Announced last summer, Delta Air Lines rolled out their new International Main Cabin service on Tuesday. The enhanced service includes a welcome cocktail, hot towel service, bistro-style dining, upgraded service ware and on-demand snacks.
Starting today, Delta Air Lines International Main Cabin passengers will notice a distinct upgrade in hospitality on flights 6.5 hours or longer. The enhanced service will also be available on shorter international flights that offer Delta One or Delta Premium Select. Over 20 flight attendants were included in the service redesign which was tested and refined on over 1,200 flights. In today’s announcement, Delta’s Senior Vice President Inflight Service, Allison Ausband stated,
“How we make every customer feel across their journey is extremely important to us. That’s why our team designed this new service through the eyes of our customers – putting their ideas into action and giving them a delightful experience that exceeds their expectations. We want every customer, no matter where they sit on the flight, to know how much they’re appreciated.”
Some of the nice unexpected touches passengers will be treated to include a welcome cocktail once the aircraft has reached cruising altitude. In a nod to Delta’s Georgia roots, the inaugural cocktail will be a peach Bellini, made with sparkling wine and peach nectar. Next, the meal service will be “bistro-style” allowing passengers to choose from upgraded appetizers and larger entrees, making selections as they would in a restaurant. The typical plastic tray and plastic wrapped cutlery have been replaced by a placemat roll containing elegant, upgraded service ware made of 30% bio-based material. As part of the upgraded hospitality offered in Delta’s new service, an “anytime snack basket” will be available for those who would like a snack after meal service. A combination of popular snacks such as Cheez-it crackers, Tillamook cheese, OREOs, KIND bars and Delta’s signature Biscoff cookies will be available for the remainder of the flight. A Portland, Oregon based flight attendant and member of the design team, Ron Walk, added in the announcement,
“This is about rethinking the entire Main Cabin experience to wow our customers. The thoughtful touches we’ve incorporated throughout are aimed at making connections with customers to show them how much they are valued.”
At a time when air travel is often thought of as a “commodity,” we applaud the team at Delta for taking a step to make the flight experience extra special. While many passengers travel as a matter of course, an international flight might be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for others. Small but meaningful touches like this will help separate one brand from another in the somewhat ubiquitous airline passenger business.
Source: Delta Air Lines