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Delta Announces New Domestic Long-haul Song Service


WEBWIRE

Airline to merge Song into Delta service
Adds first-class cabins, expands state-of-the-art digital in-flight entertainment at every seat to more than 100 aircraft

ATLANTA, Oct. 28, 2005 – Delta Air Lines announced today that it will tap the best features of its highly acclaimed Song product to launch a new and unique long-haul domestic Song service for Delta customers.

The plan to merge Song into the Delta travel experience includes:
· Adding 26 first-class seats to Song’s existing fleet of 48 Boeing 757-200 aircraft, making the service more attractive to business travelers and significantly enhancing revenue opportunities.
· Converting an additional 50-plus Delta aircraft to two-class Song service, complete with all-leather seating and new interiors throughout.
· Expanding state-of-the-art personal digital in-flight entertainment to all 100-plus aircraft, with 24 channels of live television, 10 on-demand video channels, interactive video games and MP3 programming that allows customers to create their own play lists from an inventory of more than 1,600 songs.
· Offering this exclusive Song service initially on all transcontinental Delta flights beginning fall 2006 and expanding the service to include all routes over 1,750 miles over two years.
· Incorporating Delta’s new uniforms, improved snack service and award-winning SkyMiles® program to offer customers the best value in transcontinental travel.

“As Delta continues its transformation to become a more customer-focused airline, we are incorporating the best of Song into the best of Delta,” said Gerald Grinstein, Delta’s Chief Executive Officer. “Our new Song service will set the standard in transcontinental travel, making Delta the first choice for customers on these routes.”

Since its inception in April 2003, Song has become a customer favorite. However, Song flying has been limited primarily to leisure markets. “As part of our restructuring, we have the opportunity to deploy Song aircraft seasonally to more profitable flying — including into our hubs — and to further simplify our operations while expanding the great travel experience on Song to more Delta customers,” according to Jim Whitehurst, Chief Operating Officer for Delta. “We’ve learned a lot from Song and have already incorporated many of its positives into Delta. Features like new leather interiors, new uniforms, a simplified fare structure and faster turn times have resulted in 11 consecutive months of year-over-year improvement in customer service ratings at Delta.”

Song will continue to fly as a separate brand and customers will be able to book flights on Song until May 2006. The aircraft will then be scheduled on high-demand routes throughout the Delta network during the transition, replacing wide-body aircraft that will be re-deployed from domestic to international destinations as part of the largest international expansion in Delta’s history. Through the end of 2006, Delta will reconfigure the Song fleet into the new two-class, long-haul standard and introduce them on transcontinental routes. In all, more than 100 aircraft will be outfitted for Song service, giving customers access to the largest fleet of video-on-demand aircraft in the U.S.

To maximize the value of Song’s success at Delta, Joanne Smith, currently president of Song, has been named vice president of Consumer Marketing for Delta, effective immediately.

“Joanne Smith brings the energy and marketing expertise to our consumer marketing team that we need to continue improving the customer experience on Delta,” said Paul Matsen, Delta’s Chief Marketing Officer. “Her leadership will ensure the efficiencies, service enhancements and innovations of Song are integrated into Delta’s ongoing transformation.”

Delta Air Lines is the world’s second-largest airline in terms of passengers carried and the leading U.S. carrier across the Atlantic, offering daily flights to 487 destinations in 87 countries on Delta, Song, Delta Shuttle, the Delta Connection carriers and its worldwide partners. Delta’s marketing alliances allow customers to earn and redeem frequent flier miles on more than 14,000 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. Customers can check in for flights, print boarding passes and check flight status at delta.com.



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