ATLANTA, June 14, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) is raising a glass to celebrate a new partnership with one of the country's premier sommeliers. The airline is forging an exclusive partnership with Master Sommelier, TV host and author, Andrea Robinson, to reinvent its wine program to offer customers superior wine selections at 30,000 feet. Robinson's selections will make their debut in BusinessElite(r), Delta's international business-class product beginning in February 2008, and expand to international coach and domestic First and Coach Class later in the year. Robinson's wine selection will complement the upscale culinary experience offered in BusinessElite, including a personalized five-course menu with contemporary offerings by Michelle Bernstein, a prominent chef of the Mediterranean-style, highly acclaimed bistro, Michy's, in Miami.
"Our new partnership with Andrea Robinson is Delta's latest step in creating a unique and enhanced on-board experience for customers," said Joanne Smith, senior vice president of In-Flight Service and Global Product Development. "Andrea is working closely with Delta to ensure that her premium wine choices mirror Chef Michelle Bernstein's superior cuisine offerings in BusinessElite and appeal to our valued First and coach-class customers."
"I am thrilled for the opportunity to create and introduce new selections for Delta's wine program," said Robinson. "I'll select a global palette of wines with bold flavors to complement Michelle Bernstein's vibrant and delicious menu offerings, and that reflect the fresh and modern feel of the new Delta. And, since wines can taste different in flight, I'll continue to choose wines with enough flavor intensity to shine -- even at 30,000 feet."
Delta's enhanced BusinessElite experience includes comfortable all-leather sleeper seats with 60 inches of legroom; a new digital, entertainment system available on-demand with an extensive movie selection, the ability to create a personal music play list, and a suite of video games all enjoyed with new noise-canceling headsets; in-seat laptop power outlets; and, a cleaner, brighter cabin. BusinessElite is available on most of Delta's intercontinental routes, including flights between the U.S. and Europe, Africa, Japan, South Korea, India, Israel, Chile, Brazil, and Argentina. Beginning in 2008, Delta plans to be the first U.S. airline to offer its international business-class customers a true lie-flat seat in its BusinessElite cabin on ultra long-haul flights to destinations in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.
In recent months, Delta has incorporated elements of a stylish, inviting new look and feel -- from refurbished aircraft cabins with comfortable all-leather seats to designer uniforms and updated facilities.
Delta Air Lines offers customers service to more destinations than any global airline with Delta and Delta Connection carrier service to 311 destinations in 52 countries. With more than 60 new international routes added in the last year, Delta is adding international flights at a faster rate than any other major U.S. airline and is a leader across the Atlantic with flights to 32 trans-Atlantic destinations. To Latin America and the Caribbean, Delta offers more than 600 weekly flights to 58 destinations. Delta's marketing alliances also allow customers to earn and redeem SkyMiles on nearly 15,000 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 462 worldwide destinations in 98 countries. Customers can check in for flights, print boarding passes and check flight status at delta.com.
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Andrea Robinson, one of the country's leading wine educators, is one of only fifteen women in the world who have been appointed Master Sommelier by the prestigious Court of Master Sommeliers. She was the first woman ever chosen Best Sommelier in the United States by the Sommelier Society of America, and is also the first appointed Dean of Wine Studies for The French Culinary Institute in New York City, where she graduated with honors from its renowned 600-hour professional culinary program. Andrea was named Outstanding Wine & Spirits Professional by the James Beard Foundation in 2002, and was selected by Bon Appetit Magazine as Wine & Spirits Professional of The Year in 2004. She is the author of the best-selling GREAT WINE MADE SIMPLE: Straight Talk from a Master Sommelier, lauded for its original, real-world approach to wine, as well as the author and publisher of GREAT TASTES MADE SIMPLE: Extraordinary Food and Wine Pairing for Every Palate, and ANDREA ROBINSON'S WINE BUYING GUIDE FOR EVERYONE, the annually-updated, pocket-sized populist guide to the most popular wines available in stores and restaurants. Her TV shows, Simply Wine, and Pairings with Andrea, both air weekly on Fine Living Network.