Delta to boost seatback screen game, expand Bluetooth — and launch SkyMiles partnership with Uber
Delta Air Lines is jumping on the Bluetooth bandwagon. Starting in 2026, the Atlanta-based carrier will begin rolling out Bluetooth connectivity to more planes and cabins, allowing passengers on its newest aircraft to pair their Apple AirPods or other wireless listening devices to its inflight entertainment system.
Delta announced its new Bluetooth plans Tuesday in a keynote presentation at the Las Vegas Sphere, held as part of CES, one of the world's largest consumer electronics shows – and among the largest conventions each year in Las Vegas.
As part of the presentation, Delta executives revealed these stepped-up Bluetooth capabilities will be part of a larger inflight entertainment system boost on its new planes — which will include new, higher-quality seatback screens and a just-announced, ad-free streaming partnership with YouTube.
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Plus, the airline announced a new partnership with ride-hailing service Uber which will launch later this spring, allowing customers to earn SkyMiles on rides.
Delta expands seatback Bluetooth connectivity
Today, Delta passengers can only pair their wireless Bluetooth devices to a small fraction of the carrier's inflight seatback screens. Specifically, only in the first-class cabin of its Airbus A321neo jets.
That limited Bluetooth rollout, as TPG reported in 2022, was part of a trial as Delta considered expanding the technology to more aircraft — and more cabins. Since then, airlines — Delta among them — have doubled down on seatback screens. And Bluetooth-enabled headphones, of course, have only grown in popularity.
Which Delta planes will get Bluetooth?
Now, one caveat: So far, Delta has not announced any plans to deploy Bluetooth across its entire fleet. The carrier on Tuesday said the technology will start appearing on select new aircraft deliveries next year.
Specifically, Delta plans to install the new technology on future Airbus A350-1000 jets, along with A321neos beginning in mid-2026, an executive said Tuesday. It's also planned for eventual deliveries of the still-yet-to-be-certified Boeing 737 MAX 10.
That said, Bluetooth will be available in every cabin of those jets, so you'll be able to pair your AirPods whether you're flying on a Delta One ticket or a basic economy fare.
In some ways, the carrier is following in the footsteps of United Airlines, which has already announced plans to equip more than 800 of its jets with Bluetooth capabilities by 2032.
Larger tech improvements announced in Vegas
For Delta's part, its Bluetooth announcement came as part of a larger inflight entertainment overhaul the carrier unveiled Tuesday at the Sphere in a major spectacle that saw the company's branding adorning the world-famous Las Vegas venue.
Past years have seen Delta use CES to announce other major technological innovations. Back in 2020, CEO Ed Bastian used his keynote speech to first signal the airline's plans to make inflight Wi-Fi free — complimentary service is now available on more than 700 Delta jets for passengers with a SkyMiles membership.
The expanded Bluetooth connectivity that Delta flyers will start seeing in 2026 is made possible by all-new seatback entertainment systems the carrier will debut on certain new aircraft scheduled to join the fleet.
The 4K HDR QLED screens will offer what Delta's calling a "theater-like viewing experience."
And it's not just hardware changes.
The carrier on Tuesday announced a new partnership with streaming giant YouTube, which will allow passengers ad-free YouTube Premium and YouTube Music access while in flight — accessible via the seatback screens or personal devices through the free Wi-Fi.
Delta's new screens will also come with a "Do Not Disturb" function, which will allow passengers to alert flight attendants when they'd rather not be woken for inflight service. The system will also offer translation services, allowing passengers to hear inflight announcements in their preferred language.
"Whether through fast, free Wi-Fi, our industry-leading seatback screens or any of the other personalized channels in Delta's digital ecosystem, we're committed to creating a seamless and enriching experience for our SkyMiles Members," Delta CEO Ed Bastian said in a statement ahead of the event Tuesday.
This "next-generation Delta Sync seatback experience" comes as part of a partnership Delta announced with aerospace firm Thales Avionics.
New Uber partnership
Delta also had good news Tuesday for SkyMiles members who regularly ride Uber.
Later this spring, the airline and ride-hailing service will launch a new partnership allowing SkyMiles members to link their account with Uber and earn Delta miles for eligible rides and deliveries.
Once live, SkyMiles earnings on Uber will include:
- 1 mile per dollar spent on UberX rides to and from airports
- 2 miles per dollar spent on premium rides
- 3 miles per dollar spent on Uber Reserve rides
- 1 mile per dollar spent on eligible restaurant and grocery orders
The companies plan to release additional details about the partnership in the coming weeks.
Mobile app gets AI 'concierge'
Meanwhile, it wouldn't be a major product announcement in 2025 without an innovation related to artificial intelligence.
Delta says it will infuse its Fly Delta mobile app this year with Delta Concierge, an AI tool that will offer passengers additional instructions and suggestions while traveling — or, as the company puts it, "contextualized guidance and tailored recommendations" throughout the travel journey.
That could mean the AI "concierge" chimes in with information about passport or visa requirements, or offers packing tips based on weather forecasts at a destination.
The move comes as airlines across the U.S. have, across the board, invested significant resources in improving their mobile apps, allowing customers more ways to track bags, rebook themselves, file lost luggage claims and get notified about key announcements through features like "live activities."
For Delta specifically, these hardware and software improvements will accompany an updated interior look for its cabins expected to debut on some new jets later this year — with retrofits to existing aircraft planned for the coming years, as well.
The company used its CES appearance as a way to simultaneously celebrate its 100-year anniversary — helped by an exhibit inside the Sphere — and tout its vision for the future.
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