DELTA AIR LINES MERGER WITH NORTHWEST AIRLINES

In the long list of alignment activities in their merger process, Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines have integrated food service levels and equipment types. This wasn’t a gradual process. The combined airline thrust headlong into a single-day domestic menu cutover in March 2009, followed by all international flights in June. Harmonizing onboard services for the world’s largest carrier meant everyone within gategroup working together to pull it off successfully.

Working hand-in-hand with the Pourshins team, eGate Solutions’ Customer Care team amended existing domestic and international specifications to reflect new services and built new menus in In-Flight Exchange (IFX)^®. Using Pourshins’ trademark forecaster system for food and LOGIC software for assets, the team was able to reduce inventory and costs by aggregating volumes into warehouses, trucks or freight vessels, all while maintaining the integrity of the caterers’ supply chain.

eGate Solutions also worked hard on the carriers’ cross-fleeting project, where a Delta flight would be operated using a Northwest aircraft and vice versa. The technical challenges were met head-on by a cross-functional, cross-business team involving more than 30 people who conducted numerous testing sessions.

During the planning stages and launches of each of these initiatives, JC Cook of Delta On Board Services said that the transition was extremely successful.


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