Delta announced this week that it will spend $1 billion over the next three years to improve the experience for premium class flyers. First on the agenda: get more lie-flat business class seats on international flights.
That’s a noble goal, but unfortunately the international business class product is not going to be consistent across the fleet. Right now there are FOUR different types of business elite seats on Delta’s international fleet. When the overhaul is completed (Delta says 2013), it will still have three different types of lie-flat seats, and possibly four.
Here’s a rundown:
First are the old school “cradle” style recliners that have been around for the last decade and are being phased out (but beware, there are still a lot of them out there). Our take: Please get rid of them, and fast! (By 2013, the cradles should only be on Delta’s transcons between New York and California.)
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Second, are the “angled” lie-flat seats on the 747’s and A330’s that Delta inherited from Northwest. Our take: Due to slippage, the angled lie-flat seat is not as comfortable as the truly lie-flat seat found on competitors or Delta’s 767’s and 777’s. Delta’s not saying what type of lie-flat seat it will install on it’s 747’s—so there could be a new seat in the mix by 2013.
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Third are the squarish lie-flat seats that Delta has begun installing on its fleet of 767’s. Currently, all flights into and out of London Heathrow sport these seats. On the 767, the new seats are 4 across, with one along each window side, and two in the middle, so everyone gets an aisle seat. Our take: While these seats are a distinct improvement over the old cradles, several readers have complained that they are narrow, confining and uncomfortable.
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Fourth are the lie-flat seats arranged in a “herringbone” pattern on Delta’s 777-LR’s. Our take: This is one of the best lie-flat seats in the sky. TICKET readers have sent us positive reviews and we really liked what we saw at the National Business Travel Association meeting last summer. Currently, if you are flying from Atlanta, you’ll only find these seats on flights to Dubai, Johannesburg, and Sydney (via LAX). Our hope is that Delta goes with this type of seat for it’s 16 747’s, but for now Delta’s mum on that subject.
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Scott: Delta’s slowing installing the lie flat seats….and it’s especially slow on routes where they have no nonstop competition. So don’t hold your breath on a non Greyhound recliner by this summer between SLC and Paris.
Any idea of the scheduling for the SLC CDG planes? After flying in all three of these types of seats, the greyhound recliner has to go. By Mid June 2010 I hope!!!!!
I have a simple question if you are still losing money and are going to spend money on new seats why not use the money to get rid of bag charges and increase volume and become profitable again.
Check out what the Canadians have done with lie-flat seating. They actually have figured out a way to get the herringbone pattern on a 767.
http://www.aircanada.com/en/travelinfo/onboard/comfort_intexec.html
It’s wonderful that DL is finally catching up, but have you seen what they’ve done to upgradeable fares? I wanted to book ATL-TLV-ATL and, with a 50 day advance, business was available for a tad over $4,100. An upgradeable M fare was about $3550. Now I ask you, who would spend 50,000 miles to save $550 (and maybe not even be assured of the upgrade)? Remember when you could upgrade from any fare? Or even when the upgradeable fares were 30-50% above discounted coach? The coach fare on this route for the dates I selected was just over $1400 so guess what? I’ll be cramped for 11 hours, but use the money I save for an upgraded hotel room.