Delta expanding partnership with Duke, presence on campus

Duke has recently worked with Delta Air Lines to create a number of new opportunities designed to benefit Duke students and employees.

In June, the University and Delta unveiled the Duke Delta Air Lines Discount Program. Accompanying this initiative, Duke students will see an increase in Delta’s presence on campus in the coming months. The airline is already a major sponsor of Duke Athletics and will now sponsor more programs on campus. Delta has also recently announced a new flight from the Raleigh-Durham International Airport to Paris’s Charles de Gaulle Airport beginning in May 2016.

“This was a significant movement by Delta to extend the partnership with the University,” said Mike Sobb, associate athletic director for resource acquisition, who is responsible for coordinating the program. “They’re looking for unique ways to try to reach the fan base, the alumni and the students.”

The discount program requires interested Duke employees and students to either register and link their Delta SkyMiles account to their Duke NetID or to book the flights using one of Duke’s preferred travel agencies—American Express Travel or Cardinal Travel Service.

Sobb noted that Delta is still in the process of rolling out the program to students and raising the airline’s profile on campus.

“In terms of students, they’re looking at phasing things in and reaching students in different ways,” Sobb said. “You’ll see that continue to roll out throughout the course of the year. They’ll be pretty high profile in some of our major events and working to reach students in terms of what their brand is and their accessibility.”

Examples of Delta’s increased advertising presence on campus will include sponsoring campus events, bringing in academic speakers and offering internships. The airline is also continuing its collaboration with Duke Athletics—such as sponsoring Countdown to Craziness and naming the third level of Wallace Wade Stadium’s new Blue Devil Tower the “Delta Suite Level.”

Duke is one of nine universities—including the University of Michigan and the University of Notre Dame—that agreed to a deeper partnership with Delta starting Fall 2015, according to a Delta Air Lines press release from Aug. 27.

Students said that the new discount program will offer cheaper opportunities to fly across the country and overseas.

“I think it has a good chance of beating any other price that another airline would have just because of what that discount offers,” said sophomore Aron Rimanyi, who flies overseas multiple times per year to visit family in Europe.

RDU officials also announced Sept. 24 that Delta will begin a nonstop route to Paris beginning May 12, 2016. The flight is RDU’s second nonstop overseas flight after American Airlines’ London flight—a very rare occurrence for an airport of its size, RDU Airport Authority President Mike Landguth said during a press conference Sept. 24.

Rimanyi noted that the new flight will be convenient for people flying to Europe due to Paris’s location within continental Europe. Unlike London, Paris offers better connections to other continental destinations.

Michael Merson, Wolfgang Joklik professor of global health, noted that the Research Triangle’s international connections have created a demand for international flights.

“I imagine they see that there are many colleges and major universities who are engaged with global partners, as well as a robust NGO sector with partners around the world, as well as leading private sector companies with a need for better international flight options,” he wrote in an email.

Jane Pleasants, associate vice president of procurement and supply chain management, noted that Duke has continued to work with the Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority to make travel more convenient for students and faculty.

“Duke [is continuing] to support Raleigh-Durham Airport and make it an international destination,” she said. “We have had ongoing conversations with the airport along with other organizations in Durham to try to get as many flights into the Raleigh-Durham area as we possibly can.”