This week, Delta's 19,000 flight attendants will begin using a new on-board sales tool - a Windows 8 mobile device that IFS has dubbed "Prelude." The Nokia Lumia 820 will streamline on-board purchasing and help improve our customers' experience.
Flight attendants will offer real-time credit card processing for on-board purchases including upgrades to Economy Comfort on transcontinental and international flights (the ability to upgrade to Economy Comfort will eventually be expanded to all domestic flights). Among other benefits, Prelude will be able to read coupons on customers' mobile devices and process transactions faster.
For Flight Operations, our eLINK initiative is well underway with a team of pilots and IT experts working full-time on the roll-out of company-provided Windows 8 tablet devices by year's end for the 757/767 fleet. Details are still being finalized but Phase One of the Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) will include manuals, bulletins and Jepp charts. The goal is to start simple and build on services available on the tablet as we progress through the FAA validation process for all phases of flight on all Delta fleets.
Currently, approximately 5,000 pilots subscribe to the AirWatch Secure Content Locker via their personal iPads. AirWatch subscribers will be able to choose whether to continue using their personal iPads or receive a company-issued tablet during the initial rollout (a Jepp app will be provided for iPad users). We'll have a detailed timeline to share with you by mid September but, for now, know that Delta crew members are officially moving into the mobile world - both in the cabin and the cockpit. Stay tuned!