Delta Annouces "New BusinessElite" Sevices Between JFK - LAX & SFO
#1
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Delta Annouces "New BusinessElite" Sevices Between JFK - LAX & SFO
NEW YORK, Aug. 25 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) today announced a significant expansion of BusinessElite service from New York. The airline ... in September will begin to introduce new BusinessElite service on transcontinental flights between Delta's JFK hub and Los Angeles and San Francisco
...
Popular cradle-style seats with 150 degrees of recline and 55 inches of pitch in the BusinessElite cabin on all transcontinental flights between New York and San Francisco and Los Angeles
...
Wireless Internet access for both business- and economy-class customers on all flights between New York and Los Angeles and San Francisco by the end of the year"
http://news.delta.com/index.php?s=43&item=754
...
Popular cradle-style seats with 150 degrees of recline and 55 inches of pitch in the BusinessElite cabin on all transcontinental flights between New York and San Francisco and Los Angeles
...
Wireless Internet access for both business- and economy-class customers on all flights between New York and Los Angeles and San Francisco by the end of the year"
http://news.delta.com/index.php?s=43&item=754
Before this annoucement, I noticed that 757-200s with business elite seats began to appear in schedule starting September 09...I thought something was up.
Now, the real question is, what kind of "New BusinessElite" service will Delta provide on this route?
Will meals be enhanced even further with appetizer/soup/salad like true business elite? Will amenity kits, large pillows, and duvets be given on all flights? Or, is this just a publicity stunt with no true enhancement except for the businesselite seats?
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I guess this is more than just a seasonal upgrade in aircraft. Now DL's on par with Virgin America in terms of type of seat.
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#5
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^ Great competitive move. Sounds like the cut-back in international service this Fall has freed up the BE equipped aircraft for this service. Delta has, from time to time, flown BE equipped aircraft on these routes; but, the service was not marketed or sold as BE. That they are now marketing the flights as "new" and "BusinessElite" implies a real service enhancement on these flights, IMHO. I would anticipate the full BE treatment...large pillows, duvets, noise cancelling head sets, enhanced meal service, etc.
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As previously mentioned in other threads UA and really AA dominate the corporate contracts on SFO-JFK and LAX-JFK respectively. UA and AA offer 3-class service and DL still won't. The DL BE seat is identical to the VX seat. This is a nice upgrade compared to the regular F seats but DL is still inferior to AA and UA.
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Flights between New York (JFK) and Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, and Seattle
In addition to our snack selection you will also receive a complimentary meal with a choice of two entrées from Delta Chef Michelle Bernstein (at lunch and dinner only2), a bag of premium gourmet nuts, and ice cream truffle
In addition to our snack selection you will also receive a complimentary meal with a choice of two entrées from Delta Chef Michelle Bernstein (at lunch and dinner only2), a bag of premium gourmet nuts, and ice cream truffle
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Actually, as an UA1K, I have flown countless p.s. flights as well as AA transcon. AA's product sucks. It's hardly premium service. They use those OLLLLLLLD 767s and their meal services don't even come close to p.s. If DL enhances their meal service on this route, it will be better than UA p.s.
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There is already a slight difference in the meal service.
http://www.delta.com/traveling_check....../dining.jsp
http://www.delta.com/traveling_check....../dining.jsp
The real question is if DL will upgrade to meal to true business elite.
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Mods might want to merge with this thread as today's press release is confirmation.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/delta...lax-route.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/delta...lax-route.html
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I have a feeling that will be the case as well. But, they really need to raise the bar. CO and UA serve int'l style meals on this route. We will see.
#15
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Delta used to fly BE-equipped 767s between JFK-LAX/SFO years ago, and it was marketed as domestic bizelite. Medallion upgrades were allowed (it used to be only on K-fare and higher though and required points), and I would expect they will allow them this time too of course. The service was better than domestic F but still nowhere near as nice as full BE. I remember having a brilliant risotto and champagne on one flight to SFO. Those were the good old days, because not only were there tons of BE seats in the 767s but they also devoted the mini-cabin to BE versus coach as it is today.
Of course, on the 757s today the upgrade rates should go down for Medallions because there are 16 F seats versus the 26 we've become used to with the ex-song planes...
Of course, on the 757s today the upgrade rates should go down for Medallions because there are 16 F seats versus the 26 we've become used to with the ex-song planes...