This month, Delta Air Lines
celebrates the one year anniversary of its Delta Direct service. Delta
Direct is an industry-leading, revolutionary concept that provides
customers an additional service option that speeds them through airports
more quickly. Delta Direct is a key component of Delta’s industry-leading
airport model that includes self-service kiosks and Delta professionals.
No other airline offers this unique service choice to reduce customer wait
times any time, every day of the week. In 2003, its first full year of
service, more than one million customers used Delta Direct. Delta first tested this product at New York’s LaGuardia airport in October
2002 and at the gates of the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International
Airport in February 2003. Delta Direct was implemented at the Cincinnati
Northern Kentucky International Airport on April 1, 2003, with eight Delta
Direct phones. Today, there are 560 Delta Direct phone centers available
in 76 airport lobbies and concourses in the United States. To further
extend this customer-pleasing product, Delta Direct now will include
international flights originating in the U.S. this summer.

“The acceptance of Delta Direct by our customers traveling domestically,
combined with its phenomenal growth, helps ensure it will be a success for
our international customers,” said Steve Scheper, vice president -
Reservation Sales.

At the Delta Direct phone banks, customers who have more complex domestic
ticketing transactions are quickly connected to a Delta Reservations
representative who is specially trained to handle these types of
transactions. Customers can complete their ticket transactions, and
receive boarding passes and bag tags, expediting the check-in process.

“Delta employees play a vital role in offering more control, choice and
convenience to customers,” said Scheper. “We’re proud of our
highly-skilled employees who have reduced handling time in half for
complex transactions.”

In 2003, Delta Direct was one of eight project finalists for the Marketing
Awards for Excellence—the MAX Awards. Each year, the Robinson College
of Business at Georgia State University, in association with the Atlanta
Business Chronicle, recognizes outstanding marketing innovations
introduced in Georgia in the previous year with the MAX Awards. Entries
are judged by members of the Georgia State University Marketing RoundTable
in terms of the degree of innovation, great marketing and success.
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