5 Major Delta Changes Happening Now, And How They’ll Affect Travelers

Whether it’s finding a good deal on a flight, checking a bag, or getting through security quickly, your travel experience can often depend on which airline you choose to fly. Now, Delta has announced a series of major changes that will affect travelers. Here’s what you can expect from the airline in the coming months.

RELATED: 4 Major United Airlines Changes, and How They’ll Affect Travelers.

For decades, getting through airport security has been a long, cumbersome, and often frustrating experience. But thanks to new technology, getting to your next flight could be a breeze if you’re traveling with Delta.

In an August 13 press release, the carrier announced that it will soon expand its TSA PreCheck Touchless ID to all of its hub airports and “select stations” by the end of 2025. Delta originally launched the service in 2021 in partnership with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) as Delta Digital ID.

According to the airline, the technology streamlines the security process and helps travelers get through checkpoints as much as 60 percent faster than those screening with traditional TSA PreCheck credentials. This is largely thanks to automated ID verification using facial recognition that cuts down processing time to seven to 10 seconds.

To take advantage of the expedited service, travelers will need to be an enrolled TSA PreCheck member and store their passport information and their assigned Known Traveler Number (KTN) in their Delta profile. You’ll also have to be enrolled as a Delta SkyMiles loyalty member and have downloaded the Fly Delta app onto your phone. Anyone eligible will receive a notification to opt in to the service when they check in for a flight on their devices.

Having to check your luggage before a flight can make the already lengthy trip to your gate an even longer one. However, you can save precious time if you’re flying with Delta.

In the same August 13 press release, the airline announced it was adding the “App Bag Drop” experience at select airports. Travelers who check in on the app and just need to print their luggage tags will be able to skip the traditional lines with their own dedicated drop-off point to save time.

Can’t wait to drop and go? The service is already available at Atlanta Hartfield International Airport (ATL), Boston Logan Airport (BOS), Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW), and Seattle–Tacoma International Airport (SEA). It will be rolled out to the rest of Delta’s hub airports by the end of 2025.

Some travelers will also have to spend less time ferrying their bags around. Delta announced that international travelers flying from Incheon International Airport (ICN) in South Korea to ATL (including those on Korean Air flights) and Delta customers flying from London Heathrow (LHR) to ATL will no longer have to claim their baggage stateside and recheck it before boarding a connecting flight.

Instead, their luggage will pass seamlessly through to their final destination, saving them as much as 25 minutes during their layover.

That’s not the only new benefit: Travelers arriving at ATL from LHR will also no longer have to pass through a security checkpoint again once they’ve arrived in the U.S. and can instead carry on to their connecting gate. Passengers will need to be enrolled in the Global Entry program or use Mobile Passport Control to qualify.

RELATED: Saying These Two Secret Words Will Get You an Instant Airline Upgrade.

Last month, Delta generated some significant online outrage when airline president Glen Hauenstein said on an earnings call that there were plans to increase the use of AI to make airfare pricing decisions to 20 percent of the carrier’s domestic network by the end of 2025, travel news website The Points Guy reported.

Previously, the airline had said it was using the technology to determine only roughly 1 percent of its flights within the U.S.

In a letter sent by U.S. Senators Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Mark Warner (D-MD), and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), lawmakers expressed concerns about the changes, including the lack of clear safeguards or protection from potential individual discrimination.

“Delta’s current and planned individualized pricing practices not only present data privacy concerns but will also likely mean fare price increases up to each individual consumer’s personal ‘pain point’ at a time when American families are already struggling with rising costs,” they wrote.

In response, Delta clarified what it says was “misinformation” about its use of AI in a letter penned by Peter Carter, chief external affairs officer for Delta.

“There is no fare product Delta has ever used, is testing, or plans to use that targets customers with individualized prices based on personal data,” he explained. “Furthermore, we have zero tolerance for discriminatory or predatory pricing and fully comply with applicable laws in privacy, pricing, and advertising. Our AI-powered pricing functionality is designed to enhance our existing fare pricing processes using aggregated data. This technology is a decision-support tool that simply provides informed insights for our analysts, who oversee and fine-tune the recommendations to ensure they are consistent with our business strategy.”

Carter also clarified that customers are not required to log in to the airline’s website to compare pricing. He explained that the technology was helpful in pricing analysis that would allow employees to focus on other high-priority tasks.

Alternatively, he explained that Delta was using AI in other helpful ways, including as a tool for reservations specialists faced with complex questions, tech ops planning for maintenance and scheduling reliability, and crew scheduling to help plan and anticipate absences and necessary replacements.

Best Life has reached out to Delta for further clarification on the company’s use of AI, and we will update this story with any response.

You might have fewer booking options if you’re planning to fly with Delta from New York City during the cooler months. Last week, the airline announced it would be cutting back its flight schedule from John F. Kennedy Airport (JFK) and LaGuardia Airport (LGA) by 16 percent in January and 19 percent in February, The Points Guy reports. The Big Apple airports will also see a 10 percent reduction in November, December, March, and April.

While the carrier isn’t outright dropping any routes during what it calls the “deep winter” season, there will be a dip in frequency for some locations. According to The Points Guy, cities such as Des Moines, Iowa; Wilmington, North Carolina; and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina will drop to once-daily flights from their current three departures per day.

Besides a decrease in demand, Delta is also scaling back due to a decision from regulators at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that would allow it to hold on to its highly coveted takeoff and landing slots at the New York airports with a usage waiver extension. Typically, carriers must use the time blocks or risk having them put back up for bidding by competitors.

“Following the FAA’s extension of the NYC slot utilization waiver through Summer 2026, Delta is making select adjustments to our winter schedule at LaGuardia (LGA) and John F. Kennedy (JFK) airports,” a Delta spokesperson told The Points Guy. “We apologize for any inconvenience that these schedule changes may cause. Delta remains committed to minimizing travel disruptions while ensuring a smooth transition for all impacted travelers.”