OREANDA-NEWS. July 21, 2015. Delta has launched the latest enhancements to its automated rebooking system to improve customers’ experience during flight cancellations and delays.

Using back-end processes, the first phase of “Rebook Me” gives customers using the Fly Delta app on their mobile devices or online at delta.com a wider array of rebooking options during irregular operations, including:

  • The system – dubbed Virtual Inconvenienced Passenger Expedited Reprotection (VIPER) – allows the customer to select alternate origins or destinations for Delta-operated or Delta-marketed flights via the Fly Delta app and delta.com. Date changes and time searches within the irregular operations rebooking window are also allowed.
     
  • Seat assignments are made to ensure similar seating. If a seat is not available, the system will add the customer to the airport standby list.
     
  • Special service remarks in the reservation ? such as wheelchair requests ? and bags are recognized and transferred to the customer’s new itinerary.

By ensuring the customer’s updated reservation is check-in ready, the number of calls to Reservations and requests at the airport for manual changes will be reduced.

During live testing, Rebook Me generated a success rate of approximately 85 percent, a significant improvement compared to the performance of automated transactions prior to the testing period.

“The success of the Rebook Me testing and launch is based on the hard work and collaboration of cross-divisional teams, including Reservations, Airport Customer Service, eCommerce, IT and Revenue Management,” said Theresa Keaveny, Director–Reservations Support and Solutions.

“By giving our customers who utilize the Fly Delta app and delta.com more options to choose their personal rebooking preferences, we will be able to help reduce call volumes, lines at the airports and inventory loss, all while enhancing the travel experience.”

The next phase of Rebook Me, scheduled for this fall, will permit VIPER to find unique and creative routings when looking for options to rebook customers.