Delta, American Airlines Adding More Premium Seating and Experiences
American Airlines and Delta Air Lines are working to improve the customer experience with a series of new and overhauled premium seats, features and amenities.
American revealed that deliveries of Airbus A321XLR and Boeing 787-9 aircraft starting in 2024 would feature new Flagship Suite premium seating and a reimagined interior for the long-haul fleet.
Flagship Suite seats will offer customers a premium experience with a privacy door, a chaise lounge seating option and more personal storage space. The airline is also adding more custom-designed Premium Economy seats to its long-haul aircraft, including more privacy and double the in-seat storage space.
With the introduction of new interiors on its long-haul aircraft, premium seating on American’s long-haul fleet will grow more than 45 percent by 2026. The carrier’s Boeing 787-9 will have 51 Flagship Suite seats and 32 Premium Economy seats, while it’s Airbus A321XLR will feature 20 Flagship Suite seats and 12 Premium Economy seats.
American will also be retrofitting its existing aircraft, the Boeing 777-300ER and Airbus A321T, to include more Flagship Suite and Premium Economy seats.
As for Delta, the airline unveiled a refreshed Delta Premium Select cabin experience, featuring locally-inspired dining, premium hand-crafted amenities and more dedicated service touchpoints.
Starting September 20, Delta Premium Select customers will enjoy an elevated dining experience that offers more options infused with local flavors. Menu options include meals like braised beef short rib with fingerling potatoes and dijon green peppercorn jus; and Impossible Meatballs with polenta, pomodorini sauce and broccolini.
The carrier also announced it would phase in new handmade amenity kits by Someone Somewhere featuring Grown Alchemist travel essentials and other premium essentials, beginning in October. Other premium amenities include a memory-foam pillow, noise-canceling headsets and plush blankets.
Delta Premium Select offers travelers more space to stretch out with wider seats, additional recline and an adjustable footrest and leg rest on most long-haul international flights.