• by Tanya Gazdik , July 1, 2022

Delta Airlines has launched its “Parallel Reality” technology at its Detroit Metropolitan Airport hub.

The technology, which first debuted at CES in 2020, allows up to 100 customers to each see personalized flight information tailored to their unique trip on a single, shared digital screen, simplifying their journey through the airport at a glance. 

Customers who opt in to using digital identity at check-in can access the exhibit via facial recognition through the camera at the kiosk screen while non-digital identity customers can access it by scanning a boarding pass.

Unlike the old-school screens that list dozens of arriving and departing flights, this data is personalized for each traveler. 

While most seasoned airport travelers already have the information at their fingertips via the Delta app, less frequent travelers will find the experience useful, says Ranjan Goswami, Delta Air Lines senior vice president-customer experience.

“If this new technology can make finding your gate and departure information quicker and easier, we’re not just showing customers a magic trick — we’re solving a real problem,” he says in a release. “Customers already rely on personalized navigation via their mobile devices, but this is enabling a public screen to act as a personal one – removing the clutter of information not relevant to you to empower a better journey.” 

Innovation at Delta is human-centric, said Matt Muta, vice president-innovation, in a release. 

“We’re not chasing shiny objects, we’re looking for ways to make our customers’ lives easier,” Muta says. “Ultimately, this technology is a way to make the customer feel seen and valued. Imagine the peace of mind that such individualized messaging can provide to a traveler who is overwhelmed by the airport environment.”

Tech scouts at Delta’s global innovation center, The Hangar, first came across the technology three years ago. The airline partnered with Southern California-based tech startup Misapplied Sciences, led by CEO Albert Ng, to bring it to life.  

The experience speaks to the future of travel, Ng says.

Delta’s “objectives mesh perfectly with our company's vision of personalized experiences in public environments; and technology that empowers people without complexity or gadgets,” Ng adds. 

Delta is also investing in digital identity technology, which allows customers to move through the airport using facial recognition, eliminating the need to show a boarding pass or government ID. Digital ID is available in Atlanta, Detroit, Los Angeles, and New York’s LaGuardia and will eventually be activated in all of Delta’s U.S. hubs.