AI concierge? Air taxis? Delta Air Lines unveils partnerships and 'new era of travel'

LAS VEGAS — What began as a lone, startup crop duster operation in Macon, Georgia, has now grown into a global airline, serving nearly 200 million travelers each year.

One-hundred years after its inception, Delta Air Lines on Tuesday unveiled its vision for the next century in front of thousands of people at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

"For the past 100 years, Delta has been driven by a simple mandate: Always put people first in everything that we do. And it's as true today as it was in 1925 when the very first Delta pilots took to the skies," said Delta CEO Ed Bastian.

But aviation, of course, has come an incredibly long way since 1925, and Bastian said he knows Delta must stay on top of it to stay in front with customers.

"Technology is transforming the way we travel, with AI at the forefront of shaping our future. But at Delta, it's not technology for technology's sake. It's always about putting people first. We call it 'innovating with heart,' using technology to create premium experiences with humanity at the core," Bastian said.

Compared to a century ago, Delta's ability to innovate is vast, and if you're a frequent traveler, he said you won't want to miss what's in store for Delta in 2025 and beyond.

Personalized travel

Bastian said it's critical that Delta has a "deep understanding" of how each of its individual customers prefers to travel, and to get a better idea of this, Delta is partnering with Provo-based Qualtrics.

Last year, Qualtrics looked at nearly 7 million records of feedback from Delta customers to identify what people care about the most when it comes to travel.

"Everything we're working on together is about these personalized moments and, you know, how do you deliver them in an individualized, highly contextual experience at scale?" said Ryan Smith, co-founder, longtime CEO and current executive chairman of Qualtrics. "What if you could let Delta know, yourself, how you're feeling (and) how you actually want to be cared for? This is the opportunity that we're unlocking together through AI, and it's the years ahead that we're looking forward to."

So how will Delta go about personalizing travel experiences and giving more control to travelers over their journeys?

Enter the AI-powered Delta Concierge via the Fly Delta App.

I'm here at @SphereVegas to hear from @Delta CEO Ed Bastian as he unveils plans for the airline as it celebrates its Centennial in 2025.

Story to follow on these announcements and if you're a frequent traveler, you won't want to miss it #CES2025pic.twitter.com/x386ssdIqC

— Logan Stefanich (@loganstefanich) January 8, 2025

"Delta Concierge will serve as a thread across your experience. A (generative AI) powered, personal assistant that meets your needs, provides real-time guidance and delivers tailored recommendations ... with the deep knowledge and insights that we've already built," Bastian said.

An example of this in action is one most people are likely familiar with. Picture yourself preparing for a trip. You've crossed all your T's and dotted all your I's, and all that's left to do is call your ride or drive to the airport.

The only problem? Traffic is crazy. Like, miss your flight crazy.

Through the app, you can communicate with Delta Concierge and, if needed, harness another new partnership, Delta announced Tuesday — this one with Joby Aviation, an electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft that intends to operate as an air taxi service. That's one way to beat the traffic.

"Joby is going to transform how we move through the travel experience. And it's not a distant future that we're talking about," Bastian said. "We expect Joby to be flying in the next couple of years, beginning with our service to Los Angeles and New York City."

And this is just one of the unique and groundbreaking features offered through Delta Concierge.

In-flight entertainment

Delta on Tuesday announced a new version of Delta Sync, combining in-flight Wi-Fi with a curated, cloud-based seatback experience that creates curated moments for travelers.

Of course, this came with the announcement of Delta's partnership with YouTube.

Through the partnership, YouTube will join the Delta Sync experience to bring SkyMiles members — Delta's frequent flyer program — fresh, dynamic, ad-free content from YouTube Premium and YouTube Music that reflects their lifestyles and how they stay entertained at home, on both personal devices and Delta's seatback entertainment.

"We're so excited to partner with Delta to bring YouTube's fantastic creators and content in a highly curated way, unique and only for Delta's in-flight entertainment ecosystem," said Mary Ellen Coe, chief business officer of YouTube. "Through our partnership, Delta customers will be able to enjoy our favorite creators, podcasts, music and all of this, ad-free."

2025 will also see Delta launch a new series exclusive to the airline's onboard entertainment network called "Well Traveled" that's designed to help customers integrate wellness into their flights.

The show's host? Seven-time Super Bowl winning quarterback Tom Brady.

Speaking of in-flight entertainment, a travel wellness series called Well Traveled hosted by Tom Brady is coming to Delta #CES2025pic.twitter.com/OFiheGR3Kp

— LaughingPlace.com (@laughing_place) January 8, 2025

Brady will be talking about the tips and tricks that allowed him to win those Super Bowls and three Most Valuable Player awards during his career.

Other partnerships

Continuing with the sports theme, Bastian also announced that Delta is partnering with online sports betting giant Draft Kings.

Bastian said this partnership will "build on the games portfolio that we already offer today via Delta Sync and our seatback screens."

Additionally, Delta is also partnering with Uber in an effort to create a seamless transition between air and ground travel.

With 50% of Uber bookings beginning or ending at an airport, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said the company plans to start with something near and dear to the hearts of Delta customers: SkyMiles.

A wild indoor fireworks show at the @Delta keynote. #CES2025pic.twitter.com/1rd1gMmKrV

— Lance Ulanoff (@LanceUlanoff) January 8, 2025

"SkyMiles members will be able to earn miles when they use Uber and Uber Eats. So for every Uber X ride that you take to the airport, as well as premium and reserve rides, you will get miles, and it doesn't stop there. You also earn miles for eligible restaurant and grocery deliveries that you order with Uber Eats," Khosrowshahi said, adding that the collaboration will launch this spring.

Despite the success Delta has enjoyed over the past 100 years, Bastian thinks there are still envelopes to push when it comes to providing a first-class travel experience, and he's confident that the airline can get there.

"This is the beginning of a new era of travel. So, as we take off into our next century, fasten your seat belts. Our best is yet to come," he said.

For more information on Delta's plans for the next century, click here.

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