It's pretty clear what Dezirae Bridges likes to do when she visits Los Angeles — shop and eat good food.
In a five-minute Internet "travelcast," the flight attendant talks about exclusive boutiques and places like Pink's, a Hollywood institution that's famous for its hot dogs and for attracting celebrities.
"I am not going to Los Angeles and not go to Pink's," Bridges, 34, says.
Bridges' travelcast is one of 10 now featured on Delta Air Lines Inc.'s Web site as part of the airline's new post-bankruptcy look. The videos, showcased under a "Delta Siteseer" logo, all are filmed by Delta employees. Destinations range from New York and Los Angeles to Mumbai, India, and Seoul, South Korea.
The travelcasts are the brainchild of Rachael Steegar, a former Delta flight attendant who now works for the airline's marketing department.
Whenever she visited places the airline flies to, she'd ask other flight attendants what to see — and quickly found their unique jobs make them sightseeing experts.
"It occurred to me this is information adults don't get and can't read in a guidebook," Steegar said.
Any Delta employee — not just flight attendants — may submit an introduction video to participate in the travelcast program. If accepted, the airline outfits the employee with a camera and recording tips. The videos are shaky at times from an untrained hand and shots on occasion appear dark.
Steegar created the first travelcast, recording a trip to Brussels, Belgium, that included architecture, a chocolate shop (which wouldn't let her video its treasures) and an environmental day in which no cars were allowed in the city. Salt Lake City-based flight attendant Tracey Budge filmed her hike along Mount Inwangsan in Seoul, South Korea, and a trip to a fortuneteller in the city.
A second round of travelcast applications from employees are now being collected.