ATLANTA, Jan. 23, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- Delta's innovative launch of SimpliFares earned it acknowledgement from Executive Travel magazine as "the Best Domestic Airline for 2005." Readers of the magazine and a panel of industry analysts identified companies that had "blazed new paths, set trends or altered their industries in 2005" with their products. Executive Travel is a subsidiary of the American Express Company.
"This is terrific recognition of the hard work Delta people are doing everyday to improve our customers' travel experience, and our customers -- including industry experts -- are taking notice," said Paul Matsen, Delta's chief marketing officer. "Launching SimpliFares and lowering our ticket change fees laid the groundwork for other product changes in 2005 such as a better delta.com experience, more complimentary onboard snacks and a simplified SkyMiles Medallion program. And we're just getting started."
Delta will continue the momentum in 2006 to improve its customers' travel experience with:
-- The industry's first long-haul, U.S. transcontinental service
with state-of-the-art personal digital in-flight entertainment
at every seat on more than 100 aircraft;
-- The largest international expansion in Delta's history,
including 11 new routes across the Atlantic and 10 new routes
to Latin America and the Caribbean;
-- A more comfortable and entertaining international BusinessElite
experience offering all-leather seats, digital technology and
personalized dining;
-- More flexibility and convenience when shopping on delta.com;
-- International-capable kiosks offering customers quick and
efficient check-in to many destinations from the U.S.;
-- Personal alerts to customers when their itineraries change due
to flight delays, whether it be through e-mail, text message
or phone calls;
-- Brighter cabin interiors and comfortable, all-leather seating
on more aircraft;
-- And much more.
The Executive Travel award is one of a growing list of acknowledgements of Delta's customer focus in 2005. Others include: the SkyMiles program was voted Best Frequent Flyer Program in a survey by Travel Savvy magazine; Delta was named the most preferred airline for business travelers by the YPB&R/Yankelovich Partners 2005 National Business Travel Monitor; J.D. Power and Associates' 2005 Airline Satisfaction Index Study ranked Delta one of the top three major U.S. airlines for overall customer satisfaction; and Forrester Research gave Delta's self-service kiosks at New York's LaGuardia Airport a near-perfect score for location, signage, workspace and design.
Delta Air Lines (Other OTC:DALRQ) is the world's second-largest airline in terms of passengers carried, offering daily flights to 503 destinations in 94 countries on Delta, Song, Delta Shuttle, the Delta Connection carriers and its worldwide partners. In summer 2006, Delta will be the world's leading carrier across the Atlantic as it launches flights to 11 new European destinations from its Atlanta and New York-JFK hubs. Delta also is a major carrier to Mexico, South and Central America and the Caribbean, with more than 35 routes announced, added or applied to serve since Jan. 1, 2005. Delta's marketing alliances also allow customers to earn and redeem SkyMiles on more than 14,000 flights offered by SkyTeam and other partners. Delta is a founding member of SkyTeam, a global airline alliance that provides customers with extensive worldwide destinations, flights and services. Customers can check in for flights, print boarding passes and check flight status at delta.com.
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