Originally Posted by
3Cforme
You are correct that 767s are the backbone of the Delta long-haul fleet. The 25 A359s and 25 A339s on order isn't going to change that. Nor are the 18 787s on order for which DL prominently notes they have 739 substitution rights.
By virtue of range, 763s and 764s are used on relatively shorter routes than the A359s and 777s named in DL's press release to get the suites. If anyone thinks a route of 4,000sm or so demands a suite he is likely to be less than fulfilled with the scope of the announcement. (DL has used 767s on routes of up to 5,500-5,800 miles.)
The domestic config (standard domestic first, not lie-flat business) 763s are going to be reduced sharply in number right after Labor Day. Four or five will remain (PW powered) to service high-demand domestic routes as they do today.
What DL is going to do with the 40 A330s it has today (332, 333, 333 242T) is an unanswered question. Maybe they'll see what suites to do average business cabin fares (the mix of J, C, D, I - as well as published fares) and offer the suite product more broadly.
I don't think a mix of business class seats across the fleet is a fatal flaw. AA, DL, and UA all have very large intercon fleets. What is space-efficient and offering a competitive set of amenities may not work across the full range 757-A359. Then there's the cycle of upgrades: a new seat can't be rolled out to ~120 aircraft instantly. DL has managed to offer lie-flats/aisle access on all long-haul widebodies. AA can't make that claim - it will be stuck installing last-gen seats even as Polaris and suites are rolling out.
As for my expectations, I need - need - lie flats to sleep. (A UA First suite to Sydney a long time ago was revelatory!) More privacy and storage is good. Market prices will determine what I buy.
I agree with you here that offering a mix of suites is not a fatal flaw, many people in this thread have noted that since the suites aren't being installed on every fleet type that its not the sweeping upgrade Polaris is. But DL's A330s already have reverse-herringbone J seats, which even though they are relatively old, are still better than anything United currently offers in J, and in the case of the IPTE seats are significantly better.
The 767s are another thing, but I imagine given that DL currently have 40 A330s with a few new ones arriving now, along with the 50 new longhaul aircraft on order through the next couple years, the 767s will largely be relegated to shorter and less competitive routes than the A330s and A350s. Its also yet to be seen what upgrade plans delta has for the 767s, as in the case of Polaris there's no way United will be able to fit the same Polaris into the 767 as they are showcasing in the 777. In fact, I'd say short of the trade-off to United's setup which I personally dislike, DL's current seats are not worse than any other longhaul business setup in the 767, as the vast majority of airlines with 767s still in the fleet make use of the same Vantage seats.