Delta pitch to frequent fliers: free Wi-Fi, personalized entertainment

It’s part of a broader shift among travelers who want to be able to search the web, scroll through social media, or answer emails and text messages on their personal devices while watching a movie or TV series on the seatback screen. , similar to how they do it. sitting on the couch at home in front of the TV while looking at their phones.

Delta plans to use the new amenities as a carrot to persuade more people to sign up for its SkyMiles loyalty program. Free Wi-Fi and personalized in-flight entertainment will be available only to SkyMiles members, or to anyone who registers on the spot for the frequent flyer program.

With the official launch of free Wi-Fi on February 1, those who are not SkyMiles members and choose not to enroll in the frequent flyer program will have to pay $10 per flight for Wifi. That’s double the current price of $5 per flight.

Bastian is a keynote speaker at the big CES technology convention that is expected to draw about 100,000 attendees through Sunday. Tech industry attendees packed multiple venues around the Las Vegas Strip on Thursday as the event launched. Delta has a “wonder window” on display that hands out brand name knick-knacks to customers who link your Delta and Starbucks loyalty accounts.

Bastian emphasized that connectivity is important everywhere, and the company’s vision is to “deliver an experience at 30,000 feet that feels close to what our customers have available on the ground.”

“We want travel to be more…