Delta Invests in International Premium Economy

Economy seats in a Boeing 757. - These images are protected by copyright, and are available here with permission from the copyright owner. You may use these images to promote Delta as part of Delta-approved marketing and advertising. Further distribution, reproduction, display, or other use is strictly prohibited.

New seating class will be available on Airbus A350 aircraft beginning next year.

Flyers aboard Delta Air Lines will have a new seating option to look forward to in 2017, coinciding with the arrival of the airline’s new Airbus A350 aircraft. Skift reports the airline has confirmed the addition of international premium economy seats, announcing the news during a press day introducing new chief executive Ed Bastian.

The redesigned premium economy seats were first introduced to the public at the end of 2014, along with the further segmentation of Delta’s seating options for flyers of all budgets. During the media day, the airline announced to reporters the international premium economy will first be introduced on the incoming A350 aircraft. Airways News reports the airline will use the new aircraft primarily on trans-Pacific routes, replacing the retiring Boeing 747 aircraft currently flying.

Once the A350 aircraft are introduced, the international premium economy flights will be extended to the remaining international widebody aircraft, including the Boeing 777 and the Airbus A330. However, reporters say the airline may not include Comfort Plus seating on the international premium economy aircraft, differentiating the two products as separate domestic and international seating options. Officials at Delta have not announced an official timeline for integrating the new seat charts on their existing aircraft fleet, or which routes will receive the retrofitted aircraft first.

With the announcement, Delta joins only American Airlines as the only legacy carriers offering a dedicated premium economy option for international travel. International carriers which preceded Delta in offering premium economy seating include British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines.

[Photo: Delta]