Here at DesignAir we’ve been a bit of a secret fan of Delta, as we have mentioned before, they are perhaps the most ‘European’ of all the carriers, with warm and friendly service, combined with a very decent hard product and good onboard menu, we’ve never had a bad flight with them. (Although we’ve heard our fair share of stories!) Delta are constantly trying to better their product and we need to salute Delta for this. They won’t be stuck in the past, and their latest two additions (amongst a plethora of new ideas they are working on) are great bolt ons to an already decent product. They even just celebrated topping FORTUNE’s World Most Admired Companies Airline Industry List today. Seems they are just going from strength to strength.
Pillow Talk
Firstly, let’s talk about the Westin bedding now available on their Business class. Across the industry, bedding has always been a bit of a let down, bar a few exceptions. Pillows are generally too flat, bedding is a little too stiff and generally speaking, it always feels like an afterthought…. “Oh no, they are going to need pillows too….”
We love Westin bedding, it is some of the most comfortable bedding around. The Heavenly bed is reason enough to pick a Westin hotel over another brand and Delta have obviously stayed with Westin and realised the comfort they can provide their customers. This really should make a difference and hopefully it is an investment that will pay dividends.
The Delta iPad App
Now this is genius. Hands down, genius. We love it. A one stop shop for all things Delta, from reading their inflight magazine Sky to onboard entertainment options, what’s more, destination guides for some of their major cities (That we presume will grow to take over all their destinations) This is the most interactive and successful airline App we have seen to date. The whole thing feels solid, fluid, and really makes you want to travel. What’s more, it’s free. The design is brilliant, clear, concise, easy to navigate and a brand identity that is strong and well executed. Infact, it’s taken the best bit of our morning away from us, and because of the content we are already planning trips to Hawaii, Mexico and Montreal. As the App develops we cannot wait to see more destinations covered.
Our best little tip is to delve into the Glass Bottom Jet part of the app, introduced with a short video named “Fly and Seek” in the entertainment part of the iPad experience, a mini-app that shows any flight as it flies over the globe (As a flight status), that highlights photos taken by Facebook friends or wikipedia articles on famous landmarks. This now means your flight tracking is more interactive than ever. Wait a few months to see other websites and Apps copy this concept!
Great Job Delta!
TheDesignAir 
I only flew Delta once a few years ago (in fact Ive only flew 5 different airlines in my life, its sad), JFK-MCO, take-off was delayed an hour, but the flight itself was pretty good. Definitely much better than American. Though if the new American lives up to its hype, DL may be getting a run for its money, but its going to take a few years for AA to modernize its fleet.