Fly Delta app adds new features with more to come

Delta Air Lines is boosting its already feature-rich app to expand auto check-in to international flights and as well as give passengers a handle on security wait times in some markets. The US carrier this week released the latest version of its Fly Delta app with color-coding specific to the fare purchased. READ: Alaska scales back partnership with American. Each fare —basic economy, main cabin, Delta Comfort +, Delta Premium Select/First Class and Delta One — is assigned a color to act as a visual cue that mirrors those screens and signs at the gate during boarding.

The aim is to make the boarding process easier and help passengers recognize when it’s time to get on the plane. New features on the way later this year include auto check-in for international flights, integrated security wait times in select markets and pre-select meals for Delta One and domestic First Class customers. Eligible customers traveling internationally will be checked in automatically 24 hours prior to scheduled departure. They will then receive an e-mail alert or push notification and be able to open the app, add or confirm their passport information and their boarding pass will be ready to go. The airline is also testing integrated security wait times to help customers find the shortest security line. This is already being tested out of Seattle and New York-LaGuardia and allows passengers to compare various checkpoint times.

Also coming is the ability for Delta One and domestic First Class customers to pre-select their meals on the app. Passengers can already do this by e-mail but expanding it to the app will allow them to select meals 21 days in advance and also for others traveling under the same reservation. Customers who don’t do this will get a reminder email as the departure date moves closer that will take them to the “Trip Overview” screen to browse the menu. The airline says that more than two million passengers have pre-selected meals since the program began in 2018. Other features included in the latest release include an Integrated “message us” tool that connects to alive Delta representative, a carbon offset calculator and bag tracking. There’s also handy information about Delta Sky Club locations and the airline’s fleet. The US carrier also announced this week it had moved from Terminal 1 to the new Satellite Terminal (S1) at Shanghai Pudong International Airport. This co-locates it with partner China Eastern to create a better connection for customers. Passengers check-in at Terminal 1 and take a round-the-clock mass transit system to S1 where Delta One, Skymiles Diamond, Platinum and Gold Medallion members can use China Eastern's new VIP lounges. The airline's flights now have gate access, putting an end to remote parking.