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Delta Air Lines Prepares for Largest International Summer Ever with Expanded Western European Call Center in London


WEBWIRE

U.S. customers travelling in Europe benefit from local-dial access to reservations agents based in London

ATLANTA, Nov. 16, 2005 – In preparation for the thousands of new customers who will be flying Delta Air Lines on 11 new routes between Europe and the United States next summer, the airline today announced the relocation of its Western European Call Center (WECC) to expanded facilities in West London. Employees at the new center boast a combined fluency in 17 languages and are available to assist customers as a local call from every destination Delta serves in Western Europe.

By next summer, Delta will become the world’s largest airline across the Atlantic with more than 53 transatlantic flights daily to 29 cities in 17 countries. Customer service professionals at the WECC will handle calls from customers in many of the new destinations planned by Delta for next summer, including serving U.S. customers who may be visiting any of Delta’s new destinations across Western Europe. The WECC handles more than one million calls annually, with this number set to rise considerably thanks to the addition of new routes to Delta’s transatlantic operations.

“Delta is undergoing the largest international expansion in our 76-year history, and we are pleased to expand our London call centre to support customers’ increased interest in Delta for travel between Europe and the rest of the world,” said Jim Whitehurst, Delta’s chief operating officer. ”By next summer we will have increased international capacity by 25 percent to pursue routes with greater profit potential, growing our presence in Europe and across Latin America and the Caribbean, reinforcing Delta’s position as one of the world’s leading global airlines.”

Speaking about the WECC, Loren Neuenschwander, Delta’s managing director – Atlantic Region, said, “Being a global airline means acting locally to ensure international customers have convenient access to service in their language, both at our call centers and onboard our aircraft. The WECC plays an integral role in these efforts with 15 nationalities represented and 17 languages spoken by our London-based WECC employees. For U.S. customers traveling within Western Europe, the expanded call center translates to easy access to London-based Delta agents who are just a local call away from every destination we serve across the region.”

After nine years based at Hanger Lane in Ealing, West London, Delta initiated its search for new offices in 2004 to find an upgraded and enhanced facility which would be able to support the airline’s growth in the Atlantic Region. The airline has invested in 25,000 sq. ft of the new development to accommodate more than 200 employees. With the opening of this new facility, Delta is highlighting the advantages of maintaining call centre operations in London, including access to a large, well-educated and multi-lingual workforce and access to the U.K.’s advanced telecommunications infrastructure.

Think London, the official inward investment agency for London, persuaded Delta to establish their initial call centre in West London in 1996 and assisted the company in finding the right location from which to expand the operation. Think London’s North American Director David Riches said, “Delta’s decision to stay in London is testament to the city’s standing as the leading location for global multi-lingual call centres. London’s strong economic climate, large skilled and flexible workforce and advanced telecommunications infrastructure, coupled with the fact that over 300 languages are spoken in the capital, makes it the ideal location for Delta. I am delighted that Delta chose to stay in London and look forward to working closely with the company as they expand their operation”.

In addition to the WECC, London is home to Delta’s Atlantic Region headquarters where Delta professionals coordinate sales, marketing, technology, communications and finances for the airline’s operations in Europe, the Middle East and India. Delta also serves London customers from its Central Ticket Office at 10 Warwick Street, London W1, from facilities at London’s Gatwick Airport, and strongly supports efforts of U.S. and E.U. governments to achieve a transatlantic open skies agreement that would allow Delta to serve customers from London’s Heathrow Airport.

With its summer 2006 schedule, Delta plans to offer customers more daily flights between the U.S. and the United Kingdom and Ireland than ever before with 10 daily non-stop flights departing England, Scotland and Ireland for Delta’s hubs at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport and New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport.

Delta Air Lines is the world’s leading U.S. carrier across the Atlantic and the second-largest airline in terms of passengers carried, offering daily flights to 502 destinations in 92 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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