Originally published on asia.businesstraveller.com 08/10/2012   RSS

Heeding passengers’ requests to shorten check-in queues, Delta has increased the number of self check-in kiosks at the new Concourse F at Atlanta’s Maynard H Jackson Jr International Terminal (see previous news), as well as set up a curbside check in service in the covered parking lot.

“We acted on our customers’ feedback for reduced waiting time to check in,” Morgan Durrant, manager, Corporate Communications for Delta told Business Traveller during a quick tour of the facility. “It’s groups that will be more likely to continue to use the counter services.”

Delta’s investment in the much-awaited development, which opened in May this year, amounts to US$3 billion that went into facilities, products and technology on the ground and in the air, Richard Anderson, Delta’s chief executive officer, said during the inaugural ceremonies.

The centrepiece of Delta’s presence in Concourse F is the lounge in its main Sky Club – there are nine such clubs scattered around the terminal. It is accessed after clearing the full-body scanner, then going up an escalator to the second floor. Open from 5.30am to 11pm, this spacious venue accommodates around 286 guests in a number of areas boasting various seating arrangements and includes the more exclusive second-level “Loft”. The picture windows, looking out to the tarmac, run the whole length of the lounge, allowing natural light to cheer up the environment and a front-row view of aircraft on the tarmac.

Other unique features include a music room where passengers can listen to all genres of music on workstations, strategically located charging points, premium wine menu (passengers must purchase items, however), red-hued pod-like seats for more privacy and eight shower rooms, with one designated for the physically challenged.

British Airways, Korean Air and Lufthansa have pooled resources in a shared lounge, which is also located on the second level.

Delta's gates – there are 12 in Concourse F, but they are numbered up to 14 – boast charging points and counters where people can put in some work before boarding. Seats have been arranged in a more aesthetic manner, permitting more space between passengers, which is something Delta customers have been requesting for some time.

Self-assistance kiosks are another innovation in this new hub. Here, passengers are able to get new boarding passes in the event of a cancelled flight due to bad weather, or change their flight for any reason.

For more details, visit www.delta.com and www.atlanta-airport.com/internationalterminal

For more information on how Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is developing into a major transit hub, see the special report "Transit Targets" in the current issue of Business Traveller.

Margie T Logarta