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Delta tests customer service video chats to field your complaints
Delta is certainly trying to update its tech to join the 21st century. This summer, it's tested replacing boarding passes with fingerprints and checking baggage by scanning passengers' faces. But the airline's next advance is kind of an old-school dream: Airport stations that let customers video chat with a service representative.
Delta aims to replace boarding passes with fingerprints
Delta is expanding its biometric check-in feature that allows some customers to use their fingerprints instead of a boarding pass. The service was first launched at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) in May and let Delta SkyMiles members enter the Delta Sky Club with their fingerprints rather than a physical ID. Now, those members can use their fingerprints to board their plane.
Start racking up Delta SkyMiles with your Lyft rides
Lyft is no stranger to offering perks with every trip. Its latest bonus will be more than a little useful if you're a frequent flier, though. The service just unveiled a partnership with Delta that has you earning SkyMiles with every ride. After you link your Lyft and SkyMile accounts, you'll earn one mile for each dollar you spend. There's also a promo running until August 31st that will triple your miles whenever you travel to or from the airport.
Delta will test face-scanning for checked baggage this summer (updated)
This summer, Delta will test a facial recognition system for checking luggage. The airline says that the move is an effort to save customers time and further streamline the pre-flight process. "One machine will be equipped to test facial recognition technology to match customers with their passport photos through identification verification," the press release says.
Delta removes the guilt from keeping in-flight headphones
Starting on this summer, you'll find a pair of premium LSTN headphones in your seat when you fly overseas in business class with Delta. They're really not quite like your typically plain onboard headset, with beautiful wooden panels the headphones maker is known for. LSTN has been working with the carrier for the past two years to make the partnership happen, but not just for its own benefit. Now that the project is launching, it can help a lot more people hear again or for the first time ever: The socially responsible headphone company is donating 100 percent of the proceeds to the Starkey Hearing Foundation.
Delta's RFID luggage tracking system now includes a map view
Delta's new RFID luggage tags rolled out earlier this year, making it harder for at least one airline to lose your bags. Now, just in time for the holiday travel rush, Delta has already upgraded their baggage tracking system to include a up-to-the-minute map view of a bag's journey.
Delta computer system meltdown puts all flights on hold
After a strange succession of software bugs and glitches delayed and grounded flights across several airlines last year, you'd think system resilience would be top-notch by now. Delta Airlines, however, is living through one of these nightmare moments today, with all departing flights on hold at the time of writing. A widespread computer meltdown is at the heart of the problem, with Delta issuing the standard "we're working on it" statement, and warning any passengers booked in to travel today not to head to the airport without checking the status of their flight first.
Delta is rolling out RFID luggage tags by the end of summer
In an honorable attempt to make air travel slightly less terrible, Delta announced a new program this week that will track of checked baggage via paper RFID tags.
Delta's in-flight WiFi is about to get a whole lot faster
If you've flown Delta recently (or most domestic airlines) and tried to use the onboard Gogo WiFi, you know that it's often a crapshoot. A combination of where you're flying over and the number of passengers attempting to use it leads to either a decent connection (yay!), one that's slow as a snail (ugh), or none at all ($#!%). Look, we need to remember that sending tweets at 35,000 feet is basically magic. But being able to stream even a low-res YouTube clip would really make flying a happier experience.
Security flaw lets Delta passengers access strangers' boarding passes
If you've been dreaming about tanning on Miami Beach versus visiting your family in Minneapolis this holiday, a security flaw involving Delta Airlines' electronic boarding pass system might just make that a reality. Dani Grant, a product intern at BuzzFeed and founder of Hackers of NY, realized she could share the URL to her boarding pass for anyone to download. Then, by changing a digit in the URL, someone else's boarding pass (even on another airline) popped right up.
Airlines are getting better at spotting and dodging bad weather
Turbulence hasn't gone away, but apparently we experience a lot less of it now than we did a decade ago. The New York Times is reporting that as airlines upgrade their weather systems from telex to tablets, pilots' ability to avoid choppy sky has vastly improved. As well as this, better satellite imaging and weather forecasting has enabled airlines to cut the amount of weather-based delays from 50 percent in 2003 to 36 percent in 2013. In addition, Delta and American Airlines have now outfitted some of their craft with sensors that automatically transmit data to dispatches, keeping subsequent flights out of trouble. The report goes on to say that we're also on the cusp of another big weather resolution, since high-power imaging satellites, due to commence operation in 2016, will massively increase an airline's ability to predict when airports will get shut down - and hopefully, save future generations from trying to catch some sleep on those nasty-ass chairs at Philadelphia airport.
