ATLANTA, April 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Delta Air Lines
(NYSE: DAL) is deploying Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)
baggage tracking technology, a first for U.S. carriers,
providing customers with improved real-time tracking of
luggage throughout the travel experience.
This move marks a historic shift for Delta and the 120 million
bags it handles annually. RFID will replace barcode hand
scanning – the industry standard since the early 90s. With this new
technology, scanners use radio waves to capture highly accurate and
consistent data stored on an RFID chip embedded in the luggage tag,
driving superior tracking and increased transparency.
With RFID, customers will see their bags on and off the aircraft
during their journey via push notifications to the Fly Delta mobile
app beginning in the fourth quarter of 2016.
"With a $50 million investment in
RFID at 344 stations around the globe, we aim to reliably deliver
every bag on every flight," said Bill
Lentsch, Delta's Senior Vice President – Airport Customer
Service and Cargo Operations. "This innovative application of
technology gives us greater data and more precise information
throughout the bag's journey."
Initial deployments of RFID integrated throughout the baggage
process show that bags are tracked at a 99.9 percent success rate,
ensuring proper routing and loading.
For customers, RFID means much more than just consistent baggage
handling.
"In the same way that customers want information at their
fingertips about flight changes, we know our customers want clear
visibility to their checked bags," said Tim
Mapes, Delta's Chief Marketing Officer. "Delta's
industry-first baggage tracking app was a good first step. RFID
will allow us to set a new standard for more transparent,
interactive tracking on the Fly Delta mobile app."
Delta teams have deployed 4,600 scanners, installed 3,800 RFID
bag tag printers and integrated 600 pier and claim readers to
enable hands-free scanning of baggage throughout the handling
process. RFID will soon track bags on all Delta mainline and Delta
Connection flights.
Spread throughout 84 of Delta's largest stations, 1,500 belt
loaders will give baggage the green light – literally – as it
enters and exits the belly of a plane. The belt loader sensor will
flash green when the bag is being loaded on the correct aircraft or
red when the bag requires additional handling.
Today when a customer misses his or her connection, agents on
the ground manually scan each bag to find the customer's luggage
and ensure it is retagged for the new flight. With RFID scanners,
agents have the ability to take inventory quickly or pinpoint a
single bag.
"We've put every part of our process for baggage handling under
the microscope and evolved it to the point of industry-leading
performance," Lentsch said. "RFID will give Delta people a great
tool to further widen the gap between us and our competitors"
Better baggage handling processes and enhanced technology have
already shrunk the airline's mishandled bag rates by 68 percent
over the past 10 years, establishing Delta as the leading
U.S.-based global airline for baggage performance. In 2015 Delta
led U.S. global airlines in DOT bag performance while setting six
monthly DOT records and a full year record.
About Delta:
Delta Air Lines serves nearly 180 million customers each year.
In 2016, Delta was named to Fortune's top 50 Most Admired Companies
in addition to being named the most admired airline for the fifth
time in six years. Additionally, Delta has ranked No.1 in the
Business Travel News Annual Airline survey for an unprecedented
five consecutive years. With an industry-leading global network,
Delta and the Delta Connection carriers offer service to 324
destinations in 58 countries on six continents. Headquartered in
Atlanta, Delta employs nearly
80,000 employees worldwide and operates a mainline fleet of more
than 800 aircraft. The airline is a founding member of the SkyTeam
global alliance and participates in the industry's leading
trans-Atlantic joint venture with Air France-KLM and Alitalia as
well as a joint venture with Virgin Atlantic. Including its
worldwide alliance partners, Delta offers customers more than
15,000 daily flights, with key hubs and markets including
Amsterdam, Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, Los Angeles, Minneapolis/St.
Paul, New York-JFK and LaGuardia, London-Heathrow, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Salt Lake
City, Seattle and Tokyo-Narita. Delta has invested billions of
dollars in airport facilities, global products and services, and
technology to enhance the customer experience in the air and on the
ground. Additional information is available on the Delta News Hub,
as well as delta.com, Twitter @DeltaNewsHub, Google.com/+Delta,
Facebook.com/delta and Delta's blog takingoff.delta.com.
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SOURCE Delta Air Lines