Holiday Travel Preparation: Delta Teams and Technology Ready to Make Your Trips Bright

Delta teams are ready to transport 9.3 million customers on more than 75,000 flights from December 20 to January 6. Here are some ways guests can prepare for their vacation travel.

Delta plans to welcome 9.3 million customers on more than 75,000 flights during the winter holiday season, Friday, December 20 through Monday, January 6. Airline team members have prepared for this busy travel period to ensure operations run smoothly. while ensuring that customers are ready to get the most out of their trip with ease.

DELTA IS READY TO HAVE A GOOD OPERATION THIS WINTER

Experts from 36 departments meet every day in our Operations and Customer Center (OCC), Delta’s nerve center, to make key decisions on nearly 5,000 daily flights. And now, they’re working their magic to prepare for operations to run smoothly this winter.

Delta’s operations and customer center is preparing for winter, and we spoke with Pete Sansom, one of six OCC service managers, about how the team is making sure the airline is ready to run smoothly this season.

Read on for tips and tricks to get the most out of your Delta travel.

TRACK YOUR BAGGAGE – USING YOUR BAG TAG OR APPLE AIR TAG – FOR YOUR PEACE OF MIND

Through the Fly Delta app, customers have long been able to track the tags of their checked bags in real time, from the check-in counter to the plane to baggage claim.

Now, just in time for the holiday season, Delta is one of the first airlines to integrate Apple’s new Share Location feature to help customers find their bags faster, in those rare situations where a baggage is delayed or mishandled. Delta customers can now easily and securely share the location of an AirTag or Find My network accessory with Delta customer service. This feature allows agents to see its location in real time, helping to reunite customers with their bags more quickly.

How it works

To share the location of their AirTag or Find My network accessory with Delta, customers can first generate a Share Item Location link in the Find My app on their iPhone, iPad, or Mac.

In the Fly Delta app, customers can then insert the generated link into the “Share my item’s location” field of the delayed baggage form.

Customers can also share the link with Delta customer service through the Fly Delta app’s messaging feature.
Item location sharing is completely optional, will automatically end when a customer finds their bag, can be stopped by the customer at any time, and will automatically expire after seven days.

To use the new Share Item Location feature, customers must verify that their Apple device is running iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, or macOS 15.2 or later.

MAKE TRAVEL DAYS EASIER WITH THE FLY DELTA APP

In addition to baggage tracking and digital identification, improvements to the Fly Delta app will also make planning your trip easier. Before your flight, targeted messages in the app’s banner communicate any airport construction or changes that may impact how you navigate to and through the airport. In the rare event that Wi-Fi is not working on your flight, we will do our best to notify you at least four hours in advance of travel so that you can plan accordingly.

When you need help, use the app’s virtual assistant to get SkyMiles account information, seat changes/upgrades, flight changes, cancellations, refunds and flight information up to date. Additionally, customers can use the Fly Delta app to find refund eligibility and rebook flights.

OPT FOR DIGITAL ID FOR QUICK, HANDS-FREE NAVIGATION AT THE AIRPORT

Customers traveling through ATL, DCA, DTW, JFK, LAX, LGA and SLC have even more options for easier and expedited airport travel with Delta digital ID.

Developed in close collaboration with the TSA, Delta Digital ID uses biometric facial matching to eliminate the need for agent-facilitated document verification, allowing customers to move through the airport with ease. On the security front, Digital ID allows Delta customers to access the dedicated TSA PreCheck® contactless ID lane for the fastest experience, allowing them to pass through the checkpoint by simply looking in a camera – no need to show government-issued ID. In the lobby, digital ID-eligible customers can leave their license in their wallet when checking their bags at the designated bag drop area, saving them time and hassle when you are on the move.

EXPLORE THE DELTA WINTER ROADS

There’s no better time than now to use these travel tips as Delta offers new seasonal routes.

Delta to offer largest vacation program ever in Latin America

The calendar adds 119 weekly flights and increases seat count by 11% year over year. Key highlights include:

• Second daily frequencies from Atlanta to Santiago (SCL) and Buenos Aires (EZE)
• New and improved service to Tulum (TQO) from Atlanta and Minneapolis
• New and expanded daily flights from Atlanta to Bridgetown (BGI), Puerto Plata (POP), Curaçao (CUR) and Cartagena (CTG) and more.
• Bridgetown will be served by Saturday flights only from New York (JFK) starting December 21.

Delta’s new routes to London, Amsterdam and Brisbane

Beyond Latin America, Delta’s network offers exciting new routes like Tampa to Amsterdam And Orlando to London Heathrowboth launched in October, and Los Angeles to Brisbanewhich began on December 4.

Delta connects travelers to top U.S. ski destinations

Delta will offer the service from Los Angeles (LAX), Salt Lake City (SLC) and Minneapolis-St. Paul hubs (MSP). Starting December 21, customers will be able to enjoy non-stop flights to destinations including:

• Jackson Hole (JAC)
• Bozeman (BZN)
• Montrose/Telluride (MTJ)
• Steamboat Springs (HDN)
• Valley of the Sun (SUN).

Whether hitting the slopes or enjoying après-ski, Delta offers convenient travel to the mountains all season long.