Celebration of flight: Delta event dazzles in first CES event at Sphere
Delta Air Lines celebrated 100 years of flying and provided a glimpse of what’s ahead for the global air carrier with a dazzling, technology-filled, 70-minute CES keynote address that featured star power and a carry-on full of partnership announcements Tuesday night at the Sphere.
Ed Bastian, CEO of the third-busiest commercial air carrier serving Harry Reid International Airport, piloted the production, which included a cockpit view of a Delta jet takeoff and a bombastic digital fireworks display on the massive Sphere screen.
During the presentation, Bastian unveiled artificial intelligence-powered Delta Concierge, a digital tool that uses generative AI to create seamless and personalized instructions to make a customer’s journey easier, from a passenger’s trip from home to the airport, navigating the airport and enabling work or relaxation when on board.
Bastian also said members of SkyMiles, the airline’s customer loyalty program, will be able enjoy ad-free music and podcasts through a new DeltaSync partnership with YouTube. Mary Ellen Coe, chief business officer of YouTube, joined Bastian onstage for the announcement.
Delta and aircraft manufacturer Airbus expanded their partnership to design planes with new wing capabilities that will improve performance while reducing fuel use, making flying more economical.
In another partnership announcement, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi joined Bastian to announce a plan for customers to link their Uber and SkyMiles accounts and earn miles for eligible rides and Uber Eats food deliveries.
“New marvels like AI, the digital revolution and sustainable technology are giving us incredible tools to transform the travel experience,” Bastian said during the keynote. “But amid the wonder of new technology, we’ve always understood that the entire point of innovation is to lift people.”
The speech was also dotted with celebrity appearances.
Award-winning actress Viola Davis set the tone for the speech with introductory remarks. Super Bowl champion quarterback and Las Vegas Raiders co-owner Tom Brady took the stage to promote “Well Traveled,” a Delta-partnered show giving travel tips.
And, after the speeches were completed, Grammy Award-winning musician Lenny Kravitz took the Sphere stage for a short concert.
Delta took over the Sphere lobby with a display of aviation artifacts for the company that started in 1925 as a crop-dusting operation.
Several thousand CES attendees – many of them Delta employees and SkyMiles members — attended the presentation, the first keynote address ever conducted at the Sphere.
Meanwhile, outside, the exosphere was taken over by Delta messaging for the entire day.
The airline and representatives of the Sphere have not said how much Delta paid to use building.
Contact Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Follow @RickVelotta on X.