FirstClassFlyer

In this Installment, How to Go Non-stop Coast-to-Coast at Up to 44% Off in Business Class on Delta.

[aside headline="Non-stop Transcon Alternatives" alignment="alignright" width="half" headline_size="default"]

See transcon savings strategies on American in FCF’s Sept. Upgrade Advisor and on United in FCF’s Oct. Upgrade Advisor.

Or go for JetBlue’s new premium seat on the LAX-JFK route, coming in June. Fares will start at about $1,200 but seats for June 15-18 are on sale now for about $1,000. The 22.3-inch-wide seat—dubbed Mint—turns into an 80-inch-long lie-flat-bed (2-2 layout,15-inch flat screen monitor).

[/aside]

Last month, FCF did a deep dive into United’s transcon routes, showing how to save up to 57%; and in October we did the same for American (up to 80% off).

This month we focus on Delta (next up is Virgin America). We’re taking each airline separately because what works with one airline may not work with another.

Our research discovered that Delta offers no major discounts on Business Class transcons. (That reminded me why FCF does fewer articles on Delta than most any other airline.) Even when it comes to using miles, Delta rewards the economy class traveler, not the premium traveler (explanation in a moment).

Recap on Strategies with American and United

American has the “Stopover Loophole Strategy (SLS)”, “Package Strategy”, and “Newark Strategy”; United has good free and upgrade award availability, but no SLS or package savings. Without these strategies, a transcon flight can cost $3,500 to $4,400.

Delta, defying all odds, has no SLS savings, no package savings, no nonstop Newark savings option, and no upgrade or free saver mileage award space on its LAX/SFO-JFK routes.

What Does Delta Have?

A new transcon fare that is $1,126 (32%) to $1,929 (44%) cheaper than American’s and United’s. This shows you how far Delta will go to sell Premium seats at a discount rather than giving SkyMiles members a way to use their miles. Delta’s transcon flight is for you if you’re happy to pay cash, especially on the LAX redeye because the carrier offers flatbed seats on more than half of those flights.

Delta’s New Transcon Fare

Delta’s new transcon fare is an economy T-fare with a built in upgrade to Business Class. It costs $969 (28%) less than Delta’s own lowest advance-purchase fare. But you must be very flexible. Here are the major restrictions:

Advance purchase requirement: 21-days.
Validity: all day Saturday and 5pm to midnight Sunday through Friday.
Departure window: within 180 days of booking.
Booking code: Z.

[aside headline="Good Connections" alignment="alignright" width="half" headline_size="default"]Don’t live in Los Angeles, New York, or San Francisco? You can still take advantage of Delta’s new seats by using the Transcon route as your connection. For example, if you’re flying Boston-LAX (or vice versa), connect via JFK to catch the Transcon, rather than going through Detroit or Minneapolis, the usual routing from Boston.[/aside]

Delta’s Flat-Bed Seats and Aircraft

Delta currently has international flat-bed seats on its transcon B767-300ERs. (This aircraft sometimes flies Seattle-JFK, too.) Business Class cabin has 26 seats (21-inches wide, 1-2-1 configuration) that turn into a 79-inch-long flat-bed. Each has a 10.6-inch monitor, Wi-Fi, USB ports, and standard 110v power connections.

Delta also offers 29 Premium Economy seats—Economy Comfort—on the B767-300ER. They offer 35 inches of pitch and 50% more recline than standard economy. (See March issue for special report on Premium Economy.)

Delta also uses B757-200s on its transcon route, and is giving the planes an overhaul. The first three B757-200s with new 20-inch-wide Business Class seats (16 of them configured 2-2 and with a 16-inch monitor) will start flying LAX JFK on July 1, 2014; at which point all LAX-JFK flights will have flat-bed seats. The plane will also have 44 Economy Comfort seats. JFK-SFO and Seattle will have B757-200 flat-bed seat by summer 2015.

Bad News on Using Miles for Free Award Tickets

Neither upgrades from economy to Business nor Business Class Saver awards are currently available from December 2013 through October 2014 on LAX/SFO-JFK. However, Delta does offer economy mileage awards on these transcon routes, rewarding the economy traveler, not the premium traveler. So if you think you will pay eight or nine Business Class flights so you get a free Business Class mileage award, think twice, because your reward on this route for free space is economy.

Seattle-JFK, which Delta considers its third transcon route, has extremely limited award seats in Business Class through October 2014.

