Delta Air Lines has announced plans to introduce a new pre-boarding of hand luggage service for travellers to help speed up the boarding process from select Delta hubs.
Trials last (northern) Summer of the Early Valet service which lead to a slight reduction of boarding times when conducted on select flights out of Delta’s main hubs of Atlanta on the East Coast and Los Angeles on the West Coast.
Allows passengers to hand their carry-on baggage to the airline’s gate staff who will then load the passengers luggage above their assigned seat for them.
The Early Valet service essentially allows passengers to hand their carry-on baggage to the airline’s gate staff who will then load the passengers luggage above their assigned seat for them. The plan hinges on the expectation that Delta’s trained staff will be able to load hand luggage more efficiency than the normal leisure passengers which this service is primarily designed for.
Anyone who has taken a domestic fight within America over the past 15 years can attest to the increasing amount of luggage which is now being taken on-board by passengers. This has been fuelled by the increases in fees which airlines are charging for checked luggage, the increasingly shortened connection times for onward booked flights (and the likelihood of checked bags not making the connecting flights) and a general distrust of airlines when it comes to delivering bags as expected to destinations.
Delta’s Early Valet option has been launched this week in Atlanta, New York, Los Angeles, Detroit, Minneapolis, Salt Lake City and Seattle.
What does this mean for Australians travelling to New York
No matter which airline our route taken to get from Australia to New York, it will invariably involve at least 1 domestic flight within the United States, and more if planning a longer holiday. One of the biggest differences that most first time Australian visitors to the US will notice is the amount of carry-on luggage that they average American air traveller will try and take. It has been our experience that there are very few airline personnel who enforce cabin baggage restrictions, thus leading to what can be a very stressful time when boarding the aircraft.
It is for this reason why New York Concierge believes that the Early Valet option that Delta Air Lines is undertaking could be very beneficial for travellers, especially those travelling on holiday.
A large number of US airlines offer passengers to pay a small fee to board the aircraft in one of the first groups to board the aircraft, which is strictly enforced. The most tangible benefit of this small upgrade is to increase a passengers likelihood of securing overhead cabin space.
Delta currently flies daily from Sydney to Los Angeles and provides Australian travellers with one-stop option for getting from Sydney to New York’s JFK airport. Delta also has a codeshare agreement with Virgin Australia for passengers who originate from other Australian cities.