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Tag: messaging

Delta Air Lines to launch new service between Haneda to Honolulu, Hawaii

Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) will launch a nonstop daily service between Tokyo International Airport and Honolulu International Airport on Oct. 28, 2023. The Haneda-Honolulu nonstop service will begin Oct. 29, 2023. This is the first time Delta has offered a service between Haneda and Honolulu after all Tokyo operations were moved from Narita Airport to Haneda in March 2020, the start of which was delayed due to the pandemic.  

Delta’s Haneda-Honolulu flight will operate on a Boeing 767-300ER, offering Delta One, Delta Premium Select, Delta Comfort+ and Main Cabin options.  

Delta One customers can stretch out in a full flat-bed seat and enjoy premium amenities like artisan-made Someone Somewhere amenity kits, plush bedding made from recycled materials, additional beverage options before take-off, chef-curated meals and decadent desserts like a build-your-own ice cream sundae.  

Meanwhile, customers flying in Delta Premium Select will have more space to relax in a wider seat with a deeper recline and an adjustable footrest and leg rest, along with an elevated dining experience, premium hand-crafted amenities and dedicated service touchpoints to further elevate their journey. 

Customers in every cabin enjoy seat-back screens featuring hours of complimentary premium entertainment via Delta Studio, in-seat power, high-speed Wi-Fi available for purchase (to be for free by the end of 2024) and free mobile messaging. Delta partners with renowned Chef Norio Ueno to create the Japanese menu served in all cabins. 

Eligible customers have access to the Delta Sky Club at both Haneda and Honolulu airports.  

Delta schedule* for Haneda (HND) – Honolulu (HNL) flights:  

Flight Departs Arrives Operating Day Aircraft 
DL180 Haneda at 9:00 p.m. Honolulu at 8:55 a.m. (same day) Daily B767-300ER 
DL181 Honolulu at 2:00 p.m. Haneda at 6:45 p.m.  (next day) Daily B767-300ER 

*The schedule is subject to change.

Apple TV+ Takes Flight with Air Canada

Montreal, Quebec, Canada, August 1, 2023, CNW – Air Canada (Toronto: AC) today announced the expansion of its award-winning in-flight entertainment with the addition of exclusive Apple TV+ original programming beginning Aug. 1, 2023. The partnership marks Air Canada’s latest investment in the customer experience, adding critically acclaimed original programs including Ted Lasso, Bad Sisters, Severance, Foundation and many more for its global customers.

Earlier this year, Air Canada was recognized by Global Traveler as Best Airline for Onboard Entertainment for the fifth consecutive year, and by the Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX) with the Passenger Choice Award for Best Entertainment in North America. With 420+ movies, 1,000+ TV episodes, 130+ music albums, podcasts and more, customers can enjoy the best programming from boarding to landing. All content onboard Air Canada’s inflight entertainment equipped aircraft is complimentary for all customers.

Air Canada’s partnership with Apple follows the airline’s recent collaboration with Mattel which brings more family fun with some of the most popular kids’ shorts.

In May, Air Canada and Bell began offering free messaging for all Aeroplan members worldwide on all Wi-Fi equipped aircraft across Air Canada’s fleet, including Air Canada Rouge and Air Canada Express flights. Customers can send and receive text-based messages via onboard Wi-Fi using popular messaging apps including Apple’s iMessage, Meta’s WhatsApp and Messenger, Rakuten’s Viber, and Messages by Google. 

Last November, Air Canada became the only Canadian carrier to offer live Canadian TV featuring English and French channels, giving customers the ability to cheer on their favourite sports teams by watching global sporting events in real time, as well as live news onboard equipped flights.

Spirit Airlines Looking at Airbus and Boeing Planes for Growth, Debuts WhatsApp

LAS VEGAS (Reuters) – Spirit Airlines <SAVE>, a fast-growing, low-cost U.S. carrier that flies an all-Airbus SE <EADSY> fleet, is looking at both the Airbus A321neo and a larger Boeing Co <BA> aircraft to fuel its growth, Chief Executive and President Ted Christie said on Monday.

“The A321neo is certainly something we’re looking at, but we’re also in conversations with Boeing about their larger airplane too, so it’s all on the table,” Christie said at an aviation conference.

(Reporting by Tracy Rucinski; Editing by Steve Orlofsky)

MIRAMAR, Fla., Aug. 26, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Spirit Airlines, the fastest growing airline in the United States, continues its commitment to invest in the Guest experience with an industry-leading technology to connect with its Guests via the messaging application WhatsApp. Beginning in September, the technology, powered by global conversational commerce solutions provider LivePerson, will open a new direct line of communication between Spirit’s English and Spanish-speaking Guest Relations and Reservations teams and the millions of Spirit Guests in the United States, the Caribbean, and Latin America, who already use WhatsApp every day.

“We launched this service to better connect with our Guests, both domestically and abroad, as many have told us that they would rather communicate on a familiar and convenient service like WhatsApp,” said Bobby Schroeter, Vice President of Sales & Marketing at Spirit Airlines. “We know WhatsApp is incredibly popular in the United States, but also in the more than two dozen destinations we serve in the Caribbean and Latin America. From travel updates to adding a bag to your reservation, this new messaging service allows Guests to communicate with us in English and Spanish and to opt in to WhatsApp messaging. It is all part of our goal to elevate and improve our Guest experience.”

The launch of WhatsApp support comes as a direct result of Spirit’s new partnership with LivePerson, a global leader in conversational commerce solutions. Beyond WhatsApp, the partnership also makes it possible for Spirit Guests who call to get immediate support by opting to begin a messaging conversation with Spirit representatives instead. 

These new Guest solutions will also leverage LivePerson’s new AI-powered Maven Assist capability, which recommends the optimal next actions for human agents to take, including surfacing content or suggesting virtual assistants capable of responding to a Guest’s intent. Guests will still retain the ability to message with a live representative at any time during the process to address questions, comments and situations that are best suited for a live specialist.

“We’re excited to enable this new connection for America’s fastest growing airline, providing a powerful, engaging way for Guests to connect with Spirit on their own time,” said Rick Winnard, Global Head of Gainshare Programs at LivePerson. “Guests want to be able to ask questions, add products, and get immediate help without waiting, and with Spirit we’re making it possible for them to do so in the messaging channels they prefer.”

In addition to new WhatsApp and messaging support, Spirit will continue to serve its Guests via its social media channels, on Twitter and Facebook.  Over the past two years, Spirit has heavily invested in the Guest experience touching all aspects of the journey, including on-time performance, Guest care technology, and in-flight products.