Delta Unveils iPad App With 'Glass Bottom' View

Delta has unveiled a new iPad app that lets you keep tabs on your plane's whereabouts via a "glass bottom" feature.

When you're on the plane and connected to an onboard Wi-Fi network, the Fly Delta app for iPad will let you "view" the ground below via maps, social networks, and Internet content. As the plane flies over certain locales, you can see nearby landmarks, as well as photos and messages connected to those sites. If you want to remain in a certain area, you can "scroll back in time" for a snapshot of a particular region.

In a demo video (below), the feature looked like a more interactive version of the seat-back maps that are often displayed during long, international flights.

Delta said the app is part of a $140 million investment in technology the airline is making, which included a revamped delta.com and new self-service kiosks in 2012.

When you're not on the plane, meanwhile, you can use the Delta app to browse weekly offers and purchase tickets for more than 600 locales. Once you've booked, peruse travel guides and social network updates for tips on what to do at your destination.

Before the trip, check the weather, update frequent flyer miles, and get directions to the airport. There's also the option to upgrade, check in to your flight from the iPad, and have a boarding pass sent to your smartphone.

"Don't just book your next flight, experience it," Delta said.

The Fly Delta app with the updated features is available in the Apple App Store.

The release comes about a month after Delta got into some hot water with California regualtors over the security of its app. California Attorney General Kamala Harris filed a complaint against Delta Airlines for failing to comply with the state's online privacy law. The complaint, filed in a state court, alleged that since at least 2010, the airline ran the Fly Delta app for smartphones and tablets without a privacy policy, despite the fact that it can collect personal information like names, telephone numbers, email addresses, frequent flyer account numbers and pin codes, and geo-locations.

For more from Chloe, follow her on Twitter @ChloeAlbanesius.