Background
During my time at Delta Air Lines on the Innovation Team, I worked on multiple internal tools aimed at streamlining operations and improving the experiences of employees, volunteers, and customers.
Two notable projects included a Behind the Wings Volunteer Web Application and a Delta Engineer Dashboard built using Spotify's Backstage program.
One other highlight included pitching my personal side project, SkySizer, to leadership at the conclusion of my internship.
Project 1: BTW Mobile Web Application
Behind the Wings (BTW) is a volunteer program at Delta Air Lines that empowers employees to provide assistance to customers during high-travel seasons and irregular operations (IROPs). This program also serves as an educational opportunity for corporate employees to learn more about Airport Customer Service (ACS) operations.
The goal of this project was to develop a web application that equipped BTW volunteers with more capabilities, making them more effective in assisting customers and improving the travel experience.
Key Features
Bag Tracking: Volunteers could scan bag tags and track customer baggage in real-time.
Passenger Standby Management: Volunteers were able to add passengers to standby lists.
Way-finding & Wheelchair Assistance: Volunteers could quickly direct customers and notify airport personnel to coordinate wheelchair support when needed.
Mobile Bag Tag Printing: The tool allowed volunteers to print bag tags directly from their mobile devices using handheld printers.
Process & Approach
On-the-Ground Testing: To deeply understand the experience of volunteers, customers, and employees, I participated as a BTW volunteer. This firsthand experience helped shape the application’s usability and functionality, ensuring it effectively addressed real-world pain points.
Technical Feasibility & Iteration: I collaborated with engineers to determine what was technically achievable and how we could integrate existing Delta systems with our new web app.
Stakeholder & Leadership Engagement: I worked closely with leadership and stakeholders to align the application’s functionality with Delta’s broader strategic objectives and to ensure compatibility with other internal tools, including ACS tools.
User Experience & Design Collaboration: I worked with designers to refine user flows for different types of users, including new volunteers who needed an intuitive onboarding experience, more experienced team members who required advanced functionalities, and employees providing operational support.
Impact
Improved efficiency and effectiveness of BTW volunteers.
Enhanced customer experience at airports by reducing wait times and streamlining baggage processing.
Increased operational agility through better mobile tools for employees.
Additional Projects
Beyond the Behind the Wings Volunteer Web Application, I contributed to two other significant projects that addressed key operational challenges at Delta Air Lines.
These projects not only improved internal processes but also directly impacted the customer experience and engineering efficiency.
SkySizer – A Carry-On Sizing and Prediction Feature
SkySizer is a feature I conceptualized and built for Delta’s Fly Delta app to help customers determine if their carry-on luggage would fit in the overhead bin of their aircraft.
Using computer vision, SkySizer measures luggage dimensions and, based on historical flight data and a passenger’s boarding zone, predicts the likelihood of their bag being gate-checked. Additionally, customers have the option to check their carry-on before security if a gate-check is likely, improving the travel experience and reducing last-minute disruptions.
This project involved research, prototyping in Figma, and collaborating with a software engineer intern to develop and pitch the feature to leadership.
Delta Engineer Dashboard (Backstage Implementation)
To enhance engineering workflows and onboarding experiences, I helped build an internal dashboard using Spotify’s Backstage platform.
This dashboard streamlined project documentation, improved workflow consistency across teams, and simplified the onboarding experience for new Delta engineers.
I worked closely with Delta engineers to understand their pain points, customized Backstage components, and integrated Delta’s design system to create a cohesive experience.
Next Steps & Learnings
Through these projects, I honed my ability to collaborate across disciplines, balancing technical feasibility with user needs and strategic goals. My work at Delta strengthened my skills in:
Cross-functional collaboration (engineering, design, leadership, and stakeholders).
User research and testing to drive informed product decisions.
Iterative design and development based on real-world use cases.
Customizing and optimizing internal tools for large-scale enterprise environments.
Leveraging AI and predictive modeling to solve practical problems.
These experiences reinforced my passion for developing impactful, user-centric technology solutions and showcased my ability to drive innovation within complex corporate ecosystems.
Thank you for reading my case study!
Make sure to check out my other projects too!
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