Flying an airline that is in the middle of rolling out new seats adds yet another variable to the Rubik’s Cube of getting the best deal you can. Why pay top dollar for a seat that’s passé?
Case in point: Delta, which just finished installing flat-bed seats in Business Class on two aircraft, B-767-400s and B777s, that ply international routes.
[aside headline="Don’t (Always) Avoid Delta’s Old Northwest Aircraft" alignment="alignright" width="half" headline_size="default"]Their A330-200s, A330-300s, and B747s have half-decent seats, even by today’s standards: 176-degree recline, 20 inches wide, 60 inches of pitch.[/aside]
But they only account for 25% of the rollout, and it will be another two years before the entire widebody fleet has the new seat. (Adding to the complication is that not long ago Delta absorbed Northwest, inheriting a fleet of aircraft different from its own.) So until the new seats get seated, here’s what you need to know to get the best one for your bottom dollar.
New Seat Specs
Boeing 777: A flat-bed (180-degree recline) 76 inches long, 23.5 inches wide (44 inches wide at the shoulder).
Boeing 767-400: A flat-bed (180-degree recline) 78 inches long, 21.5 inches wide (44 inches wide at the shoulder).
Aircraft to Avoid
B757-200s and B767-300s: It’s important to remember your B767 suffixes. It’s the 400 that has the new seat and the 300 that has this inferior model: reclines 160 degrees, 18.5 inches wide, 60 inches of pitch. Delta uses the 767-300 on many European routes. On B757s the seat only reclines 150 degrees, is 19.5 inches wide, and has 55 to 60 inches of pitch.
Connection Consideration
On New York-Shanghai, Delta requires a change in Atlanta, Detroit, or Seattle. Connect in Atlanta to get the new B777 Business Cass seat.
Delta Seat Comparison: Get More Value
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Watch Out For...
Boston-London, Heathrow; because Delta has two different seats on this route. Currently DL 144 flight uses a B757, which has the old Business Class seat. Book DL 270 instead, for a B764 with the new flat-bed seat. The Business Class fare and mileage redemption are the same: about $2,362 (50-day advance-purchase, plus taxes and fees) or 100,000 miles (least expensive award).
An Opportunity
Aircraft with the new seat also have a larger Business Class cabin, meaning a better chance of low-cost mileage redemption. On the New YorkFrankfurt route, Delta operates a B757-200, which has 16 Business Class seats, whereas on New York-Milan it flies the B767-400 with 40 Business Class seats. That improves your odds greatly when using miles, generically speaking.
Where to Find Delta’s Best International Business Class Seats
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