Delta Gives Flyers iPad Dining Options in Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport
By 
In a 2-billion dollar pledge to improve the traveling experience for their customers, Delta will be upgrading the dining and beverage options in their hub at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP). As a part of this improvement, they will also be adding what they describe as superior amenities such as the availability of a virtual newsstand where customers can rent iPads.
When renting an iPad, customers will have the option to have it loaded with the content of their choice, but through the Cibo markets located throughout the terminal they will also be able to download apps, publications and multimedia content. Once the customer reaches their final destination they can return their rented iPad with a pre-paid return-postage box.
This upgrade is reminiscent of one recently done in New York’s JFK airport in which high-end dining was paired with high-tech. iPads were placed at each table enabling patrons to place their food and drink orders as well as surfing the web and checking on their flight status. New York’s Laguardia airport has been renovated to provide a similar offering.
Delta airlines has over 160 million customers each year with over 13,000 daily flights, many of which use the MSP hub.
The question remains as to whether people will embrace the concept of renting their technology instead of owning it. I am not sure I would be as invested and interested in a configuring and using a device that I knew was only temporarily mine. One thought that did cross my mind is that while I do own an iPad, I might choose to rent additional devices to entertain my children when we travel as a family.
