International. Maps are an integral part of travel, but for those flying and checking luggage, visibility to pieces of luggage and their journey through the interior of the airport and from the plane is poor. But that's changing for Delta customers who now have access to a map view with the last scanned location of their luggage in the latest version of the Fly Delta mobile app.
"We are the first airline to offer this level of visibility," said Bill Lentsch, Delta's senior vice president for Airport Operations and Customer Service. "From the moment our customers leave their bags, we want them to know that we're tracking them every step of the way and applying innovation to eliminate that concern when it comes to flying."
The new map is based on the system-wide implementation of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology on baggage tags and the deployment of RFID tracking technology at 84 U.S. airports, with Delta being the first in the industry to apply it. When the technology is implemented, Delta can track 99.9 percent of bags without human intervention, improving the baggage handling performance it already leads in the airline industry.
When a customer wants to see their suitcase on the map, the screen will start showing an enlarged map of the U.S. as the suitcase travels from one airport to another. The map below automatically zooms in on the airport view and users can follow their luggage along their tour of the terminals, with the last known location, identified by a suitcase icon. Tapping the icon will provide additional text with information about the location of the suitcase.
New notifications will sync with the app later this year and offer Delta customers a detail with up-to-the-minute updates on their checked baggage.
"We listen to our customers and know they want a simplified mobile experience that allows them to have control in their hands," said Rhonda Crawford, vice president for Global Distribution and Digital Strategy. "Fly Delta 4.0 automatically updates when flight data changes to keep customers informed."
In addition to maps with enhanced baggage views, the Fly Delta app update seamlessly integrates the current view of customers' boarding passes on a single screen and the color of the screen now reflects the current SkyMiles® Medallion status. Electronic boarding passes will now be updated immediately so that seat, gate and flight schedule information is always up to date.
For those who purchase their tickets on mobile, Delta created a more user-friendly experience to make the purchase even faster by eliminating the need to re-check each stage of the trip while the process is going on. The airline also corrected the shortcomings and improved the overall performance of the app.
