Delta employs a number of Danes and some are stationed right here in Atlanta.

Below is a portrait of Gitte Toben and Lotte Hansen who both work as flight attendants on the Atlanta-Copenhagen flight. Delta Air Lines is also one of DACC Georgia’s great sponsors. Because of Delta’s support we have had some wonderful VIP’s flown over for the Danish Film Festival Atlanta in recent years. Make sure to sign up for news alerts on Delta’s website www.delta.com to ensure the best deals.

We are truly grateful for all their support and ever since Delta decided to reopen the direct flight between Copenhagen and Atlanta, it has never been easier to fly back to visit friends and family.

Written by Gitte Toben

80 years ago, when Cotton was King, an infestation of the Boll weewil (beetles) in the cotton fields opened up for the use of airplanes for crop dusting. Mr. C.E. Woolman, an aviation enthusiast (and the future founder of Delta), and an agent of the Extension Department of Louisiana State University oversaw a crop dusting experiment with Army pilots and De Havilland D-4’s in Ohio.

Huff Daland Dusters started in Macon in 1924, but lack of experience and the small number of cotton fields resulted in an unsuccessful first season. Dr. B.R. Coad (director of Delta Laboratory in Tallulah, LA) suggested a move to Monroe, LA. Woolman hired Huff Daland as V.P and field manager. Daland brought personality, integrity, and a stubborn resistance to failure.

On June 17, 1929, Delta Air Service – later called Delta Air Corporation - operated its first passenger flight. The route was Dallas, TX to Jackson, MS with stops in Shreveport and Monroe, LA. In 1934 Delta won the bid for an airmail contract for the Southeast and in 1941 Delta moved to Atlanta. It took its current name, Delta Air Lines, Inc. on October 29, 1945.
Delta was the first to use DC-8 (1959), Convair 880 (1960), DC (1965), and Boeing 707 (1959) and began its first Transatlantic route to London on April 30, 1978.

Several mergers with other air lines have happened since the start, and Delta is now the world’s largest airline with almost 72,000 workers.

I joined Delta Air Lines in August 2006 as a flight attendant. I treasure every trip to Copenhagen and as a lot of you know, I always know somebody on flight 68 and 69. The world truly is small!

Being a flight attendant is very rewarding, but you must stay in shape, as the job requires a lot of heavy lifting. When we push the cart with drinks down the aisle, we often push more than 200 lbs.

I have learned a lot about human nature, different cultures, and I have learned the value of being flexible. On a trip from Copenhagen, one of my nursing school friends was on board. She asked me, why I chose to become a flight attendant? Well, I have fun, I meet a lot of new people, I get to see lots of new places in the world – and where else do you get paid for flirting with babies, handsome men, and strong women?
We are now 23 LOD Atlanta-based Danish speakers: Else Marie, Lotte, Charlotte, Kirsten, Marijo, Christian, Jesper, Dar, Salina, and Aake – just to mention a few.

Written by Lotte Hansen

I started working as a flight attendant for Delta in 2007. I got the job because Delta was employing speakers for their internationally routes and were looking for Danish speakers for the newly opened route between Atlanta and Copenhagen. I really enjoy my job, as I get to meet a lot of different people everyday both passengers and colleagues. 

When I first started I did not realize how varied and very much fun and interesting my job would be. Not only do I work on the flight between Atlanta and Copenhagen 3-4 times a month, but also on a lot of other interesting destinations. The last month alone I have been to four different continents – sure we work hard, but sometimes we also get to sightsee some.

I still enjoy the Atlanta-Copenhagen flights the most. That destination is one of Delta’s most successful international flight and we are always full. So we are busy, but there is still plenty of time to talk with the passengers that are often Americans on their way to a cruise trip out of Copenhagen or it is Danes either on vacation or on business. And there is almost always someone onboard that I know among the Danes living in Atlanta. The flight truly lives up to its nickname “Danmarks-bussen” – “The bus to Denmark”.