The death of the original jumbo jet, Boeing's 747-400
Later this month, Cathay Pacific's 747 will fly from San Francisco to Hong Kong for the very last time. It's a story we're hearing from nearly every airline still flying the most recognizable passenger jet in aviation history -- rising fuel costs are prompting carriers to ground their fleets, opting to shuttle passengers in more modern (and efficient) airliners instead. Hundreds of 747s still take to the skies every day, but their numbers are dwindling, with Boeing's 777-300ER and 787 Dreamliner, as well as the enormous Airbus A380, picking up the slack. The flagships of yesteryear now litter the desert, with several sites in California serving as a permanent resting place for the plane that was once known as the Queen of the Skies, the Boeing 747-400.
Delta's new iPad app lets you watch movies, shows on flights
Ever since the FAA decided to be more flexible about personal electronic devices on planes, things have changed quite a bit. Now, as an effort to make things even better for travelers, Delta has rolled out a new initiative called Delta Studio, which focuses on adding more in-flight entertainment options to its fleet. As part of this, the Atlanta-based airline revamped the Fly Delta app for iPad, and it now lets passengers use it to stream movies, TV shows and other media -- in addition to the destination info and interactive live-map view features that were already there. Delta Studio is free for Economy Comfort, First Class and international flyers; those on Economy, meanwhile, will also have access to stuff at no charge, but most of the decent content (like newly released films) is going to cost extra. Not surprisingly, you have to wait to reach 10,000 feet before streaming anything, since it does require an in-flight WiFi connection. Still, that's something you should be used to by now.
A traveler's guide to in-flight WiFi
You're on a nice, long domestic flight. In coach. There's a screaming baby two rows up; the pages of the in-flight magazine are stuck together with someone else's chewing gum; and the 9-inch overhead CRT is showing a 2-year-old episode of New Girl that you've already seen a half-dozen times -- without sound, because you always end up in the seat with a broken headphone jack. Oh, and you have five hours left to go to LAX. If you play your cards right (and pack some noise-canceling headphones), your next cross-country haul could be a whole lot more pleasant, thanks to in-flight WiFi. Nearly all of the major US airlines now offer WiFi in the sky. Thousands of passengers flying above North America are online right now, watching adorable kittens meow on YouTube, reading up on their destinations or researching a new device right here on Engadget. But while some carriers offer service on many of their planes, few have it available fleet-wide, making it difficult to plan your travel around connectivity. So, which airlines offer the best service and how can you sort what you'll have on board? Join us here as we explore the turbulent world of WiFi at 30,000 feet.
Delta to equip flight attendants with Nokia Lumia 1520s
The Lumia 820 just reached EOL at Delta. The airline's 20,000 flight attendants will be stepping up to the significantly larger Nokia Lumia 1520 "phablet" come this fall, matching the larger form factor that AA currently has in the sky. The 1520s will include flight manuals and can support on-board sales, letting employees process credit card payments on the fly. The move will also enable flight attendants to ditch the 500-page, five-pound manuals they're used to bringing on board, saving Delta more than $1 million each year in fuel and printing costs. Meanwhile, pilots are still on track to receive Microsoft's Surface 2 -- that process should be complete by the end of 2015. The 1520 will make its way on board much sooner, though. Delta is expecting to issue the Windows Phone 8.1 handsets beginning in October, with all FAs expected to have one in hand by the end of the year.
FAA clears Surface for takeoff in US cockpits
Begun, the airline tablet wars have? Microsoft's Surface 2 has just joined the iPad on the FAA's list of approved pilot EFBs (Electronic Flight Bags) for all phases of flight. That follows Delta's recent announcement that it would deploy 11,000 of Redmond's hybrid tablets in its cockpits instead of the iPad, which it also considered. Apple's tablet is already used by American Airlines and others, but Delta said it preferred the readability, productivity apps and other features of the Surface 2. Pilots will now be able to switch from heavy paper charts and books, which will supposedly save millions in fuel costs once the transition is complete in 2015. It also finally puts the pilots on parity with their passengers, as the airline was one of the first on board with the expanded use of personal electronics. Update: The Surface 2 has been approved by the FAA, not the Surface Pro 2. We've revised the post to reflect that.
