Nokia Lumia 820 climbs on board Delta Air Lines
The phone gets doled out to more than 19,000 Delta flight attendants to assist customers who want to make onboard purchases.
Nokia's Lumia 820 has taken flight courtesy of Delta Air Lines.
More than 19,000 Delta flight attendants began using the Windows Phone handset on Thursday to better help travelers make purchases while on board. As described by the airline, attendants will now be able to offer the following benefits to customers:
- Near real-time credit card processing for onboard purchases, including upgrades to Delta's popular Economy Comfort seating. (Onboard Economy Comfort upgrades will begin on transcontinental and international flights before being offered on flights across Delta's system.)
- Convenient eReceipts that can be emailed to customers.
- Customers' use of prepaid credit cards for onboard purchases.
- Quicker transaction processing times.
- More efficient service recovery.
Delta also promises the ability to read coupons from a customer's mobile device in the near future.
"Delta's 19,000 in-flight professionals are there for the safety and comfort of our customers, and equipping them with innovative solutions means they can better meet our customers' needs on board every flight," Joanne Smith, senior vice president of Delta's in-flight service, said in a statement. "This is yet another way we're investing in technology to improve the customer experience."
Starting Monday, August 26, flight attendants on Delta Connection flights will also be equipped with a Lumia 820.
The new system was developed by Microsoft, Avanade, and AT&T based on feedback from flight attendants, Delta said. The phone will come with Delta-specific customer apps and run via Wi-Fi and AT&T's 4G LTE network. Delta said it plans to expand the service over the next three years to incorporate the latest Nokia devices.
