LAS VEGAS -- Delta CEO Ed Bastian went before the attendees of the world's largest electronics exhibition, painting the airline as a forward-facing technology company, as he had done in past visits.
Speaking during a CES conference keynote address Tuesday at the uber-modern Sphere arena, Bastian went as far as to muse that Delta airplanes themselves could one day become immersive destinations.
"There is much more we can and will be doing in the years ahead to personalize your experience," he said to a crowd of several thousand. The Sphere's immersive capabilities, including absorbing 3D video displays, helped to emphasize Delta's soaring ambition in the realms of technology, AI and personalization.
At the center of Bastian's presentation was the announcement of Delta's AI-powered app feature, Delta Concierge, which will debut this year. Delta envisions deploying the feature to offer a personalized and integrated door-to-door travel journey.
Concierge's first-generation capabilities will include proactive notifications about passport expirations and visa requirements as well as wayfinding at airports. And over the coming years, Delta said the tool will be capable of anticipating customer needs, offering tailored guidance and taking actions on their behalf, such as booking travel.
This was the third time Bastian and Delta have done a keynote CES address, following 2023 and 2020. In the 2020 presentation, Bastian previewed various plans the airline had for passenger-facing technology enhancements that have come to pass in the years since, including free WiFi for SkyMiles members and the Delta Sync personalized in-flight entertainment. He also introduced the idea of Delta Concierge during that 2020 presentation.
This time around, Bastian once again looked a few years into the future. He asked the audience to imagine a Delta business traveler flying to Tokyo. On the morning of her travels, the Delta Concierge tool will be able to proactively tell her that traffic is heavy and offer airport transport alternatives. One could be a flight with Joby Aviation, Delta's nascent electric air taxi partner that is working toward certification and hopes to launch airport transit in New York and Los Angeles in the next few years.
If the traveler agrees by voice command to use Joby, Delta Concierge would make the booking.
At the airport, Delta Concierge will offer wayfinding to gates. Meanwhile, under the vision Bastian laid out, Delta biometric rollouts will enable a hands-free airport journey -- no IDs necessary at baggage check, security screening or the gate.
On the plane, Delta eventually expects the Concierge function to enable flyers to automatically connect with Delta Sync seatback screens. Concierge will also eventually assist flyers with their in-flight experience, said Ranjan Goswami, Delta's senior vice president for customer experience design. In an interview the day after the Sphere event, he said Concierge might know that a flyer had ordered gin and tonic in the past, so it would ask that flyer if he would like to order one on the current flight.
Upon arrival, the airline envisions Concierge proactively updating flyers on their progress toward achieving SkyMiles loyalty tiers. The tool also could book transportation from the airport to the flyer's final destination as well as help plan excursions in the destination.
Entertainment system upgrades
Upgrades to Sync will enhance Delta's personalization capabilities in the coming years, Bastian said. The entertainment system went live in 2023 and currently can tailor viewing suggestions based on usage history, like a smart TV. It also allows flyers to resume watching a movie or show that they didn't finish on a previous flight, either on a Delta seatback screen or through a personal device.
Next-generation Sync enhancements, scheduled to debut in 2026, will feature a do-not-disturb notification for flight attendants, Bluetooth capabilities in all cabins for device pairing and a more advanced recommendation engine. It will also bring a 50-fold increase in system capacity, allowing for more content and streaming options, including exclusive YouTube content that will become available under a new partnership.
The updated Sync will move data to the cloud rather than holding it within each airplane's avionics systems. As a result, said Goswami, Delta will be able to make changes to its entertainment catalog remotely and systemwide.
"It means we are going to be able change things much more often," he explained. "Right now, it takes between weeks and two months because we have to touch each airplane."