New Delta Ads May Be Hard To Swallow

Delta Air Lines is selling advertising space in an expanded version of its in-flight menus, the carrier said Tuesday.

The expanded Delta Menu/Destination Guide, which the Atlanta-based carrier claims as an industry first, will offer information on destination-specific restaurants, theaters, city maps, museums and other attractions.

Beginning in February 1998, the Menu/Destination Guide will reach an average of more than 500,000 international airline passengers each month on more than 2,000 Delta flights to 31 international and domestic cities, the carrier said.

A maximum of 27 advertising slots are available in the guide. A recent study conducted on Delta flights between Frankfurt and New York using a prototype indicated that 96 percent of the passengers read it and 76 percent carried it off the plane for continuing use.