Delta Air Lines officially unveiled its newly expanded Miami airport lounge. Delta Sky Club has been expanded by 4,000 square feet and 100-plus seats—a capacity increase of more than 50%. The Club can now accommodate around 300 guests. “Miami is an important global transport hub, with increasing prominence in the Delta network,” said Claude Roussel, VP – Sky Clubs and Lounge Experience. “The expansion and renovation of the MIA Club helps us support the growth in this market.” The expansion’s design takes inspiration from Miami’s bright colors and sunny beaches, it says. The expansion includes a new service buffet and additional beverage station. There are single-seat dining tables and a communal table with a charging source in the center, as well as power outlets at almost every seat. The Miami expansion kicks off a year of growth for Delta lounges, with two new Delta Sky Clubs coming to Charlotte and Seattle. Also, three Delta One Lounges are opening in JFK, LAX and Boston. This summer, Delta will offer 34 peak-day flights from Miami to 12 destinations, including international service to Havana. All service will be operated on Delta mainline planes, with premium cabin classes available on all flights. 

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A woman has filed a lawsuit against Delta Air Lines and an employee, claiming sexual assault on a flight. The woman’s complaint says Duane Brick, a Delta employee at the time, assaulted her. Brick, a former Delta mechanic, was a passenger on the flight. He has since plead guilty to abusive sexual contact and will be sentenced later this year. He faces up to two years in prison. The assault happened on a flight as the woman was flying home to Seattle from a Taylor Swift concert in Phoenix. The lawsuit claims Brick was ‘visibly intoxicated’. The woman and a witness informed cabin crew at the time of the assault. The suit alleges gross negligence on the part of the airline, and assault and battery. It says the airline failed to monitor Brick’s condition after serving him too much alcohol. “Delta owes the highest duty of care and has a legal duty to provide airline passengers, including the plaintiff, with a safe flight that is free from unauthorized and abusive sexual contact," the lawsuit states. "Everyone should feel safe to fall asleep on a plane without the risk of being groped and sexually assaulted," attorney Mark Lindquist said. 

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Delta Air Lines confirmed it will restart direct Israel flights this summer It will be the second US carrier after United Airlines to resume Tel Aviv flights. Delta said it will restart daily nonstop Israel flights from New York-JFK from June 7. It will deploy an Airbus A330-900 Neo on the route. Delta previously said it would resume Israel flights in May. It has ‘undertaken an extensive security risk assessment’ and will continue monitoring the situation. Along with United, other international airlines like Lufthansa and Air France have restarted Tel Aviv flights with more carriers joining them by the summer. Delta inked a new codeshare arrangement with EL AL Israel Airlines, offering its customers access to EL AL services from Boston, Los Angeles, Miami and Fort Lauderdale. 

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Delta Air Lines has joined its peers in raising fees for checked bags. The airline said the fee for the first and second checked bag went up by $5 on most domestic and short-haul international flights. It now costs $35 for the first checked bag and $45 for the second. It is Delta’s first checked bag fee hike in over five years. The fee continues to be waived for Delta SkyMiles Medallion members and first-class fliers. In just the past few weeks, American Airlines, United, JetBlue and Alaska Airlines have all hiked checked bag fees. 

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Delta Air Lines is adding a new route down under. Delta will start flying to Brisbane three times a week from December 4 this year. The addition of seasonal Los Angeles to Brisbane flights will see the top three US airlines serving Brisbane. This will see seat capacity from Brisbane to the US jump to more than 140% compared to pre-pandemic. Delta will fly an Airbus A350-900 on the new route, accommodating up to 306 passengers. “We are very proud Brisbane Airport will become Delta’s second destination in Australia,” said Airport CEO, Gert-Jan de Graaff. “Brisbane is witnessing an unparalleled level of interest from North American visitors.” During Delta’s upcoming winter schedule, it will offer up to 17 weekly flights to Australia from the US. “This marks our most extensive schedule to the South Pacific to date,” said Joe Esposito, Delta’s SVP of Network Planning. 

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Delta Air Lines has inked a new purchase agreement for at least 20 Airbus A350-1000 jets. The airline operates the A350-900 type and the order is a first for the 1000 variety, offering longer range flying and enhanced fuel efficiency. “We are thankful for Delta’s continued confidence in Airbus’ solutions to meet its fleet needs,” said Christian Scherer, CEO of Airbus\ commercial airline division. “We are proud that our aircraft will serve the entirety of Delta’s global network.” The deal provides an option for more jets. Delta Air Lines just announced record full-year revenue although it has tempered its 2024 forecast due to higher maintenance costs and disruptions in new aircraft deliveries. 

