Rendering of Delta’s lie flat seating on transcon 757s. (Image: Delta)
Last week, we reported that more airlines are bringing front cabins with flat-bed seating to transcontinental routes out of Boston; and now Delta and JetBlue are bringing more enhanced service to other coast-to-coast routes.
Delta said that not only will it offer front cabin seats that lie flat on its upcoming new routes between Boston-San Francisco and Washington Reagan National-Los Angeles; it will also give those routes the full transcon treatment that it offers from New York to SFO and LAX. Meanwhile, JetBlue has set the starting dates for expansion of its premium cabin Mint service to more transcon markets.
The 757-200s that Delta will start flying between DCA-LAX once a day on May 24 and BOS-SFO twice a day on June 8 will have a Delta One cabin with full flat-bed seats “as well as enhanced amenities throughout…the aircraft,” Delta said.
But there’s a downside to this lie-flat goodness: Delta will no longer offer complimentary upgrades to first class on these routes. Delta medallions get free upgrades to Delta Comfort and Delta First, but not to Delta One.
First class lie-flat seats in Delta’s BOS-SFO 757-200 starting in June. (Image: Delta)
The Delta One flat seats will come with Westin Heavenly In-Flight bedding; enhanced in-fight dining with “chef-curated menus served on Alessi serviceware;” wines that change seasonally; a dedicated flight attendant for the front cabin; power ports and USB outlets; seatback screens with free entertainment; noise-canceling headphones; and a Tumi amenity kit. Delta One customers on the new routes will also get Sky Club access and priority check-in and baggage handling.
As previously announced, passengers in Delta Comfort and Main Cabin seats will get the same free meals that Delta is introducing on other transcon routes, and Delta Comfort flyers will get a pre-arrival snack, free alcoholic drinks and a frozen yogurt bar, along with a modest amenity kit.
A private suite in JetBlue’s Mint cabin. (Image: JetBlue)
Meanwhile, Routesonline.com reports that JetBlue has set starting dates for the deployment of Mint-equipped A321s on more transcon routes.
On August 15, JetBlue will put Mint service onto one of its two daily JFK-San Diego flights, extending it to the second daily flight on October 19. Boston-San Diego will get Mint service on one daily flight beginning December 10, and on the second by December 20. JetBlue’s three daily JFK-Las Vegas flights will see Mint service on one flight starting November 6 and on a second effective November 10.
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