Delta Launches First Non-stop Service between Atlanta and Düsseldorf

Flights improve connections for business, leisure and cargo customers between the Americas and Germany

ATLANTA, April  2006 – Customers traveling between the Americas and Germany will now find easier connections thanks to Delta’s new non-stop service between the world’s largest airline hub in Atlanta and Düsseldorf. Effective today, Delta will become the only U.S. airline to offer customers non-stop service between the United States and Düsseldorf.

”Because of Delta, Atlanta is becoming America's gateway city,” said Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin. “Through the numerous linkages formed via direct flight Atlanta-Düsseldorf Inauguralroutes to international destinations and strategic partnerships, Delta, for the past 65 years, has helped to foster the City's international economic and cultural ties. We look forward to the opportunities that this flight from Atlanta to Düsseldorf will bring. Düsseldorf is a city rich in history and is, like Atlanta, a prosperous financial, commercial, art and cultural center. Indeed, we have much to offer each other.”

Delta’s new service will be operated with wide-body Boeing 767-300ER aircraft with the capacity to carry up to 204 passengers in a two-class configuration, featuring Delta’s award-winning BusinessElite™ service. Additionally, beginning later this spring, Delta will provide customers with a more comfortable and entertaining international BusinessElite experience offering all-leather seats and state-of-the-art digital technology.

“We are pleased to be launching this new service today and to open our global network to customers traveling to and from the business and industrial heartland of Germany,” said Glen Hauenstein, Delta’s executive vice president – Network and Revenue Management. “North Rhine-Westphalia is the most heavily-populated state in Germany with a diversified modern economy, and we expect our new service will help support economic growth by providing the only link between Düsseldorf and the United States provided by a U.S. airline.”

Delta now offers Germany-bound business, leisure and cargo customers eight daily nonstop flights between the U.S. and Germany. Delta serves a total of five German airports and operates daily non-stop services from Atlanta, Cincinnati and New York JFK to Frankfurt, as well as services between Atlanta and Munich and Stuttgart and between New York JFK and Berlin. No U.S. carrier operates services to more German destinations than Delta offering our U.S. and German business and leisure travellers greater choice of connections.

Delta’s new daily non-stop service between Atlanta and Düsseldorf effective April 3, 2006:

 

 Flight

 Departs

 Arrives

 24

 Atlanta at 4:10 p.m.

 Düsseldorf at 07:25 a.m. (next day)

 25*

 Düsseldorf at 9:40 a.m.

 Atlanta at 1:40 p.m.

*Flight begins April 4

Today’s inaugural flight to Düsseldorf is the second in a series of 11 new trans-Atlantic routes to be launched by June. Last week, Delta inaugurated its first service between Atlanta and Tel Aviv, Israel, with the next trans-Atlantic inaugural set for May 8 from Atlanta to Nice, France. In total, Delta will offer non-stop service to more than 60 international destinations from Atlanta this summer, including 23 routes across the Atlantic. Delta’s flagship hub at Atlanta is the fastest growing international gateway in the United States, with more than 24 new international markets announced since September 2005. Delta also continues to expand the number of domestic destinations it serves from Atlanta, including 19 non-stop destinations added or announced since September 2005. These schedule enhancements strengthen Delta’s position as both a strong domestic carrier – the only to fly to all 50 states (effective July 2006) – as well as a leading carrier to Latin America and the world’s No. 1 carrier between the United States and destinations across Europe, India and Israel (effective July 2006). This summer, Delta will offer more than 1,000 daily departures to more than 240 non-stop destinations from Atlanta – more non-stop flights and destinations than any airline hub in the world.

About Delta
Delta Air Lines is one of the world’s fastest growing international carriers with more than 50 new international routes added or announced in the last year. Delta offers daily flights to 503 destinations in 94 countries on Delta, Song, Delta Shuttle, the Delta Connection carriers and its worldwide partners. In summer 2006, Delta plans to offer customers more destinations and departures between the U.S., Europe, India and Israel than any global airline**, including service on 11 new trans-Atlantic routes from its Atlanta and New York-JFK hubs. Delta also is a major carrier to Mexico, South and Central America and the Caribbean, with more than 35 routes announced, added or applied to serve since Jan. 1, 2005. Delta's marketing alliances also allow customers to earn and redeem SkyMiles on more than 14,000 flights offered by SkyTeam and other partners. Delta is a founding member of SkyTeam, a global airline alliance that provides customers with extensive worldwide destinations, flights and services. Customers can check in for flights, print boarding passes and check flight status at delta.com.

**From the U.S., based on July 2006 OAG.

 Airport Security

After the attack on September 11 and the current war on terrorism airport security continues to grow tighter. Travelers flying to or from the states in 2003 should plan a little ahead to stay prepared for the some of the new security measures being enforced this year by the recent security bill passed by congress.           

            Although, for most frequent travelers the procedures of enhanced security should already be expected, there is more to come. To protect travelers from terrorists the Transportation Security Administrations has already hired more than 50,000 employees at 424 commercial airports to screen passengers and baggage. The new bill congress has passed originally ordered that every checked bag be searched whether by human, dog or machine by January 1, 2003. This bill has been extended until the summer of 2003 due to the budget and time necessary for the construction and installation of large bomb detection machines to aid in complying with such a task. With the estimated 1.5 billion bags that get checked each year at U.S. airports the TSA plans to use the bomb detection machines to completely automate the process, but until then as of New Year’s Day all checked bags will still be searched exhorting all resources available.

 Although, the policies and methods of security detail will vary among different airports here are a few things for the travelers of 2003 to be aware of.      

·        A government issued ID should be kept on hand which will be shown several times before reaching the gate. 

·        Coats and sometimes shoes will need to be removed and screened along with all other carry-on luggage. 

·        Travelers may be randomly selected for a second, and even a third, search. 

·        At more than 40 airports passengers with carry-on luggage can no longer go straight to the gate.           

·        Checked bags may be searched by either human hands, wands that detect explosives on the baggage, bomb-sniffing dogs, passenger to luggage matches, bomb detection machines or possibly all of the above.           

Again due to differing methods, policies and schedules you may want to call ahead to confirm how much addition time you should allow yourself before your scheduled departure.


 

Flying tips to make your trips more comfortable. 

When flying your ears may pop, if they don’t you get an earache.
Here are some things you can do to avoid this common annoyance:
 

·        Swallowing.

·        Chewing on gum, mints or hard candies.

·        Yawning. 

·       Take an oral decongestant 1 hour before departure.

·        Use a nose spray shortly before landing. 

If none of those help or you happened to fall asleep during take off or landing you can unblock your ears by doing the following: 

1.      Pinch your nostrils shut.

2.      Take a mouthful of air.

3.      Using your cheek and throat muscles, force the air into the back of your nose as if you are trying to blow your thumb and finger off of you nostrils. 

You may have to repeat this several times until you hear the loud pop in your ears.

Since babies cannot pop their own ears allowing them to suck on a pacifier or bottle will help them to swallow. 

 

  Humidity in the cabin of an airplane can fall below 10% on long a flight, that’s dryer than the Sahara Desert! 

·        To stay refreshed be sure to drink 8oz. of water for every hour that you're onboard.

 

 Drinking a combination of salts, minerals and carbohydrates about every two hours may reduce your risk of developing blood clots. 

·        Try to bring along sports drinks to sip on the trip.