NEW YORK, Oct. 1, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- In an effort to further improve customer service at New York-JFK, Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) will require domestic customers originating at its JFK hub to check their baggage a minimum of 45 minutes prior to departure time. Effective Oct. 15, the change applies to customers traveling on Delta, Delta Connection(r) carrier and codeshare flights operated by Delta.
"As we continue to focus on improving our JFK operation, baggage is a key component of our efforts to improve customer service," said Mike Medeiros, Delta vice president of Airport Customer Service - JFK. "By asking customers to check their bags in 15 minutes earlier, we are able to better ensure that their bags are appropriately handled."
Domestic customers not checking bags may continue to check in with a Delta agent or via a self-service kiosk 30 minutes prior to departure. Kiosks will automatically notify customers of the baggage policy change at check in if they have missed the 45-minute check-in window. The change at JFK matches Delta's policy at other large airports in Atlanta, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Orlando and Denver. Customers traveling internationally are still required to check their bags 60 minutes prior to scheduled departure.
Delta's baggage changes follow an announcement from last week that the airline is introducing a redesigned schedule for summer 2008 that will accommodate growing customer demand at JFK while taking steps to reduce airport congestion and delays. The new schedule will offer customers increased choice on 14 new international routes* and will help improve on-time reliability by reducing the number of Delta flights operating during peak hours.
Delta Air Lines operates service to more destinations than any global airline with Delta and Delta Connection flights to 315 destinations in 54 countries. Since 2005, Delta has added more international capacity than all other major U.S. airlines combined and is a leader across the Atlantic with flights to 36 trans-Atlantic markets. To Latin America and the Caribbean, Delta offers nearly 400 weekly flights to 54 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 477 worldwide destinations in 103 countries. Customers can check in for flights, print boarding passes and check flight status at delta.com.
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*Some routes subject to foreign government approvals.