It’s been a big week for Delta as the carrier unveiled a slew of new updates as part of the airline’s 100th anniversary kickoff at CES in Las Vegas. One of the major talking points during CEO Ed Bastian’s keynote address was around the inflight experience. Specifically, Delta announced a partnership with YouTube to bring more personalization to its in-flight entertainment system, Delta Sync.
Delta is launching a first-of-its-kind, cloud-based in-flight entertainment system which is an evolution of the personalized Delta Sync inflight entertainment experience that was introduced in 2023 for SkyMiles Members.
Going forward, YouTube will join the Delta Sync experience to bring customers ad-free content that reflects their lifestyles and how they choose to stay entertained at home. This is being done in an effort to make travel more personalized, and build brand loyalty with the carrier.
Delta Partners with YouTube
While an exact date hasn’t been given, Delta SkyMiles Members will soon have the ability to enjoy their favorite creators, podcasts and music artists ad-free on most flights equipped with Delta Sync Wi-Fi and Delta Sync seatback IFE.
The new partnership is in an effort to blend new technology with personalized experiences to enhance the travel experience. Delta is describing the partnership like they are launching a new iPhone but, I’m excited to experience the product firsthand. I don’t really use YouTube but this may make me start.
Upgraded Seatback IFE
As part of the improvements to the passenger experience, Delta is introducing a next-generation Delta Sync seatback experience in partnership with Thales Avionics. The new IFE system is expected to roll out on select new aircraft deliveries starting in 2026. It’s unclear if the more personalized Delta Sync experience will be rolled out sooner.
The new system will feature the first cloud-based IFE infrastructure and is expected to include:
- An intelligent 4K HDR QLED display, offering a high-contrast, vibrant viewing experience.
- Bluetooth capabilities in all cabins so travelers can pair their personal wireless devices. (No more cheap headphones, though I appreciate that Delta provides them)
- A 96-terabyte storage system, which is more than 50X the average Delta IFE system capacity.
- An advanced recommendation engine tailoring content to customer preferences so they can spend less time scrolling and more time enjoying.
- Seatback features like “Do Not Disturb” mode that give travelers more control over their journey and enable Delta to deliver more tailored service.
Delta is also partnering with Hughes to develop a connectivity solution that will enable simultaneous multi-network connectivity which is expected to be rolled out in late 2025. This expected to provide more reliable streaming to personal devices and more stable performance across the Delta network.
More Personalized Content Onboard
As I mentioned above, Delta Sync is getting a major upgrade in an effort to provide passengers with a more personalized experience. More upgrades meant to make a passenger’s journey more enjoyable, and in some cases much easier, are also on the way.
Planning Your Onboard Experience
The Onboard Experience Planner within Delta Sync is designed to help passengers have greater visibility and control over their in-flight experience. SkyMiles Members will have the option to indicate service preferences like whether they’d prefer not to be disturbed or want to be woken up for service, with their selections being communicated to the flight attendant.
This is the level of service you typically find in long-haul First and Business Class and, while the service isn’t as personal as being asked your preferences, it’s still a big win for passengers who may not want to follow the normal service flow on longer flights.
Delta also has plans to roll out additional enhancements down the road that will include features like guided wellness activities and expanded options for customizing the food and beverage experience.
Seatback Announcement Translations
One of the most overlooked yet important, in my opinion, announcements that came out of CES is the introduction of translated announcements to individual IFE screens. As a native English speaker I have been able to travel all over the world without issues as airlines typically make announcements in the local language and English. However, there are plenty of travelers who are unable to determine the announcements being made inflight.
This new feature allows passengers to understand crucial flight information by translating announcements to their selected language via their IFE screen. It also makes the travel experience more accessible to customers with hearing disabilities.
Arrival Mode
I’m old enough to remember flying into Delta’s hub at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) and the flight attendants would read connecting gate information off of a piece of paper during our taxi. That gradually transformed into connecting information being displayed on seatback IFE screens, though I had a KLM flight last year that was forced to go old school.
As part of the Delta Sync upgrades, the airline is introducing Arrival Mode which integrates essential day-of travel information from the Fly Delta app directly to the seatback IFE screen. This enhancement ensures SkyMiles Members have the information they need across devices. Passengers can check connecting gate information, baggage claim location, and even arrange ground transportation to their final destination.
This will come in extremely handy for travelers visiting new airports, especially at international destinations.
Summary
While Delta’s 100th Anniversary celebration kickoff at CES was more of a performance than a product launch, digging down into the details there are quite a few innovations that should have a positive impact on travelers.
Delta has led the charge for inflight innovation amongst the major U.S. carriers over the past few years and its announcements at CES reflect that. The difference between what Delta is doing when compared to American, the latter almost entirely removed IFE screens from its narrowbody aircraft, is striking. United is falling somewhere in the middle, though closer to Delta from a passenger experience standpoint, and I’m excited to see the continued innovation from a passenger standpoint.
One key item of note here is that all of the innovations outlined above are irrelevant if you don’t have a Delta SkyMiles account. While frequent flyers would never dream of traveling without earning miles, there are still many passengers that may only travel once a year or less that don’t have SkyMiles accounts. Delta is making an effort to capture these folks and better market to all of us in the future.
(Images courtesy Delta Air Lines)
Innovation for the sake of innovation. Yes, let’s save time by having me type my drink into the IFE, then have the F/A read it off a screen on the cart in the aisle next to me and hand it to me.
I hope that isn’t the case. This seems great for something like DTW-HND, not so much on ATL-MCI