Delta using mobile technology to improve experience at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport

Delta Air Lines Logo

Delta Air Lines (DL) began their deployment of more than 250 iPads in three new restaurants on Concourse G at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.  This is a project that Delta is helping fund to transform the traditional airport into a high-tech, high-quality experience for travelers.

Delta's senior vice president, Bill Lentsch, said that the "enhancements on the ground coupled with our in-flight investments such as installing full flatbed seats in BusinessElite and Wi-Fi on more than 800 aircraft, make for a unique traveling experience on Delta that no other carrier can match."

The change features iPads located at each seat inside the restaurants.  These will allow customers to order customized meals through a user-friendly platform.  This should make the restaurants more efficient - not needing physical employees to walk around taking orders.  These meals are then delivered fresh within fifteen minutes of the order time.

MSP airport logo

Delta has spent a lot of time studying and preparing the new restaurants that they are launching - even using popular chefs such as Andrew Zimmern, Russell Klein, and Koshiko Yonemura.  These chefs have helped not only design the menu, but help to ensure that the entire experience is optimal for travelers.

Not only do the iPads give users the ability to order their food, it offers a range of entertainment options - such as social media, web browsing, news content, and pre-loaded games.  The information viewed is securely removed after pressing the home button or leaving the device idle for two minutes.

Delta plans to have a total of 12 new local chef-driven restaurants and 2,500 iPads deployed for customers in the gate areas by the end o 2013.  This follows a previous enhancement at LaGuardia Airport Terminals C and D in New York - where local chefs and iPad implementation have begun to transform the customer experience there.

I personally think that Delta is making a smart move to not only improve efficiency, but improve a traveler's experience.  This not only saves time, but probably will result in cost savings (and increased revenue) over time.

What do you think about the use of mobile technology to improve airport efficiency and traveler experiences?  Let me know!

Source: finance.yahoo.com