Delta Air Lines sold more than 2.5 million air travel tickets on its Web site in 2000, representing 5% of Delta`s total ticket sales for the year, up from 930,000 tickets purchased in 1999.
Delta reports that those tickets generated $775 million in revenue in 2000, up nearly 270% from the $290 million generated in 1999. By the end of 2001, Delta`s Web site is expected to surpass $1 billion in annual sales.
During 2000, more than 1.5 million new users registered to purchase tickets, three times more than 1999`s record of 575,000 new users. Delta.com
also had its highest daily sales exceeding $5 million and record weekly sales of nearly $20 million. The site has surpassed $1 billion in total sales and clocked 3.7 million total online customer since offering online purchasing in 1996.
Last October, Delta announced that its Web site was continuing rapid growth and surpassed in August 2000 the $1 billion total sales mark since launch. The airline expects to exceed $2 billion in online sales this year.
Among delta.com`s other announced accomplishments in 2000 were several industry awards including:

* First in online customer loyalty and intent to repurchase from the NPD Group`s Summer 2000 Airline Web Site Tracking study. Delta.com also received the highest rating of all participating airlines in numerous other categories including ability to find information, most up-to-date information, highest cross-site usage, access of frequent traveler program online and likelihood to revisit. In addition, 98 percent of customers booking travel via delta.com rated their online experience as good, very good or excellent.
* Ranked first in the customer confidence and Internet Fare Shopper categories on the Gomez Fall 2000 Internet Airlines Scorecard released in October. Delta.com also moved up to third position from fourth in the overall rankings and turned in the best performance in both e-mail and telephone customer service inquiries.
* Delta.com`s Online Customer Support Desk received the 2000 Grand Prix Customer Service Award for superior email customer service support from Teleperformance, a Paris-based customer relationship management company. Delta also took second in the transportation and travel category for its telephone customer handling.
* Delta`s wireless Palm application received a five-star, or excellent rating, from Palm, Inc. and Tucows.com—a leading provider of software on the Internet. The rating was based on the applications ease of installation and use, the ability to retrieve data expeditiously, and quick response time. Delta gives its customers wireless access to their flight itineraries, up-to-date flight arrival/departure information, same-day gate information and worldwide flight schedules via hand-held personal digital assistant devices and Web-enabled wireless phones that connect customers to delta.com.
In addition to making reservations and purchasing tickets at delta.com, Delta customers can select seats online; get up-to-date flight arrival/departure information; check their current SkyMiles status; upgrade to first or business class on flights within the United States, Bermuda, Canada, the Caribbean and Mexico; and book accommodations.
Delta Air Lines has established an e-business unit that leverages Delta`s assets using the Internet and other emerging technologies. Encompassing Delta`s business-to-consumer (B2C), business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-employee (B2E) initiatives, the unit acts as a fast-reacting think tank speeding and enhancing Delta`s online service offerings.
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