Delta didn’t waste its coveted spot at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show with a simple speech on a static stage.
The airline had dizzying ambitions to mark its centenary and used a fully sensory experience at the Las Vegas Sphere to demonstrate how it is shaping the future of travel.
“I met with the Consumer Technology Association early last year and said, ‘Let’s talk about Delta’s potential as part of the CES lineup, with just one caveat: I actually want the speech opening at Sphere'”, Alicia Tillman, marketing director of Delta. told ADWEEK.
The Sphere team was not associated with CES and after ten months of collaboration, Delta became the first corporate conference to take place in the new venue, filling its exterior Tuesday evening with air travel-related imagery and hosting a virtual reality experience in its lobby that allows people to simulate what it’s like to fly a Delta plane.
But it was the hour-long speech that truly harnessed the full immersive capabilities of the Sphere.
CEO Ed Bastian took to the huge stage in front of an audience of thousands, surrounded by planes diving 360 degrees, flying over cityscapes and landing on the tarmac. The wind gusted across the audience and their seats rumbled beneath them, simulating the sensation of flight.
The experience was produced by the team behind the GRAMMYs, and Delta’s in-house creative team worked with its agency, Wieden + Kennedy, to bring these visuals to life, and then with the Sphere team for “Sphere -itize » these images. inside the room, Tillman said.
“We walked into this space with our eyes wide open, knowing that this wasn’t a ballroom stage and these weren’t PowerPoint presentations,” she said. “There is no place on earth like the Sphere.”
During the hour-long keynote, Bastian was joined on stage by celebrities like Viola Davis – who voiced Delta’s 2023 brand campaign, “Kaleidoscope” – and NFL quarterback legend, Tom Brady. Bastian also hosted high-profile executives like Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, YouTube Chief Business Officer Mary Ellen Coe, and longtime Delta employees and flight attendants. The event concluded with a performance by Lenny Kravitz.
But the main theme wasn’t just show; Delta announced some key innovations and partnerships on stage that provided a glimpse into the future of air travel.
AI and air taxis will make travel easier
Delta Concierge, a generative AI assistant integrated into the Delta Fly app, is designed to make travel easier for loyalty program customers.
Delta SkyMiles customers can talk or text a chatbot, designed to anticipate travelers’ needs, such as airport pickup or things to order or watch in flight.
Delta has also expanded its partner network to make its loyalty program more effective. For example, this spring, loyal customers can earn SkyMiles points on Uber rides or food delivery orders.
Tillman said Delta has spoken with customers of other companies they spend with about establishing these types of partnerships.
Delta Concierge also plans to allow its loyal customers to take air taxis to airports, capitalizing on its 2022 partnership with air taxi company Joby. Once local authorities in New York and Los Angeles sign on, Delta hopes to be able to activate these benefits for JFK and LAX airports.
Delta has also expanded its partnership with Airbus to pilot new aviation technologies that reduce travel times and reduce carbon emissions.
Enhanced in-flight entertainment with YouTube and sports betting
Delta also announced a new cloud-based in-flight entertainment system for 2026. Through a partnership with YouTube, SkyMiles members can watch ad-free videos and access an exclusive series featuring Tom Brady sharing fitness tips. -be for travelers.
The new system will also feature 4K HDR QLED smart displays, Bluetooth connectivity, a content recommendation engine, in-flight announcement translations and a ‘Do Not Disturb’ feature.
Later this year, Delta fliers can expect a tie-up with DraftKings that will allow them to place in-flight sports bets.
Tillmans said these partnerships are so important because “we live in a world of collaboration” and a stronger loyalty offering creates more loyal Delta travelers and a richer data set his team can use for marketing .
“The more we can focus on the things that matter to our customers, the more loyal they will be to the Delta brand,” she said.
