I want (and sorta need) blog topics
 

Suggested topics

• DL/NW merger from developer's perspective technical perspective. what a developer thinks about how you integrate two very big companies with hundreds of thousands of PNRs overnight. When will PARS be intergrated into DL's system? Will we still have a choice to go back and forth with DL Term? Will cornerstone go away as well?
  
• How does codesharing work with others in skyteam
  
• How about talking about some of the backend ops that happen when, say, a customer buys a ticket. (both on the hardware and software side)
  Mention some of the backend checks that you guys make to prevent mistakes that end up in the MR forum. privacy and security as well. the GIDS systems, approaches to showing standby and upgrade lists more often, how all those systems tie together.
  
• A behind the scenes view at inflight. How does Delta handle inflight catering, meal rotation schedules, when to order special meals. When will PTV work reliably fleet wide?
  
• The Award Calendar: what DL is doing to allow Skymiles redemption online across additional air carriers? What is Delta doing to fix the calendar? Adding partner airlines to the online award calendar. For instance, why were NW and CO done first, then AF? Why the order, and why haven't all the others come online yet? Are they mainly financial reasons, technical (either on Delta's side or the other airline), or what? Which will be next??
  
• The assorted perks to frequent flyers. Upgrades: what is the upgrade matrix? upgrading international flights? upgrading on partner airlines? lounge access on other airlines?
  
• Baggage: what does two bags mean, where does lost luggage go, what about lost international luggage? What is Delta doing to not loose my luggage? Should I help others put their bags in the overhead bin?
  
• lounge access on other airlines
• When will the Delta AMEX Platinum companion certificates be redeemable online
  
  
• What about "Future Fleet Plans - Changes to Fleet, Equipment (e.g. wireless internet) etc. Would be great for customers to know what changes are coming short term, neart term and perhaps over 1-2 years.
  
  
• What about covering why getting a seat assignment on a codeshare flight can be a lot more complex than it would first appear
  
• A somewhat risky blog topic would be nonrev travel compared to revenue standby.
  
• blogging about flyertalk, and the huge number of spoiled, impossible-to-please medallions there?
  
• manners at the gate

-------------------- original post from Sep 18, 08, 3:02pm --------------------

so in this thread i'm keeping a running list of the blogs i've posted at blog.delta.com. the award ticket post i didn't think would go through without heavy censorship but it sailed through quite easily (i think i had a verb or two edited). so i figured i should ask what topics YOU are interested in reading about.

web development related stuff i can tackle pretty easily (though i can get WAY too technical i'm afraid). things like the process of development, where we are with current projects (including screenshot requests), discussions on browser differences, tools of the trade that make our life easier, etc are viable options, but i am interested in the topics primarily that i can answer AND will require a legal review to make sure i'm not violating any NDAs, etc etc. i think those are the topics that are most interesting to not only write, but to read. Its also is in keeping with the spirit of being open, honest, and direct with you, the customer.

but don't just stop with those suggestions as i will make sure that all suggestions are passed along to those that can answer them when i can't.

of course there are topics that we all KNOW can't be answered at this time due to legal reasons (merger topic comes to mind). but shoot for the stars, and we'll see if we can get you at least to the moon.

:D

It would be interesting to hear the perspective of someone on the inside of what the DL/NW merger might look like from a technical perspective or simply how you guys codeshare with others in skyteam... not sure if this is something that is in your area at all or not but I thought i would throw it out there.

Well I'd like to see an update to two blogs: award calendar and PTV. I'd like to know specifically what DL is doing to fix the horribly broke Award calendar. I'd also like an update on when we can expect PTV to work reliably fleet wide.

I'd like to know when the free (well almost!) Delta AMEX Platinum companion certificates can be redeemed online. IIRC, Jeff Robertson said he would bet his next paycheck that we'd see it soon. And that was several (many) months ago.

Perhaps you can't address the specifics of the merger planning that has taken place, but I think it would be very interesting to see what a developer thinks about how you integrate two very big companies with hundreds of thousands of PNRs overnight. In other words, when/if a merger is finalized and the date of the merger is announced, and that date arrives, and the switch is flipped, everyone working for former Airline A will need to be able to see the reservations for everyone who booked on former Airline B, as the customer will be traveling on Airline A+B.

That's got to be a very huge task worthy of a blog, sanitized perhaps of specifics related to a proposed DL/NW merger.

Id be interested to hear about the GIDS systems...DL was the first to do that sort of thing....will we be seeing them in other airports? and also, if there were away to provide feedback so that the waitlist/upgrade screens always stayed visible even when the other content was scrolling through since that is the most important part of the GIDS information.

Also, would love to know how DL handles inflight catering and how often meals are rotated. How does DL select entrees? How often do they change, etc.? I think there is a lot that goes underappreciated in that difficult and cost management style process. Would make for an interesting read!

Thanks for asking for our ideas:)!

When I saw the request for material, that's exactly what I came in here to post about. Yes, get the screens to more frequently display the standby/upgrade lists as (at least to me) it seems that is the most important/frequently checked item on there, yet seems to be only shown every so often. Seems like it would also help the gate agents a little if it kept a few less questions from being asked.

I third this! I hate standing around waiting for the standy/upgrade list while the screen goes through that long, long spiel about the seat request card/boarding pass exchange. This would be a great improvement. (Not sure if its a blog topic tho, oops!)

Not only standing around waiting, but then briefly looking away and turning back to see the upgrade list disappear once again.

It's not necessarily technical, but how about detailing what DL is doing to allow Skymiles redemption online across additional air carriers?

How about blogging about flyertalk, and the huge number of spoiled, impossible-to-please medallions there? :D

^ ^

More seriously, the above is worthy of serious consideration!

David

upgrade matrix
manners at the gate
what does two bags mean
helping others put their bags in an overhead bin
when to order special meals
upgrading international flights
upgrading on partner airlines
lounge access on other airlines
lost luggage
lost international luggage


to name a few

Perhaps blogging about adding partner airlines to the online award calendar. For instance, why were NW and CO done first, then AF? Why the order, and why haven't all the others come online yet? Are they mainly financial reasons, technical (either on Delta's side or the other airline), or what? Which will be next??

Thats a great topic!

What about "Future Fleet Plans - Changes to Fleet, Equipment (e.g. wireless internet) etc. Would be great for customers to know what changes are coming short term, neart term and perhaps over 1-2 years.

wow. already so many things to write about! The merger topic from my perspective is a good one that i hadn't even thought about (and of course would require legal review). as i've said i've let people know so hopefully you will start seeing some of these items showing up.

DiverDave - you know i've thought about that very topic MANY times but not so much in regards to flyertalk and medallions specifically, but rather the industry as a whole. problem for me is where does one start? i haven't found a single other industry that can come close to comparison and that's part of why i love it.

and please keep the topics coming!