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Delta Air Lines and Virgin Atlantic are marking a decade of close collaboration as their joint venture partnership celebrates 10 years. The partnership has since grown through the expanded airline joint venture with Air France-KLM launched in 2020. Since it launched, the two airlines have grown their shared network, adding more routes and flights between the UK and in the US. They have carried nearly 40 million customers across the Atlantic between the two countries. “Since we brought together our two brands, the partnership has gone from strength to strength thanks to a shared focus on customer service," said Matteo Curcio, Delta’s SVP-EMEAI. "Back in 2014, the partnership deal was a game changer for Delta enabling us to up competition on the most popular business routes between London Heathrow and the US. It also provided Virgin Atlantic unparalleled access to Delta’s network across North America.” The airline joint venture has boosted choice and flexibility with a joint daily schedule of up to 86 daily nonstop flights in both directions. This is nearly 40% more than in 2014. It includes up to 34 peak-day departures from London Heathrow to 15 U.S. gateways. Virgin Atlantic joined SkyTeam in 2023 alongside Delta and Air France-KLM. The airlines have together invested in technology for smoother travel solutions including automated bag drop at London Heathrow, real time RFID bag tracking via the Fly Delta app, and biometric scanning at US gateways. The airlines now have co-located facilities at five US airports, as well as at London Heathrow, to make it easier for customers to connect between the two airlines. The JV pact has also improved loyalty program reciprocity with more opportunities to earn and redeem miles. "Our two airlines have flown millions of customers across the Atlantic and driven forward meaningful change in service excellence and responsible travel over the last decade,” said Juha Jarvinen, EVP - Commercial for Virgin Atlantic.  

Delta Air Lines passengers now have a faster route of getting to their gate at east and west coast airport hubs. Just in time for holiday travel, travelers at Los Angeles and both New York airports have a seamless, hands-free way to navigate the airport. Delta Digital ID uses biometric facial matching to eliminate a physical document check, allowing customers to move through bag drop and security checkpoints faster. The optional tech is available for enrolled TSA PreCheck members, those with passport information and a Known Traveler Number in their Delta profile, use the app and have a SkyMiles membership. The serviced debuted in 2021 at the airline’s Detroit and Atlanta hubs. To opt in, customers will receive a notification in their Fly Delta app when traveling from a Digital ID-enabled airport: Once opted in, Delta Digital ID becomes part of a customer’s SkyMiles profile, though they can opt out at any time. The airline does not save or store any biometric data. Customers can use Delta Digital ID to check bags and move through security without having to show a physical ID. They can navigate to the green “Delta Digital ID” line, They look into the camera at bag drop and/or the security checkpoint, and use their digital identity in place of a physical ID. It says Delta Digital ID transactions at bag drop take an average time of 30 seconds compared to the standard bag drop time of two minutes. Allison Ausband, Chief Customer Experience Officer said: “With Digital ID, our customers spend less time hassling with their wallets, and our agents spend less time checking documents.” Delta looks to expand the tech to additional hubs in 2024. “Delta Digital ID provides a huge benefit in both time-savings and convenience, and we’ve been working with our partners for years to expand its reach,” said Greg Forbes, MD – Airport Experience.

Delta Air Lines is extending free in-flight Wi-Fi coverage to its regional network. The airline inked a deal with Hughes Network Systems to install Wi-Fi on more than 400 Delta Boeing 717s used on feeder and short regional routes. It will also include regional partner jets. Delta will start the installation of high-speed internet service in early to mid-2024, with the aim of completing it by the end of the year. Delta started offering free in-flight Wi-Fi on its mainline network last year. The airline said the regional jets will connect to Ka-band satellite tech. All Delta passengers need to sign up as a SkyMiles loyalty member to access the high-speed free Wi-Fi.

