Delta flight attendants to switch to Nokia Lumia 1520 phablets

Delta Air Lines will provide more than 20,000 flight attendants with Nokia Lumia 1520 phablets running Windows Phone 8.1 in October.

The phablets, which have a six-inch screen, will replace the more than 500 page, five pound on-board manual carried by every flight attendant.

This is expected to save the airline more than US$1 million annually in reduced fuel and printing costs

The devices, which will replace the Lumia 820 already in use at the airline, will act as an in-flight sales device.

They will allow flight attendants to take customer meal orders, receive detailed information about their flight and provide information for personalised service, including customers' frequent flyer status and potential need for special services during flight.

"The phablet is a great foundation for future software applications that, in time, will allow our flight attendants to readily access customer preferences, previous travel experiences with Delta and worldwide connectivity to the company, enabling them to provide the more tailored experience many customers have come to expect," said Theresa Wise, senior vice president and chief information officer.

Devices will be distributed starting in October with all Delta flight attendants receiving the device by the end of the year.

The solution was developed jointly by Microsoft, Avanade, Nokia and AT&T.

Last September, Delta announced its pilots would receive Surface 2 tablets to be used initially as electronic flight bags and be developed into a multi-functional device that can be integrated across the airline operation.