Porsche and Delta Expand Transfer Service to New York-LaGuardia, Seattle and Detroit

Gate-to-gate service for high-value customers based on successful programs in other key markets

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Nov 03, 2014, 11:31 ET

ATLANTA, Nov. 3, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) will expand its successful customer Porsche service to New York's LaGuardia Airport, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and Detroit Metropolitan Airport this month. Through its pioneering partnership between a U.S. airline and automotive manufacturer, Delta and Porsche have transferred more than 35,000 high-value customers in Atlanta, Los Angeles, Minneapolis-St. Paul and New York-JFK in the last year.

The program began as a trial at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in 2011 and expanded to Los Angeles, New York-JFK and Minneapolis-St. Paul in 2013. During a typical day more than 100 high-value customers are transferred from gate-to-gate at Delta's largest hub in Atlanta. Transferring select SkyMiles Diamond Medallion customers with Porsche vehicles is just another way that Delta delivers exceptional customer service for its most valuable flyers while providing a unique travel experience.

"Our Diamond Medallion customers expect us to have their backs when they fly with us, and we're always pushing the limits of how to transform potential moments of anxiety into opportunities for great experience that solidify their loyalty to Delta," said Cheryl Scheck, director – Customer Experience. "Our continuing partnership with Porsche gives us hundreds of opportunities to save the day by offering unexpected pick-ups in an even more unexpected vehicle, with a unique surprise and delight to connect them to their destination."

There are 19 Porsche vehicles used across the Delta system to whisk customers quickly between connecting gates. Follow a behind-the-scenes video experience with 19 year Delta employee, Dawn, as she transfers three of Delta's customers at its Minneapolis-St. Paul hub:

A Day in the Life of Delta's Elite Services

The service cannot be requested or reserved but is provided to Diamond Medallion customers based on a number of factors including the day's flight operations, connections times between flights for customers and a member's status. Once customers are added to the priority list for the service by Delta's Elite Services team, they are greeted at the aircraft boarding door and escorted with their baggage to an awaiting vehicle and on to their connecting gate.

Images of Delta's aircraft and Porsche cars used for the pick-up service are available at news.delta.com:

Since 2010, Delta has invested billions of dollars in the customer experience including airport facilities with more than $100 million to expand, renovate and consolidate terminals C and D at New York-LaGuardia Airport and $15 million at Sea-Tac including its Delta Sky Club and recently completed lobby renovations, Sky Priority services, expanded ticket counters and enhancements to the international arrivals area.

Earlier this year, Delta announced updates to its SkyMiles program by introducing a new mileage earning structure and more redemption options for premium customers which begins January 1, 2015. In August, the airline also introduced its new Delta Studio product offering free entertainment from every seat on more than 1,000 aircraft worldwide through a combination of seat-back entertainment systems and in-flight streaming directly to customers' own smartphones, tablets and laptops.

Delta Air Lines serves nearly 165 million customers each year. This year, Delta was named the 2014 Airline of the Year by Air Transport World magazine and was named to FORTUNE magazine's 50 Most Admired Companies, in addition to being named the most admired airline for the third time in four years. With an industry-leading global network, Delta and the Delta Connection carriers offer service to 318 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 700 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 newly formed 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, New York-LaGuardia, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Salt Lake City, Seattle and Tokyo-Narita. Delta has invested billions of dollars in airport facilities, global products, services and technology to enhance the customer experience in the air and on the ground. Additional information is available on delta.com, Twitter @Delta, Google.com/+Delta, Facebook.com/delta and Delta's blog takingoff.delta.com.