Delta Replaced Its Text Line With a Chatbot Still in Beta

Delta Air Lines has quietly retired its text-message customer service channel. Thrifty Traveler reported on October 27 that members who texted the airline received an automated reply saying messaging support was no longer available and directing them to Delta Concierge or the Help Center. The outlet could not determine exactly when the line was switched off.

Delta Concierge is an AI chatbot in the Fly Delta app that the airline still describes as being in beta. A live agent can be reached through it, but the author found that connecting took longer. In a test to add a lap infant after check-in, which cannot be done online, the chat linked to an agent and then ended with a rating request, leaving the writer on a 30-minute phone hold.

The loss is practical. Text messaging let travelers receive reply alerts without keeping the app open and left a written record of what an agent had promised, which is useful when plans change. One Diamond Medallion member said they relied on it overseas to avoid international calling charges. Delta’s Twitter and Facebook support channels were already shut down in 2020.

Separately, Delta told the outlet on October 22 that its Medallion spending thresholds will not change for 2027, the third straight year without an increase. For disrupted trips, travelers may want to save confirmation emails and screenshots, since the chat record in the app is now the main paper trail when a live agent is hard to reach.

Sources: Thrifty Traveler, Thrifty Traveler