• The Detroit News, Monday, August 18, 2008 10:45 AM

Delta Air Lines thinks it has found a formula for making the process of loading hundreds of testy travelers into cramped planes more pleasant and efficient: Play some beats, and get 'em in the seats. Though playing "elevator music" during boarding is nothing new, Delta is among the first to concoct a contemporary music mix specifically targeted toward getting customers to their seats faster and keeping them there.

Soon after Delta began playing upbeat music two years ago, flight attendants noticed that passengers were taking their seats and getting settled faster. "Once we started down that path, we put more research into it," says Chris Babb, Delta's product manager of in-flight entertainment and media. "It's made quite a difference for our passengers and flight attendants."

Behind the song selections is the science of music therapy, which uses the aural sensations of rhythm, beat and melody to affect the human body and mind. The song lineup changes each month, with a diverse mix represented, but the target for each play list is the same: Welcome passengers on the plane with familiar-sounding tunes, get them to their seats quickly with upbeat tracks and help them settle in with more lulling melodies.

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