Delta CEO says cellphone calls aren't welcome on Delta flights even if FCC rules change
Despite the FCC moving toward ending the ban on in-flight cell usage, there's still one stumbling block on the road to iPhone freedom; the airlines. Delta CEO Richard Anderson doesn't care what the FCC decides -- as far as he is concerned Delta is still a no-fly zone for personal cell calls. But he's not completely unreasonable. In a company-wide memo sent to Delta's 80,000 employees, Anderson laid out his vision for the future, and it's not as unfriendly to your phone as you might expect. Once the FCC ban is lifted, travelers will have access to text, email and silent methods of communication. Delta will only draw the line at talking on the phone. Why you ask? Simple. The customers wanted it. In his statement Anderson cites a 2012 survey the airline took about cell usage. ... a clear majority of customers who responded to a 2012 survey said they felt the ability to make voice calls onboard would detract from – not enhance – their experience. Delta employees, particularly our in-flight crews, have told us definitively that they are not in favor of voice calls onboard. Delta has a point and this writer is completely on board with its plan. Look, I'm sure most of you would be perfectly reasonable with your volume if you were able to talk on your cellphone mid-flight. But rules don't exist to deal with the considerate majority. They exist because of the jerks in the world who would shout into their phones for an entire six-hour flight complaining about a baby that stopped crying 10 minutes into their call. As flying becomes more uncomfortable, compact and penny-pinching (seriously, let me have the whole damn can of soda), it's nice to know there's one area where our comfort will be taken into consideration. You can read the complete Delta memo below. Last week the U.S. Federal Communications Commission voted to seek public comment in consideration of lifting its ban on in-flight cell phone use. Delta will not allow cellular calls or internet-based voice communications onboard Delta or Delta Connection flights. Our customer research and direct feedback tell us that our frequent flyers believe voice calls in the cabin would be a disruption to the travel experience. In fact, a clear majority of customers who responded to a 2012 survey said they felt the ability to make voice calls onboard would detract from – not enhance – their experience. Delta employees, particularly our in-flight crews, have told us definitively that they are not in favor of voice calls onboard. Delta has moved quickly when technological and regulatory breakthroughs provide opportunities to make flying better for our customers. That is why we were the first to file our plan with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration to allow customers to use portable electronic devices below 10,000 feet. Similarly, if the FCC lifts its ban on cellular use in flight, Delta will move quickly to enable customers to use text, email and other silent data transmission services gate to gate. Even as technology advances and as regulations are changed, we will not only consider what we can do, but as importantly we will also consider what is right for our customers and our employees. This is yet another example of how we continue to have your back and how we also rely on your professionalism and experience to guide our actions and decisions. Thanks for all you do every day for our customers, our colleagues and our business.
You may be able to make in-flight calls next year, but not on Delta
In a company-wide memo sent to 80,000 Delta employees this morning, CEO Richard Anderson put his foot down on the issue of in-flight passenger calls. His definitive statement, "Delta will not allow cellular calls or internet-based voice communications onboard Delta or Delta Connection flights," will apply regardless of updated regulations from the FCC. That agency is considering lifting the ban on in-flight calls come 2014, but the Department of Transportation may follow up with its own ruling to maintain the phone-free environment many of us have come to enjoy at 30,000 feet. Meanwhile, powerful in-flight internet services, like JetBlue's recently launched Fly-Fi, take communications a step further, enabling VoIP and video chat services with performance that makes using these tools more than a novelty. Delta, for its part, will support non-voice cell services pending FCC and FAA approval: "if the FCC lifts its ban on cellular use in flight, Delta will move quickly to enable customers to use text, email and other silent data transmission services gate to gate." (AP Photo/Reed Saxon)
Delta and JetBlue now permit personal electronics use during all stages of flight
That was fast -- mere hours after the FAA said it would allow the use of personal electronics during takeoff and landing, airlines have begun flying under the relaxed rules. Passengers on both Delta and JetBlue aircraft are now free to use their mobile gadgets at nearly every stage of flight. Other major US carriers have yet to officially embrace the lightened regulations, although American Airlines tells Bloomberg that it's already applying for clearance. For the rest, it's likely just a matter of time -- but not too much time, we hope.
Hitch a ride to Engadget Expand aboard Gogo's private jet
The team at Gogo is flying high lately both in the sky and on the ground thanks to its new hybrid GTO technology, which brings in-air download speeds up to 60 Mbps. To test the future of in-flight WiFi, Gogo uses the "Gogo One," a flying laboratory that comes outfitted with some pretty intense equipment.
