Delta Air Lines will become the first airline to offer free WhatsApp messaging, enabling its customers to stay fully connected with friends whether on the ground or in the air. Access to Facebook Messenger and iMessage will also be available when the service launches on October 1st. Tim Mapes, Delta chief marketing officer, said: “Even the most seasoned travellers can find themselves mid-air and caught out by a last-minute cancellation or arrangement. “Rather than having to count down the hours until landing, Delta customers can continue socialising or working with the tap of a smartphone and enjoy peace of mind at every stage of the flight.”
Free messaging will be available on all Gogo-enabled Delta flights, which includes all aircraft with two or more cabins, and will be accessible through Delta’s Wi-Fi portal page, which can be accessed in-flight by clicking here. The latest enhancement is part of Delta’s multi-billion dollar investment in the customer experience; in addition to mobile messaging, Delta continues to expand high-speed Wi-Fi, seat-back entertainment screens and free entertainment to give travellers more choice and flexibility in how to spend their time from take-off to touchdown.