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Delta rebrands cabins, classes of service

New quilted seat covers for Delta's first class flyers (Photo: Delta)

New quilted seat covers for Delta’s first class flyers (Photo: Delta)

SkyMiles members who are thoroughly versed in all of Delta’s cabin and seating options will have to do a little re-education following the airline’s announcement that it is “redefining” and rebranding its products into five categories.

The new cabin/seating regime takes effect March 1, 2015, with the following designations:

>What is currently BusinessElite becomes Delta One, available on long-haul international routes and prime transcontinental routes (JFK-LAX/SFO). The company said that by next spring, it should have fully-flat beds in Delta One as well as the new Comfort+ seat upgrades on those two lucrative domestic routes.

>The front cabin on short-haul international and domestic routes is designated First Class — although Delta notes that “select international flights may offer Business Class service in lieu of First Class,” with amenities that vary by flight and aircraft.

>The current Delta Economy Comfort seating option is being rebranded as Delta Comfort+. It will include free booze (domestic and international), better snacks and dedicated overheard bin space.

>Regular economy seating on Delta is split into two tiers: Main Cabin and Basic Economy. The Main Cabin is for travelers flying on most economy class fares. Delta’s Basic Economy is for those on unadorned fares of the same name, which the airline introduced two years ago to stay competitive with low-cost carriers, and has been expanding to more routes in recent months. Available now in dozens of markets out of Atlanta, Detroit, Minneapolis-St. Paul and Salt Lake City, those fares do not allow changes, refunds or advance seat selection.

New quilted seat covers on Delta's rebranded Comfort+ cabin (Photo: Delta)

New quilted seat covers on Delta’s rebranded Comfort+ cabin (Photo: Delta)

Effective February 1, Delta’s Basic Economy fares will no longer include some things they offer now.

When flying on a Basic Economy fare, Medallions will still get waived baggage fees, priority check-in and boarding and Medallion mileage bonuses. However, “Medallion members will not receive paid or Complimentary Upgrades or Preferred Seats, or paid, complimentary or discounted Economy Comfort when flying on a Basic Economy fare on or after February 1, 2015,” Delta noted.

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Also on February 1, Basic Economy travelers will no longer be able to purchase “Trip Extra” priority boarding, nor will they be eligible for paid or complimentary Preferred Seats or for same-day confirmed or same-day standby travel.

Except for those booked in the new Basic Economy, SkyMiles Diamonds and Platinums will still get free upgrade eligibility to First Class, as well as free access to the renamed Comfort+ seating at the time of booking– sorry Golds, you don’t get that perk anymore. Delta added: “On March 1, 2015, Gold and Silver Medallion members will continue to enjoy complimentary upgrade eligibility to First Class as well as complimentary access to Delta Comfort+ seats starting 72 hours and 24 hours prior to departure, respectively.”

Currently, the extra-legroom Economy Comfort seats are available at a 50 percent discount prior to check-in for Silvers on domestic and short-haul international flights, and at a 25 percent discount for Silvers and 50 percent for Golds on longer international flights. (Delta’s current Economy Comfort comparison chart)

Delta has created a chart displaying the amenities and services (see below) that come with each of its five cabin/fare categories; scroll down on that page and you’ll see the specific markets where Basic Economy is currently offered. The airline has also put up a video on YouTube to illustrate the new cabin categories.

Perhaps the most tactile change is that Delta will install new quilted seat covers on all Delta One, First Class and Delta Comfort+ seats through the middle of next year.

DLCC-100 Branded Products Chart_v4

 

As usual, we’d love to get your take on these changes. Please leave your comments below. 

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Comments

  1. I guess I wonder why you and your wife can’t sit apart for a couple of hours. Really. (And, I’m a wife.)

  2. Simply put – Demand. E.g On a flight to LA Monday’s there are about 100+ gold platinum and diamond fliers out of 208 seats….

  3. I don’t understand the comment about gold no longer getting free first class upgrades, or when you said “Delta added…” were you saying that gold still is getting free first class upgrades?

