Airline passengers on flights from South Korea transiting through the world’s busiest airport will now have shorter, easier connections thanks to Delta Air Lines’ latest policy.
The Atlanta-based airline has expanded its One-Stop Security baggage program to another route. Delta passengers coming from Seoul Incheon Airport (ICN) and connecting through Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson (ATL) will no longer need to reclaim and recheck their luggage.
Instead, passengers can proceed directly to the gate for their connecting flight, which will save fliers about 25 minutes, according to the airline. The new streamlined baggage policy also applies to customers flying from ICN and transiting through ATL aboard Delta’s partner carrier, Korean Air.
The Seoul-to-Atlanta route is the second Delta flight to get the One-Stop Security perks. The carrier first launched the program on its route from London Heathrow (LHR) to Atlanta. Fliers entering the United States from Seoul, however, will need to go through a second security checkpoint, which travelers from London can skip if they have Global Entry or the Mobile Passport app.
One-Stop Security is a joint program between TSA, airlines, and aviation security agencies based in participating countries. American Airlines also offers the program to passengers flying from London Heathrow to Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW).
A Delta plane waiting at a gate. (photo by Eric Bowman)
“No one better connects the world than Delta, and we want to make your connections – and travel experience as a whole – smoother, smarter and more efficient at every step of the journey,” said Greg Forbes, Delta’s managing director of airport experience. “These initiatives rolling out and expanding this summer are big steps towards delivering on that promise.”
In addition to the One-Stop Security baggage expansion, the carrier also said it would be introducing a new expedited baggage drop option for customers who check in with the airline’s mobile app and only need to print luggage tags and drop their bags. The experience, called “App Bag Drop,” is currently available at Delta’s hubs in Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, and Seattle. The airline plans to make App Bag Drop lines available at all of its hubs by the end of the year.
To save travelers even more time, the carrier is also expanding Touchless ID access to all of its hubs by the end of the year. The technology allows travelers with TSA PreCheck and a Delta SkyMiles membership to opt into using facial recognition scans instead of presenting traditional boarding passes and IDs at baggage drops and security checkpoints.
Delta says Touchless ID makes baggage transactions as short as 30 seconds and time at the TSA kiosk to as little as seven seconds. Delta’s Touchless ID bag drop and security lanes are currently available at Atlanta, Detroit, Los Angeles, New York (LGA and JFK), Salt Lake City, Washington D.C. (DCA), and Seattle. Security-only lanes are available at Denver, Las Vegas, and Portland, Oregon.
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