Delta Starts Online Checkin In NYC

Delta Air Lines last week launched a dedicated Web site for New York SkyMiles members to check in online, and confirmed it would extend the program's rollout to other airports.

To further automate the process, Delta is adding alternative services at New York LaGuardia International Airport, where the airline competes against US Airways' shuttle and now American Airlines, which last month launched new shuttle service to Boston and Washington. Delta during the next few weeks will double its self-service kiosks from 12 to 24, and roll out new phone banks connecting passengers to Delta representatives who can assist them with itinerary changes.

Through the New York-centric Web site, www.delta.com/nyc, travelers can print boarding cards from a computer, check security wait times for all three New York-area airports and select seats.

The effort essentially regionalizes the online checkin service Delta already has in place, while jockeying for frequent traveler loyalty in the valuable New York shuttle market and protecting recent promises Delta has made about the maximum time travelers will spend in the airport before reaching the gate.

Only Alaska, Delta and Northwest airlines offer online checkin, but other airlines claim it's not a necessary channel. "We've not found that to be an issue," said US Airways spokesperson David Castelveter. "We have banks of kiosks that are widely used and are very popular. We're going to continue to enhance our shuttle service against competitors, whether it's Delta, American or the train."

In August, Delta saw an increase in online checkin and boarding pass printing of 62 percent. In the same month, Northwest saw a 100 percent increase. Delta makes the checkin option available to customers traveling on U.S.-operated flights, while Northwest customers traveling within the United States and Canada or from the United States or Canada to Mexico or the Caribbean are eligible to use this channel. Both airlines are incentivizing this online checkin with rewards of 1,000 loyalty miles.

"Since no airline has a dominant position in New York, Delta has a great opportunity to position its unique service to capture additional marketshare," said Peggy Estes, a spokesperson for Delta.

Meanwhile, Delta saw its "20 Minutes or 20,000 Miles" guarantee matched by US Airways. The airlines also matched each other's recent guarantees on shuttle routes. Delta and US Airways both promise customers 1,500 frequent flyer miles through the end of the year if the aircraft leaves the gate more than five minutes past the scheduled departure time. The carrier also said it would give customers 10,000 miles if a flight were canceled for any reason. Both airlines offer customers guaranteed seats onboard shuttle flights.

While the New York market will receive the brunt of Delta's attention for the rest of the year, the airline confirmed it would introduce these initiatives at other airports starting next year.

"This is more than a checkin issue, it's an ownership of the customer issue," said Norman Rose, president of Belmont, Calif.-based Travel Tech Consulting. "If you can pull people in through the Web site, then that will encourage them to book online next time."

Northwest recently placed online checkin usage under the microscope and tweaked restrictions to address some common challenges for users. The airline expanded the window before departure to 30 hours, after it found some people were trying to check in earlier, according to Northwest spokesperson Kurt Ebenhoch. Delta permits online checkin between six hours and 30 minutes before a departure. Northwest's site also now checks the time of the return trip and automatically asks the passenger returning within 30 hours if they want to check in for their return trip as well.