  4. As a Gold Medallion and One Million Miler I am sorry to see that Delta is taking away Economy Comfort (aka Comfort+) seat benefits at time of booking beginning March 1, 2015. This comes on top of fewer and fewer upgrades to First Class. Not a good way to reward loyalty. The question is what incentive is there to fly 50,000 miles and spend $6,000 to qualify for Gold Medallion for
    2016 when they have changed the rules of the game.

  5. Yes, upgrading to comfort + isn’t the same as upgrading to first. If you are flying on the same ticket, the higher status can reserve + for both parties. If the website gives you any trouble, call an agent and they will hook you up. They have the authority to do those types of favors for good customers.

  6. Allow passengers to check one bag for free and the fight for space in the overhead bins becomes much less of an issue. I was on a round trip itinerary last week from Orlando to Las Vegas. The Delta outbound flight, a Boeing 737-900, was about 90% full. Passengers brought more bags on board than could be accommodated in the bins. About 15 bags had to be gate checked which caused at 15 minute delay in take-off. My return flight was on Southwest on a Boeing 737-800. Every seat was filled and yet, all travelers’ bags were accommodated in the overhead. Southwest offers free baggage checking. The flight was able to push back from the gate at LAS a few minutes early.

  7. Just returned on a EWR-ATL MD88 with the new seats in first. Coach still had the Economy Comfort covers. They looked nice, but I was still in Newark on a MD88 that was 3 hours late.

  8. I’m traveling international long haul (Dubai to ATL) after March 1, but bought my tickets in September. I booked free Economy Comfort seats with my Platinum status at the time I paid for the trip…is Delta now going to change my cabin seating to match the price I paid?! (BTW, I will drop to Gold in 2015.)

  11. Let me say this:

    Delta is in a tough spot. Wall Street wants growth that isn’t possible for a public traded company. And even if it was possible, consolidation in air travel had made the big carriers Too Big To Fail. It would not surprise me, for example if the airlines ask for some form of deregulation to be rolled back in the next ten years.

    That said, the classic business mistake Delta is making is putting these labels out there to pull its market share into higher revenue categories (upselling) without tying these distinctions to something real. For example, Delta eschews all Southern motifs on its planes for fear of turning off passengers. Yet it’s pretty obvious they could incorporate “Southern Hospitality” or “Comfort Food” themes without having to answer about their opinions on reparations for slavery.

    But while we are at it, the other problem is that international service by American based airlines is dying business as we lose more market share to Airbus for the really big jets. This puts more pressure on Boeing to export planes like the 787 which make foreign airlines a lot more eager to fly non stops to places which feed into US airlines hubs for international flights…

    Now if you followed all that good for you–even though I know Delta and its investors will do exactly the opposite…

  12. Pardon my ignorance but what is the flight time to make something long haul vs. short haul int’l?

  13. Just like all the other Diamond level travelers on Delta, I don’t see any benefit if I don’t get an upgrade. We’ll see if this new ‘system’ provides some recognition of my status that currently doesn’t exist. Flying Delta out of SFO is frequently the least desirable option since changing planes in ATL or DTW requires me to fly past my destination, then double-back. I’ve had better connections and shorter flight times on Virgin America and American, both of which seem to be trying harder than Delta. In the end, the stratification of Delta’s new seating regime (and bureaucratic administration) may be the final straw compelling me to switch permanently to AA and/or VA.

  14. I am Platinum now but will likely be Gold next year. I also fly with family who won’t be able to book in the same sections. And I also wonder about the “quilted seat covers” – will these be changed for every flight?

  15. Wow. Could they make it any more confusing? As a Diamond member who often travels with my wife who is Gold, it sounds like we cannot even confirm Economy Comfort (+) together anymore. It was nice when NWA allowed my traveling companion to upgrade with my status if we were booked together although I understand why that is not viable anymore with the incredibly high number of Diamond members now. It seems particularly cheap, however, to not let us even book seats together in +. Between the two of us, we have earned over 250K MQMs this year but may have to sit in the back in non-comfort, non-preferred seats unless we get upgraded to plus less than 72 hours out. I had accepted no longer getting first class upgrades when we travel together (since, in effect, my status drops to hers) but this seems to push it a bit too far. Yes, I will benefit from these changes when I travel alone (due to more availability in + for Diamonds and Platinums) but my wife and I now have far less reason to travel Delta when we are traveling together. The extra 100k+ MQMs beyond Diamond that I have earned this year don’t get me anything so I might as well move our joint travel to whatever airline has the best deal for non-elite flyers (which is pretty much what these changes makes us on Delta when we travel together). Am I missing something?

