Delta Air Lines was named most admired airline in the world by Fortune magazine, in March, in its 2011 World's Most Admired Companies list for the airline industry.

Delta finished first overall, and ranked first as well in long-term investment, management quality, global competitiveness, and social responsibility.

It employs 80,000 people worldwide, operating a mainline fleet of more than 700 aircraft and carrying more than 160 million passengers each year.

Its industry-leading global network provides service, with Delta-connection carriers, to 354 destinations, in 65 countries, on six continents.

Delta, whose headquarter is in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States, has expanded significantly in China in recent years, and will operate 47 weekly flights out of China this summer.

The new Beijing-to-Detroit service will begin on July 3, 2011, and it recently began weekly nonstop service between Atlanta and Shanghai.

It also offers service from Beijing to Seattle and Tokyo-Narita; Shanghai to Tokyo-Narita and Detroit; and Hong Kong to Tokyo-Narita and Detroit.

On June 1, Delta announced a new code-sharing agreement with China Eastern, one of China's largest international airlines, to give Chinese customers more convenient connecting services to at least 20 cities across China.

Customer experience

Delta has said it will put more than $2 billion into airport facilities, global products, and services and technology through 2013, to give customers a better experience both in the air and on the ground.

More than 25 percent of Delta's international flights provide full-flat beds in BusinessElite, and by 2013, all of them will. This gives customers a good night's rest so they arrive refreshed.

Starting this summer, on all international flights, the new Economy Comfort section - seats located at the front of the Economy section - will offer up to four additional inches of leg-room and 50 percent more recline in the seats.

In addition, Delta is adding in-seat audio and video on demand, throughout all cabins, on international flights.

The company also continues to improve benefits for its most loyal customers through the Delta SkyMiles program. After January 2011, SkyMiles no longer expire, so Delta is the only major US carrier without mileage expiration.

Delta is investing heavily in its product, facilities and technology - from aircraft to airports to technology - to see to it that customers have an excellent travel experience.

Corporate citizen

Delta has reported that it is committed to the environment, safety, and social responsibility, and that it demonstrates this in hundreds of ways throughout the world on a daily basis.

This means that it partners with employees, vendors, customers, and civic, and non-profit organizations to make a difference in the communities where Delta employees live and work.

For one thing, the company has supported the Habitat for Humanity program for more than 20 years now and joined forces on May 23 - 25, 2011 to help build five Habitat houses in the city of Pinghu, near Shanghai.

More than 50 Delta employees will help build houses there, where many families live in decades-old mud-brick homes without proper sanitation.

In this, Delta is joining the SkyTeam partners, China Southern and China Eastern, which are sending more than 20 volunteers to work with the Delta team.

In fact, Delta employees from around the globe use their vacation time and give a portion of their pay to act as volunteers on the international building efforts and to help those in need of simple, decent and affordable housing. They also use the opportunity to learn more about various countries and their culture.

(China Daily 06/30/2011 page4)