Delta Airlines, a founding member of the SkyTeam on Tuesday gave journalists a feel of the Delta experience on-board their Boeing 767-400ER, to enable them appreciate the airline’s investment in ensuring passenger comfort.

Although the aircraft did not take-off, journalists were taken through the whole process of travelling on Delta Airlines from Check-in to boarding.

Delta in 2010 announced it was investing more than two billion dollars through 2013 in airport facilities and global products, services and technology to “enhance customer experience in the air and on the ground”.

Currently, Delta and its SkyTeam partner Air France KLM, have added two boarding gates to the three at the KIA, to serve its customers.

Customers also have a comfortable area to wait for their flights with real-time screen displaying information such as the status of the flight, weather at their destination among other services.

Delta has three main products: BusinessElite, Economy Comfort and Economy. BusinessElite passengers enjoy among other things automatic notification of delays, irregular operations and alternative flights via phone, text or email, personalised five-course dining experience including snacks between meals and options such as baby, child, diabetic, Kosher, vegetarian, seafood(cold), Asian, Muslim and low sodium.

Passengers in BusinessElite are treated to a wine programme including 24 wines, Champaign and dessert wine. All seats are equipped with in-flight entertainment technology featuring newly released movies, sitcoms, news and sports as well as a wide variety of CD’s and classic arcade games that they can play alone or against other passengers.

The most prominent feature of this product on the Boeing 767-400ER is the seat, which is in a 1x2x1 configuration with a full-flat massage bed seat with upgraded pillow, blanket, duvet cover, amenity kit and direct aisle access with all seats facing forwards. Passengers also have personal reading lights, PC power and USB port for charging small electronics.

Economy Comfort passengers pay an additional $80-160 one-way and enjoy four inches additional legroom and 50 per cent more recline in their seats, complimentary spirits, wine and beer throughout flight, meal service with options and non-alcoholic beverages, while Economy passengers have all leather seats with 81-84cm pitch and a 43-46cm width, complimentary meal service, non-alcoholic beverages, wine and beer throughout flight and movie and TV programmes.

Mr Pakwo Shum, Managing Director, who addressed the journalists, said the event, which was suggested by the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) was for the media to see for themselves what the airline was doing so that they could educate the public.

He noted that other projects undertaken under the two-billion-dollar investment included a newly launched protocol service which allows premium customers to go through security, check-in and boarding process with ease; the energy and mining desk to take care of the emerging oil and gas industry and the Delta internship programme.

Other changes are menu changes that reflect the Ghanaian taste and new training for front-line staff to meet the demands of their market, adding that, Delta would continue to improve its services.

Air Commodore Kwame Mamphey, Director-General of the GCAA, said the event was necessary because there had been some complaints off biased treatment of Ghanaian passengers by some airlines, thus the GCAA wanted the public to know the pressure put on airlines to improve customer service and commended Delta Airlines for their efforts to achieve the feat.**