Delta app upgrade includes test of security wait times; meal selection to come
Delta Air Lines introduced a new version of its mobile app with a refreshed look that was rolled out earlier this week.
The company also announced new features like TSA wait-time indicators and auto check-in on international flights that will come online later this year.
In a press release, the airline said the app's new color schemes would mirror the palette it uses for different classes of service on its website and on airport signage. Within the app, boarding passes and other pages would use the new colors, to help passengers more easily interpret the boarding process.
Delta said even more features would be introduced in the app later this year.
One of the items that Delta is testing for its app is a display of "integrated security wait times in select markets."
For now, passengers flying out of New York (LGA) and Seattle (SEA) will be able to compare wait times at TSA check points on their phone, and get directions to the one with the shortest wait. The airline chose those airports for this new feature because they were the first locations with the necessary technology in place. Delta spokeswoman Savanah Huddleston said the airline is hoping to expand the program quickly.
Delta said the feature would make "it easy to compare various checkpoint times and then navigate to Sky Priority, TSA Pre-Check, CLEAR and standard TSA lines," adding that those airports are being included as part of its "initial testing" on the feature.
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Some passengers on international flights will also be eligible for automatic check-in 24 hours before their departure starting later this year. The app will prompt them with a push notification to enter or confirm their passport details before they can access their boarding pass.
Other features the airline plans to introduce later this year are an in-app pre-ordering meal option, an integrated customer service messenger for iOS and Android users, bag tracking and a carbon offsetting calculator.
Once the meal-selection function is added, Delta said that Delta One and domestic first-class customers will be able to select their meal choice "weeks in advance," something currently available to SkyMiles members only by email.