Following a customer backlash, Delta recently shared several updates to its SkyMiles loyalty program. It has added more benefits as well as modifying some of the unpopular changes announced in September. “Many of you have shared feedback about the changes. It’s been a challenge to balance the growth of our membership with our need to deliver premium service experiences,” said CEO Ed Bastian. “Your response made clear the changes did not fully reflect the loyalty you have demonstrated to Delta.” Based on the feedback, Delta will add new benefits to begin earning in 2024 toward 2025 status. It starts with more accessible Medallion Status requirements. Delta has reduced the number of Medallion Qualification Dollars for each tier: Diamond Medallion Status: $28,000 MQDs (down from $35,000) Platinum Medallion Status: $15,000 MQDs (down from $18,000) Gold Medallion Status: $10,000 MQDs (down from $12,000) Silver Medallion Status: $5,000 MQDs (down from $6,000) Members with Delta SkyMiles Reserve, Reserve Business, Delta SkyMiles Platinum and Platinum Business American Express Cards will also receive a head start of $2,500 MQDs for the current Medallion qualification year. Customers may earn MQDs through Delta flights, Delta Vacations packages, and purchases on the Delta SkyMiles Platinum, Platinum Business, Reserve and Reserve Business American Express Cards. Car rentals and hotel/vacation rentals booked through Delta Car Rentals and Delta Stays do not earn MQDs toward Medallion Status. Select card members will get increased access to Clubs during their travel days as well as the option to purchase Club access once their allotted Club entries is exhausted. A Delta Sky Club visit now includes all entries within a 24-hour period after first Club entry, including departure city, connecting airports and arrival city. Delta SkyMiles Reserve and Reserve business card members will now receive 15 visits per year (up from 10). Card Members with the Platinum Card and the Business Platinum Card from American Express will receive 10 visits (up from 6). Delta will also allow Delta SkyMiles Reserve and Reserve Business Card Members, as well Amex Platinum Card holders to purchase Club access at a per-visit rate of $50 per person after exhausting their allotted Club visits. Delta is also giving long-term loyalty program members more recognition. Effective January 1, 2024, the airline is moving Million Miler Status up in the hierarchy for Complimentary Upgrades. From February 1, 2024, Million Milers will also receive enhanced complimentary annual Medallion Status. Delta will debut several enhanced Choice Benefits options for Diamond and Platinum Medallion Members for the 2025 Medallion Year/ These include a MQD Accelerator for the next Medallion qualification year: $2,000 for Diamond Medallion Members and $1,000 for Platinum Medallion Members. More information will be available on delta.com and shared directly with customers via email in the coming days.

Delta Air Lines is the latest major US carrier to discover unapproved aircraft parts on aircraft. It has found ‘a small number’ of fake parts on engines but hasn’t disclosed what parts or how many planes it affected. It is now replacing the parts. "Delta has been informed by one of our engine service providers that a small number of engines they overhauled for us contain certain parts that do not meet documentation requirements," Delta said. "We remain in compliance with all FAA guidelines." Delta said it made up less than 1% of the 2,100 engines in its mainline fleet. No aircraft are currently flying with unapproved engine parts, it says. Aircraft parts have been distributed by UK based AOG Technics Ltd to airlines worldwide with forged certification. American Airlines, United Airlines and Southwest have all recently discovered some of their planes had the parts fitted. AOG is under investigation. The parts relate to CFM engines. CFM said thousands of engine parts may have been sold with the fake paperwork by AOG.  

Delta Air Lines is planning a bumper transatlantic flight schedule next year with new routes and added frequencies From New York JFK, Delta will operate nearly 260 weekly flights next summer to 18 countries and 29 destinations. It will launch Naples flights for the first time, joining existing service to Milan, Venice and Rome. Delta will also return to Shannon, Ireland, from JFK, beginning May 23, 2024. The airline also offers transatlantic flight to Dublin, and its newly announced service to the Irish capital from Minneapolis-Saint Paul. Next summer Delta is introducing a nonstop flight to Munich, which will operate three times a week beginning April 9, 2024. From its Atlanta hub, Delta will again offer a nonstop flight to Zurich four times weekly beginning May 31, 2024. This adds to the nearly 180 weekly flights to 21 destinations in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Delta is also increasing transatlantic flights from Atlanta to Paris and Venice for summer. Elsewhere, there are additional flights to Paris from Cincinnati and Detroit; to Barcelona from JFK; to Reykjavik from Detroit; and to Athens from Boston. “There’s never been a better time to explore Europe on Delta,” said Joe Esposito, SVP – Network Planning. “Customers looking ahead to summer adventures abroad will find plenty of inspiring options.” On most trans-oceanic flights, customers have a choice of four classes: Delta One or Delta One Suites, Delta Premium Select, Delta Comfort+ and Main Cabin. Some transatlantic flights, including Detroit-Reykjavik, will offer Delta Premium Select in place of Delta One/Delta One Suites.