer needs with its offerings, the airline is looking to improve upon customer loyalty through positive CX. No doubt it will also create free marketing on social media, as passengers share their positive experiences. 

According to Bastian the key to this loyalty is trust, which stems from the quality of staff employed by the airline.

“When you think about loyalty, what sits behind customer loyalty is trust. In our industry, who you trust with your travel experiences matters. The reason we can even make this announcement and afford the $1bn investment is because of the confidence and the trust that we have in our people [to deliver loyalty winning experiences],” he said.

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Providing real-time analytics for in-flight attendants

Delta Airlines has also taken steps to empower its in-flight attendants to enable them to deliver the best customer experiences possible. The airline has equipped its in-flight attendants with handheld devices which offers useful information to guide customer engagement.

To make use of the new technology, Delta Airlines has developed an application that displays relevant customer data to enable attendants to resolve customer issues and get them answers in real-time.

Erica Smith, manager, IFS technology delivery at Delta said: “[The application] enables us to offer more comprehensive, real-time support for our flight attendants using their in-flight handheld devices. We’ve also uncovered actionable insights into how we can continue to enhance the experience.”

The application also allows attendants to video chat with the airline’s support agents so that they can get solutions to complicated issues while still in the air. The application’s reporting capabilities also allow for the generation of statistics that enable Delta Airlines to gauge customer satisfaction levels, determining what works and what does not.

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