Delta Air Lines’ new widebody Airbus A330-900neo aircraft will make its debut on three routes from Seattle to Asia this summer, bringing with it the carrier’s latest enclosed, fully flat Delta One Suites in the business class cabin.
The new aircraft will begin operating flights on Delta’s Seattle-Shanghai Pudong route on July 1, followed by Seattle-Seoul Incheon on August 1 and Seattle-Tokyo Narita on August 31. Delta made the announcement on Thursday February 28, though the airline’s online schedule does not yet list the changes.
The A330-900neo notably features all four of Delta’s branded seat products, including the business class Delta One Suites (29 seats), premium economy Delta Premium Select (28 seats), extra-legroom economy Delta Comfort+ (56 seats), and regular economy Main Cabin (168 seats).
The Delta One Suite, which debuted on the airline’s Airbus A350-900 aircraft and is also being retrofitted across Delta’s Boeing 777 fleet, features a full-height door that provides an enclosed “suite” space. Seats recline to a fully flat position and are laid out in a 1-2-1 configuration offering direct aisle access to all passengers.
The airline’s Delta Premium Select, meanwhile, offers a pitch (legroom) of 38 inches and a width of 18.5 inches, along with adjustable head and leg rests.
Delta Comfort+ offers 34 inches of pitch, while Main Cabin offers up to 33 inches.
The change of metal will be a particular upgrade for the airline’s Shanghai and Seoul routes that are operated by Delta’s three-class B767-300. These feature the older Delta One seat and also don’t have a premium economy cabin.
For the Seattle-Tokyo service, the upgrade is less pronounced since, as of today, the route is now being operated by the A350-900. The aircraft also has Delta One Suites (32 seats), Delta Premium Select (48 seats) and Main Cabin (226 seats) seating.
“As Seattle’s largest global airline, Delta will nearly double the premium seat offerings to both local and connecting customers in our top Asian markets by the end of this summer, with additional services to come,” said Delta president, Glen Hauenstein.
Delta has been focusing much of its attention on its Asia-Pacific network over the past few years, launching new routes and upgauging to superior aircraft on existing services.
Of the six routes getting the airline’s retrofitted 777 aircraft over the next month, four are to destinations in the Asia-Pacific. These notably include its Minneapolis/St Paul-Tokyo Haneda and Atlanta-Tokyo Narita services, which are being operated by revamped 777s starting today.
Last week, Delta applied for four new routes connecting Tokyo Haneda with its US hubs, including Seattle. The airline is competing with proposals for other routes between the US and Tokyo Haneda from rival carriers United Airlines and American Airlines.
Delta has also been placing heavy emphasis on its services to Seoul following the launch of its joint-venture agreement with Korean Air last April.
