Delta Air Lines launches AI assistant and free YouTube service at CES 2025 to enhance passenger experience

At the 2025 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Delta Air Lines once again attracted a lot of attention and announced a series of exciting updates. The event, held at the eye-catching Sphere venue, showcased their latest technological advancements, including an AI assistant called "Delta Concierge" and an upgraded in-flight entertainment system.

The newly launched “Delta Concierge” AI assistant is expected to be gradually launched over the next year, and users can interact with it through voice or text. The assistant is designed to provide proactive advice and guidance to passengers, starting with notifications about upcoming passport expirations and visa requirements. In the future, the assistant will also provide relevant information such as local weather based on the destination. In addition, passengers will receive guidance on bag drop, Delta's Sky Club lounges and the boarding gate.

Although these features sound quite practical, they are also considered basic requirements within the industry rather than innovative highlights. For example, services such as checking whether a passport has expired or notifying transfer boarding gates do not seem to require the intervention of AI.

Delta Air Lines also announced a new in-flight entertainment system that will be launched in 2026. This system is described as "the first cloud-based in-flight entertainment system" and will significantly upgrade the existing entertainment experience, equipped with 4K HDR QLED display, Bluetooth connectivity and 96TB onboard storage system, capable of storing movies, TV series and music and other rich content.

However, Delta seems to be lagging behind on these upgrades. Compared to Delta, United's fleet updates already offer 4K displays and Bluetooth connectivity. Although Delta's system is cloud-connected, the difference in passenger experience is not obvious, especially since United's fleet will also be enabled on the Starlink network in the future, while Delta plans to offer free YouTube Premium and YouTube Music.

At the CES press conference, Delta Air Lines also mentioned the "Group Flying" project in cooperation with Airbus. This project plans to let the aircraft fly like wild geese, aiming to save fuel. The concept has been around for several years, but the likelihood of practical application remains low due to the numerous regulatory changes required.