Delta brings Windows Phones to flight attendants in-flight

Atlanta-based full service carrier Delta Air Lines has announced that its flight attendants today began using new Windows Phone 8 handheld devices to streamline on-board purchases. Find more details below.

ATLANTA, Aug. 22, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — More than 19,000 Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) flight attendants today begin using new Windows Phone 8 handheld devices that will streamline on-board purchasing as Delta continues its investment in technological innovation to improve the customer experience.

“Delta’s 19,000 in-flight professionals are there for the safety and comfort of our customers, and equipping them with innovative solutions means they can better meet our customers’ needs on board every flight,” said Joanne Smith, senior vice president – In-Flight Service. “This is yet another way we’re investing in technology to improve the customer experience.”

The Windows Phone 8 device, a Nokia Lumia 820, enables Delta flight attendants to offer:

• Near real-time credit card processing for on-board purchases, including upgrades to Delta’s popular Economy Comfort seating. On-board Economy Comfort upgrades will begin on transcontinental and international flights before being offered on flights across Delta’s system.
• Convenient eReceipts that can be emailed to customers.
• Customers’ use of pre-paid credit cards for on-board purchases.
• Quicker transaction processing times.
• In the near future, the ability to read coupons displayed on a customer’s mobile device.
• More efficient service recovery.

On Aug. 26, flight attendants on Delta Connection flights also will begin using the device.

In the future, Delta expects to provide flight attendants with certain customer-specific information to enable more personalized service.

This solution was developed by Microsoft, Avanade and AT&T after months of development and feedback from flight attendants. The Windows Phone 8 devices will include a Delta-specific customer experience developed by Avanade on the Microsoft Dynamics for Retail mobile point-of sale platform and will operate over Wi-Fi and AT&T’s 4G LTE Network. The agreement includes plans to expand the solution over the next three years to the newest Nokia devices.

The new handheld device is Delta’s latest investment in technology for customers and employees, which in the past year has included the Fly Delta app for iPad, the launch of the new delta.com in December 2012 and revamped self-service kiosks in September 2012. Delta also offers its popular Fly Delta app for iPhone, Windows Phone, Android and Blackberry smartphones, and today offers in-flight Wi-Fi on more than 800 aircraft.

Delta Air Lines serves more than 160 million customers each year. Delta was named by Fortune magazine as the most admired airline worldwide in its 2013 World’s Most Admired Companies airline industry list, topping the list for the second time in three years. With an industry-leading global network, Delta and the Delta Connection carriers offer service to 327 destinations in 63 countries on six continents. Headquartered in Atlanta, Delta employs nearly 80,000 employees worldwide and operates a mainline fleet of more than 700 aircraft. The airline is a founding member of the SkyTeam global alliance and participates in the industry’s leading trans-Atlantic joint venture with Air France-KLM and Alitalia. Including its worldwide alliance partners, Delta offers customers more than 15,000 daily flights, with hubs in Amsterdam, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Detroit, Memphis, Minneapolis-St. Paul, New York-LaGuardia, New York-JFK, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Salt Lake City and Tokyo-Narita. Delta is investing more than $3 billion in airport facilities and global products, services and technology to enhance the customer experience in the air and on the ground. Additional information is available on delta.com, Twitter @Delta, Google.com/+Delta and Facebook.com/delta.