Delta Air Lines has announced that it will tap the best features of its 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 has been outlined and it 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.”

“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.
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