Where to find free “In-Class Seat Upgrades” through little-known aircraft-deployment anomalies.
Delta has completed its new international Business Class seat rollout. It’s an opportunity to get a double upgrade on domestic routes, meaning not only an international premium seat, but a flat-bed one at no additional cost.
Comfort Comparison: Delta’s International Business Class Versus Its Domestic First Class
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The International Seat
Sometimes Delta uses two-class international aircraft (A333s and B767s) on domestic routes. The benefit: It has Delta’s international Business Class seat, Delta One, a 21-inch-wide seat that converts to a 76.5 to 81-inch-long flat-bed (length varies by aircraft).
[aside headline="Good Connections Count" alignment="alignright" width="half" headline_size="default"]Keep the flight numbers and routes mentioned in the chart in mind when connecting in order to get a better seat. When flying Los Angeles-Frankfurt, go via Atlanta, to catch DL1254 to get the wide-body B767.[/aside]
Where to Find the International Seat on Domestic Routes
There are two caveats to the chart below: Delta changes flight numbers and aircraft deployment often. For example, on Atlanta-Los Angeles on Jan. 9, 2016, Delta operates an international B767-300 as flight DL1655. On Feb. 12, 2016, the aircraft changes to an A333 and Delta adds a second international aircraft flight, DL2379, which uses the B767- 300. Then, on March 1, 2016, both flight numbers change to DL1203 (A333) and DL1455 (B767-300), and on March 2, 2016, Delta drops the A333 flight, and on April 1, 2016, Delta discontinues the B767, only to bring it back on April 4, 2016, as DL1219. (Recheck flight numbers and type of aircraft at time of booking by clicking on “details” to get aircraft information on the Delta website when selecting your flight.) Note that aircraft used on routes to Hawaii don’t change as often.
When to Maybe Pay with Miles for an International Seat on a Domestic Route
The Return-on-Miles Math
Free Mileage Award: On the Atlanta-Los Angeles route, Delta uses a two-cabin B767-300. The return on miles is okay because fares are usually high—a domestic First Class ticket often costs $1,303. Delta charges 62,500 miles for a First Class ticket, which equals 2¢ per mile. So if you have lots of Delta miles, this could be an option, but an even better alternative: Use 40,000 Alitalia miles or 45,000 Virgin Atlantic miles.
Mileage Upgrade: The math for an upgrade on the AtlantaLos Angeles route: Subtract the published First Class ticket cost ($1,303) from the upgradeable economy ticket ($516, K class), and then divide the savings by the cost of miles (40,000): $1,303 minus $516 is $787, divided by 40,000, also yields a return of about 2¢ per mile.
Where to Find Delta’s International Business Class Seat on Domestic Routes
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