  16. Dedicated overhead space on C+, really how they going to enforce that?
    will a FA be there and stop Pax from putting their luggage in those overhead spaces? I highly doubt it

    Many many people put their luggage in the first open space even if they seat all the way in the back!!

  18. Just another way Delta continues to confuse and frustrate their flyers. They have to publish a chart like a tax code to figure out what the heck is going on!! Delta continues to disappoint this 3mm miler. Shame on you Delta

  19. Pig is not exactly flattering. I agree, most of this announcement is nomenclature. Lipstick on a pig implies 2 things: 1) the change is cosmetic (I agree) and 2) the product was broken to begin with. If you believe that, then you should follow my suggestion of flying UA

  20. I understand why they’re doing it but I’m not sure it’s worth the cost or the bother. It’s sure going to confuse customers, especially those who travel infrequently. On the other hand, all of the airlines are attempting to give customers exactly what they’re willing to pay for. On that basis, if you want the cheapest fares, expect basic transportation and nothing more.

  21. Love this much better chance of avoiding middle seat and getting into EC+ more easily for those of Flying 140+ segments a year. Huge upgrade!!!

  22. I am amazed at the “improvements” Delta has made. I fly over 275k butt in seat miles and spend over 60k and know one has ever asked my opinion of what makes my travel life easier. It is a small list and has nothing to do with “their” enhancements.
    1. Allow me to change my flight 24 hours ahead with out jumpered ng through fare hoops.
    2. Quit flooding the TSA PreCheck system.
    3. Answer the flight attendant call button when I ring it.
    4. Don’t act like it is my fault my flight is running late and not boarding fast enough when the equipment arrived 10 minutes before our scheduled departure time.
    5. Can I have back my upgrade certificates that were taken away on the last enhancement.

  24. What about JFK-SEA upgrades? It appears that these still aren’t available but there’s also no upgraded aircraft.

  25. Wow, Delta must spend thousands of dollars in obsessive analysis to take away benefits. It’s crazy. First class domestic is a joke and it is all downhill from there. Then the marketing pieces arrive as if we are idiots. Who cares? If Southwest would allow same day standby they would clean Delta’s clock. At least they don’t patronize everyone. Delta puts crap in a box, wraps it in a bow and says Merry Christmas. No thanks.

  28. I didn’t say anything about service, just about the new seats. And changing the name of the booking levels is the “lipstick on the pig” comment. Just calling it something new doesn’t make it better.

  31. I love C+ on international flights. Took it from CDG-SLC this year. Don’t let Delta see this, but I will still probably pay for C+ at booking. Honestly, I would rather have the discount at booking International rather than hoping at T -72 I can grab 2 C+’s next to each other.

    (and I tend to agree with your comment about DL’s service. Been on US/UA/AA this year and still feel DL’s level of service is #1)

  32. DL offers the best service in the US, if you ask me. Don’t like these changes, go fly UA (I doubt you’ll last long).

  33. But Golds now get free C+ on international flights @72 hours, which is a new benefit we didn’t use to have. C+ can make a big difference on a very long international flight

  34. Devalues Gold by not allowing them to select C+ seats at booking and by (apparently) eliminating the discount.

  35. Putting lipstick on the pig … that doesn’t really do much, does it. And Quilted Comfort seats …. looks like more opportunities for crumbs and crud to get on your clothes.

  36. I think we’ve reached critical mass with the number of class options. A frequent flyer can discern what the 5 classes different means, but this will overwhelm the casual flyer. In the age of a la carte amenities for everything (at a fee), I don’t understand why we need more classes than ever.

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