Transcon Head-to-Head: American, Delta, and United

[table_opt style="gray-header" id="1598 " width="" alignment="center" responsive="all" heading="thcenter" rows="tdcenter"]

[["","#colspan#","#colspan#","American*<\/strong>","Delta<\/strong>","#colspan#","United**<\/strong>"],["Flights per Week","JFK - LAX","#colspan#","63","49","#colspan#","40"],["#rowspan#","JFK - SFO","#colspan#","28","42","#colspan#","46"],["Cabins","Business","#colspan#","Yes","Yes","#colspan#","Yes"],["#rowspan#","First","#colspan#","Yes","No","#colspan#","No"],["New Flat-Bed Seats","JFK - LAX","Started","No","Yes on B767-300ER","No on B757-200","Yes"],["#rowspan#","#rowspan#","Completion Date","Thursday, May 08, 2014","Yes","July 1, 2014","Dec. 2013"],["#rowspan#","JFK - SFO","Started","No","Yes on B767-300ER","No on B757-200","Yes"],["#rowspan#","#rowspan#","Completion Date","Wednesday, June 11, 2014","Yes","By summer 2015","Dec. 2013"],["#rowspan#","JFK - Sattle","Started","No","Yes on B767-300ER","No on B757-200","No"],["#rowspan#","#rowspan#","Completion Date","No","Yes","By summer 2015","No"],["Business Class","Seat","Quantity","20","26","16 (757-200; EQP code 75W)","28"],["#rowspan#","#rowspan#","Recline","180 flat-bed","180 flat-bed","180 flat-bed","180 flat-bed"],["#rowspan#","#rowspan#","Width","19\u201d","21\u201d","20\u201d (expandable up to 22\u201d)","21\u201d"],["#rowspan#","#rowspan#","Bed Length","81.5\u201d","79\u201d","76\u201d","76\u201d"],["#rowspan#","#rowspan#","Configuration","2 x 2","1 x 2 x 1","2 x 2","2 x 2"],["#rowspan#","Fares","Published JFK-LAX Fare with Advance","$3,572*** (30-day advance)","$2,446***** (21-day advance)","#colspan#","$4,374**** (14-day advance)"],["#rowspan#","#rowspan#","Published JFK-LAX Fare with No Advance","$4,974","$5,091","#colspan#","$5,834"],["#rowspan#","#rowspan#","Stopover Loophole\nStrategy******","Save up to 67%","None","#colspan#","None"],["#rowspan#","#rowspan#","Package Strategy","Save up to 25%","No Savings","#colspan#","No Savings"],["#rowspan#","#rowspan#","Newark Strategy","Save up to 71%","No Savings","#colspan#","No Savings"],["#rowspan#","Miles","Free Availability","Good","Zero Availability","#colspan#","Good"],["#rowspan#","#rowspan#","Upgrade Availability","Great","#rowspan#","#colspan#","Great"],["#rowspan#","#rowspan#","Cost for Upgrade","$150 plus 30,000 miles","(no space)","#colspan#","$150 plus 40,000 miles"],["#rowspan#","#rowspan#","Lower Mileage Rate via Partner","No","Save 10,000 miles with Alaska","#colspan#","Save 15,000 miles with\nLufthansa"],["#rowspan#","#rowspan#","Free Stopover on Award","Yes","Yes","#colspan#","Yes"],["First Class","Seat","Number of Seats","10","No First Class Cabin","#colspan#","#colspan#"],["#rowspan#","#rowspan#","Recline","180 flat-bed","#rowspan#","#colspan#","#colspan#"],["#rowspan#","#rowspan#","Width","27.4\u201d","#rowspan#","#colspan#","#colspan#"],["#rowspan#","#rowspan#","Configuration","1 x 1","#rowspan#","#colspan#","#colspan#"],["#rowspan#","Fares","Published","$4,832","#rowspan#","#colspan#","#colspan#"],["#rowspan#","#rowspan#","Stopover Loophole\nStrategy******","Save up to 80%","#rowspan#","#colspan#","#colspan#"],["#rowspan#","#rowspan#","Package Strategy","Save up to 31%","#rowspan#","#colspan#","#colspan#"],["#rowspan#","Miles","Free Availability","LAX: Handful, SFO: Good","#rowspan#","#colspan#","#colspan#"],["#rowspan#","#rowspan#","Upgrade Availability","Yes","#rowspan#","#colspan#","#colspan#"],["#rowspan#","#rowspan#","Free Stopover on Award","Yes","#rowspan#","#colspan#","#colspan#"],["Getting Miles","Buy","#colspan#","60,000 Annually ranging from 2.8\u00a2 (on sale) to 3.8\u00a2","60,000 Annually at 3.5\u00a2","#colspan#","150,000 Annually ranging from 2.3\u00a2 (on sale) to 3.8\u00a2"],["#rowspan#","Transfer","#colspan#","Starwood","Amex Rewards, Starwood","#colspan#","Chase"]]

*See Sept. issue for AA details. **See Oct. issue for United details.***Sunday stay requirement; no max stay requirement; booking code I. ****No minimum or max stay requirement; booking code P. *****Day-time restriction: Permitted Sat. or 5pm to midnight Sunday through Friday; 21-day advance purchase; has to be booked within 180 days of departure; no minimum or max requirement; booking code Z. ******Stopover Loophole Strategy (see Sept. issue for details).