ATLANTA, Dec. 5, 2006 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- The votes are in, and Delta has been awarded "Best Frequent Flyer Program," "Best Airline Web Site" and "Best Airport Lounge" by Business Traveler readers in the 2006 Best in Business Travel Awards.
Now in its 18th year, Business Traveler's annual Best in Business Travel Awards is the world's most comprehensive business travel poll, covering all sectors of the global travel industry and showcasing the industry's highest standards of excellence. During a two-month period in 2006, the magazine's estimated 100,000 premium business travel subscribers were invited to vote on their favorite airlines, travel destinations, hotels and other travel companies.
"We are honored to be recognized by our customers and the travel professionals at Business Traveler magazine for the high level of service we provide throughout the customer experience," said Lee Macenczak, Delta's executive vice president of Sales and Customer Service. "These awards reconfirm our efforts to lead the industry as a global airline dedicated to providing a superior customer experience -- at the airport, online and via our SkyMiles(r) program -- and we're not done. As we continue our transformation, we will focus on ensuring our customers have the best travel experience possible from the point they purchase their ticket to the moment they fly with us."
Delta continues to streamline and upgrade its customer experience, making it more convenient and passenger friendly. Some of the recent and future service enhancements include:
-- Multiple new SkyMiles program features and investing more than
$10 million in technology to improve the customer experience,
including the ability to redeem award seats and the processes
around the complimentary Medallion upgrade program - the largest
U.S. airline to offer this elite benefit. Delta led the airline
industry by redeeming 3.3 million Award Tickets in 2005 and more
than 9 million Award Tickets over the last three years.
-- New Crown Room Clubs(r) in Sao Paulo and on Atlanta's Concourse
C, complementing Delta's existing 42 Clubs located in 34 cities
worldwide.
-- Greater functionality at delta.com -- which is celebrating its
10th anniversary this month -- including enhanced mobile device
access and itinerary management, as well as comprehensive content
in both English and Spanish, with French, Italian, German and
Portuguese availability coming soon. Delta passengers can avoid
up to $15 in booking fees when they purchase tickets directly at
delta.com, and they can take advantage of Delta's Risk-free
Cancellation policy.
-- More than 70 new international flights to popular business and
leisure destinations.
-- State-of-the-art, on-demand TV, movies, music and more on many
domestic and international flights.
-- Signature food and beverages on Delta flights worldwide with
celebrity partners like Michelle Bernstein and Rande Gerber.
-- Enhanced technology with improved self-service kiosks, featuring
Spanish and French languages, and automatic notifications of
irregular operations.
-- Major improvements in airport facilities at Atlanta and New
York-JFK.
Delta was ranked as one of the top U.S. airlines in the J.D. Power and Associates' 2006 North America Airline Satisfaction Study and has received multiple other awards during 2005 and 2006, including: "North America's Leading Business Class Airline" by the Annual World Travel Awards; "Best Domestic Airline" by Executive Travel magazine; "One of America's Safest Companies for 2005" by Occupational Hazards magazine; "Most Preferred Airline for Business Travelers" by the YPB&R/Yankelovich Partners 2005 National Business Travel Monitor; and "Corporation of the Year" by the 100 Black Men of America Inc.
Specific to its loyalty program, the Delta SkyMiles program received a "Lifetime Achievement Award" at the 2006 Freddie Awards in recognition of its many contributions to the airline loyalty industry and was named "Best Frequent Flyer Program" by readers of Travel Savvy magazine in September 2005.
Delta Air Lines (Other OTC:DALRQ) offers customers service to more destinations than any global airline with Delta and Delta Connection carrier service to 290 destinations in 46 countries. With more than 50 new international routes added in the last year, Delta is America's fastest growing international airline and is a leader across the Atlantic with flights to 28 trans-Atlantic destinations. To Latin America and the Caribbean, Delta offers more than 400 weekly flights to 49 destinations. 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. Including its SkyTeam and worldwide codeshare partners, Delta offers flights to 445 worldwide destinations in 92 countries. Customers can check in for flights, print boarding passes and check flight status at delta.com.
The Delta logo is available at http://www.primezone.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=1825
All SkyMiles program rules apply to SkyMiles program membership, miles, offers, mile accrual, mile redemption and travel benefits. To review the rules, please visit delta.com/skymiles. Taxes and fees for award travel are the responsibility of the passenger and must be paid at the time the ticket is booked. Award travel seats are limited and may not be available on all flights or in all markets. Upgrades are subject to limited availability and may not be available on all flights. Tickets cost $10 more if purchased from Delta over the telephone or $15 more if purchased at an airport or city ticket office, and these amounts are nonrefundable. Risk-Free cancellation is valid for electronic tickets purchased at the time of reservation directly from Delta for travel originating in the United States, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Canada. Cancellation request must be made by midnight the first day of travel or midnight the day after purchase is made, whichever comes first. Offers void where prohibited by law. Offers subject to change without notice. Other restrictions may apply.