Delta Airlines wants more than just baggage in the cargo hold.
The airline is rolling out a new shipping hub, looking to carry two-day deliveries within the continental US in a bid to challenge freight-only carriers such as FedEx and UPS.
DeliverDirect will include small parcels in the hold on Delta’s 2,500+ daily domestic flights, with next-day options available soon.
Features include customized pick-up times for shippers, simultaneous tracking of up to ten deliveries, geofence notifications of approaching deliveries, dedicated cargo capacity, signature-required deliveries photo-proof of delivery, and flat and customizable rates.
The service is managed through logistics company SmartKargo, a Massachusetts-based SaaS shipping management software firm. The system, developed by QuantumID Technologies Inc. with input from airlines, cargo shippers and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is already in use with Air Asia, Alaska Airlines, Cebu Pacific, Copa Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines and Norwegian.
