Delta kicked off its 100th anniversary with bang at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. The event was headlined by a keynote from CEO Ed Bastian at Sphere. Delta’s appearance at the tech event marked a century of groundbreaking aviation milestones and the airline’s commitment to innovation.
The airline announced new partnerships and future travel innovations as part of Bastian’s keynote which was a full blown spectacle complete with a musical performance from Lenny Kravitz. During the keynote speech, Bastian set the stage for the airline’s announcements stating the following:
“New marvels like AI, the digital revolution and sustainable technology are giving us incredible tools to transform the travel experience. But amid the wonder of new technology, we’ve always understood that the entire point of innovation is to lift people up.”
Delta unveiled quite a few items of note during CES and while I’ll do a deep dive on each of them later in the week, I wanted to provide an overview of each below.
After kicking things off with an in-person monologue by Viola Davis, the audience at Sphere was taken on a fully immersive flight journey before the event moved into what all of the AvGeeks were waiting for (well almost, there still wasn’t any confirmation of a 100th anniversary aircraft) the event moved into the passenger facing upgrades and changes.
Delta Concierge is Coming
The second portion of the keynote was all related to Delta Concierge and how the airline is planning to integrate it through the Fly Delta app and make travel more seamless for passengers.
Delta Concierge, built into the Fly Delta app, is a digital tool that uses generative AI to “create seamless and personalized moments” in an effort to make life easier for passengers.
Some passengers, especially older ones (and those old at heart like myself) may balk at the “always-on” nature of the Delta Concierge service, but I’m going to reserve judgement until I have a chance to experience it for myself.
The airline also announced new partnerships that “will allow for a single customer itinerary will be connected from start to finish through deep partner integrations”. One of the less flashy, but arguably more important, announcements for everyday travelers is the new partnership with Uber. Delta customers can link their Uber and SkyMiles accounts and earn miles for eligible rides and deliveries.
Eventually, there are plans to allow for more seamless integration between Delta and Uber as well as an electric air taxi service called Joby. While it promises to transform the travel experience with home-to-airport transportation in the years ahead, I’m thinking Uber is still my best bet for getting to the airport in the near future.
Delta is also introducing a new, cloud-based, in-flight entertainment (IFE) system that builds on the Delta Sync experience that was launched in 2023. The airline is partnering with YouTube to allow SkyMiles Members to enjoy their favorite content ad-free while onboard most flights with Delta Sync Wi-Fi and Delta Sync seatback IFE.
The Future of Flying
During the keynote at CES, Delta also announced an expanded partnership with Airbus. Delta operates more Airbus aircraft than any other airline in the world, and CEO Ed Bastian was joined by Julie Kitcher, Chief Sustainability Officer and Communications at Airbus, to close out the keynote. The two discussed the steps both companies are taking to build towards the next 100 years.
During the conversation, a new partnership with Airbus was announced to help advance the next generation of aviation technologies. Delta plans to work with Airbus through its Airbus UpNext program, focusing on improving aircraft design and the use of sustainable aviation fuel among other initiatives.
Summary
Delta kicked off its Centennial celebrations with quite a bang at CES. While I knew going in that the event was going to feature a slew of innovations, this one seemed to be more of a performance than we’ve seen at events in the past.
Delta is increasingly differentiating itself from its competitors through events like this Centennial celebration and through partnerships with SXSW, becoming more technology focused in the process.
After a longstanding, and very profitable, partnership with American Express, there was a running joke that Delta was a credit card company that happened to fly airplanes. If Ed Bastian’s keynote from CES is any indication, the Delta is quickly shifting towards a tech company that happens to fly airplanes.
While my feelings on some of the innovations have yet to be determined, Delta has come a long way from that little crop dusting operation based in Monroe, Louisiana in the last 100 years.
(Images courtesy Delta)
