ATLANTA, May 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Delta Air Lines
(NYSE: DAL) is introducing four self-service bag drop machines at
Minneapolis-St. Paul International
Airport this summer, a $600,000
investment that allows customers to quickly, securely and easily
check their own bags. One machine will be equipped to test facial
recognition technology to match customers with their passport
photos through identification verification, a first for U.S.
carriers.
"We expect this investment and new process to save customers
time," said Gareth Joyce, Delta's
Senior Vice President – Airport Customer Service and Cargo. "And,
since customers can operate the biometric-based bag drop machine
independently, we see a future where Delta agents will be freed up
to seek out travelers and deliver more proactive and thoughtful
customer service."
The airline's introduction of self-service bag drops and
facial-recognition technology is a natural next step in its work to
streamline airport processes and is complimented by Delta's
industry-leading radio frequency identification technology.
Previous self-service innovations like ticketing kiosks and
check-in via the Fly Delta Mobile app have transformed congested
lobby areas and drastically improved customer satisfaction
scores.
Delta also worked with the Transportation Security
Administration to implement the first automated screening lanes in
the U.S. at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
Other innovations include developing a groundbreaking
app that helps pilots avoid turbulence for a more comfortable
flight, launching the industry's most interactive airport
wayfinding maps on the FlyDelta mobile app and strategically
enhancing its boarding process.
"This is the next step in curating an airport experience that
integrates thoughtful innovation from start to finish," Joyce said.
"We're making travel easier than ever for our customers and
continuing to deliver a leading customer experience."
The airline will collect customer feedback during the trial and
run process analyses to ensure that this lobby enhancement improves
the overall customer experience. Studies have found that
self-service bag drops have the potential to process twice as many
customers per hour.
About Delta
Delta Air Lines serves more than 180 million customers each
year. In 2017, Delta was named to Fortune's top 50 Most Admired
Companies in addition to being named the most admired airline for
the sixth time in seven years. Additionally, Delta has ranked No.1
in the Business Travel News Annual Airline survey for an
unprecedented six consecutive years. With an industry-leading
global network, Delta and the Delta Connection carriers offer
service to 323 destinations in 59 countries on six continents.
Headquartered in Atlanta, Delta
employs more than 80,000 employees worldwide and operates a
mainline fleet of more than 800 aircraft. The airline is a founding
member of the SkyTeam global alliance and participates in the
industry's leading transatlantic joint venture with Air
France-KLM and Alitalia as well as a joint venture with Virgin
Atlantic. Including its worldwide alliance partners, Delta offers
customers more than 15,000 daily flights, with key hubs and markets
including Amsterdam, Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, Los Angeles,
Minneapolis/St. Paul, New York-JFK and LaGuardia, London-Heathrow,
Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Salt Lake City, Seattle and Tokyo-Narita.
Delta has invested billions of dollars in airport facilities,
global products and services, and technology to enhance the
customer experience in the air and on the ground. Additional
information is available on the Delta News Hub, as well as
delta.com, Twitter @DeltaNewsHub, Google.com/+Delta, and
Facebook.com/delta.
![Delta Air Lines and the Delta Connection carriers offer service to nearly 370 destinations on six continents. For more information visit news.delta.com. (PRNewsFoto/Delta Air Lines) Delta Air Lines and the Delta Connection carriers offer service to nearly 370 destinations on six continents. For more information visit news.delta.com. (PRNewsFoto/Delta Air Lines)](https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/75250/delta_air_lines_logo.jpg)
To view the original version on PR Newswire,
visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/delta-is-testing-facial-recognition-technology-plans-first-biometric-based-self-service-bag-drop-in-us-300457293.html
SOURCE Delta Air Lines