Delta to improve passenger comfort on 225 US domestic narrowbody aircraft

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Posted on Jan 09 2014
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Delta Air Lines will invest more than $770 million through 2016 to refresh the interiors of its Boeing 757-200, 737-800, Airbus A319, and A320 aircraft to provide power at every seat, add new slim-line seats with adjustable headrests, updated lavatories, add more efficient galleys and additional features to improve passenger comfort.

Delta has invested more than $3 billion since 2010 to improve the customer experience onboard its aircraft and to upgrade technology and facilities. All Delta international widebody aircraft for trans-Pacific routes have been upgraded with direct-aisle access full flatbed seats in the BusinessElite cabin in summer 2013. Delta’s fleet of 16 Boeing 747-400 aircraft, 18 Boeing 777 aircraft, and 21 Boeing 767-400ER has been retrofitted with full flatbed seats. The full international widebody fleet of more than 140 aircraft including 58 Boeing 767-300ER and 32 Airbus 330 will be upgraded by mid-2014 and all transcontinental flights will have full flatbed seats in BusinessElite by summer 2015.

Delta has also invested in its new Terminal 4 at New York-JFK and Maynard H. Jackson Jr. International Terminal in Atlanta. Delta has spent more than $100 million to expand, renovate, and consolidate terminals C and D at New York-LaGuardia Airport. Additionally, customers have seen Delta’s investment in its more than 50 Delta Sky Clubs throughout the system with the installation of power poles in gate areas at more than 40 airports and updates to the popular Fly Delta app, which has been downloaded by nearly 10 million customers.

“We’re continuing to make smart long-term investments in our products and services to meet the expectations of our customers,” said Glen Hauenstein, executive vice president–chief revenue officer. “In just six years, we will have updated interiors throughout Delta’s fleet, giving customers improved comfort and more options to work or relax and be entertained.”

This latest capital investment will improve the service consistency provided to Delta’s customers in first class and economy cabins as well as increase aircraft efficiency and overall customer satisfaction of the airline’s domestic narrowbody fleet.

The investments have maintained more first class seats than any U.S. carrier; present more in-flight entertainment options; provide access to Wi-Fi on all domestic two-class domestic aircraft with expansion to its entire international fleet by 2015; offer economy comfort seats on all two-class aircraft to give customers extra legroom; and increase access to power for customers in-flight.

[B]757-200 aircraft improvements[/B]

Delta’s modifications to 56 of its 757-200 aircraft will include installing in-seat video, satellite TV and access to power for every passenger, along with new galleys, updated LED cabin lighting, new lavatory designs as well as larger capacity overhead bins. Delta will be the first carrier in North America to install the new bin system, which will increase passenger carry-on baggage capacity by more than 50 percent.

The 49 modified domestic aircraft will feature a layout of 20 first class seats, 29 economy comfort seats and 150 economy seats. The remaining seven 757-200 international aircraft will have a configuration of 18 first class seats, 28 economy comfort seats and 151 economy seats.

[B]737-800 aircraft improvements[/B]

The investment in 43 of Delta’s 737-800 aircraft will include the addition of in-seat video with satellite TV, new LED cabin lighting and updated lavatories. The aircraft will be configured with 16 first class seats, 18 economy comfort seats and 126 economy seats.

When the modifications are complete, Delta’s entire fleet of 73 737-800 aircraft will have in-seat video with access to satellite TV and in-seat power throughout the aircraft.

[B]A319 and A320 aircraft improvements[/B]

Delta’s 57 A319 and 69 A320 aircraft will receive complete interior updates including new seats in both first class and economy cabins with in-seat power throughout the aircraft. The aircraft will also receive new space-saving galleys, new lavatories, new larger-capacity overhead bins with an average increase of 60 percent more carry-on baggage space, updated LED lighting systems and new cabin interiors. Updates to the A319 fleet will also include the installation of in-seat video with satellite TV.

The A319 will include 12 seats in first class and the A320 will have 16 first class seats. All economy seats on both aircraft types will feature wider seats with an increase from the current 17.2 inches to 18 inches for each seat. Both fleets will have 18 economy comfort seats with 34 inches of pitch. Economy seats will each have 31 inches of pitch on both aircraft with 102 seats on the A319 and 126 seats on the A320.

This announcement builds on Delta’s industry leadership in exceeding customer expectations by being the first U.S. airline to allow customer use of portable electronic devices below 10,000 feet, providing more in-flight Wi-Fi than any other airline, introducing the Sky Deck at Delta Sky Clubs in New York-JFK and Atlanta in 2013, being the only U.S. domestic carrier to offer personal, on-demand entertainment at every seat on all long-haul international flights and offering flatbed seating with direct-aisle access across its international widebody fleet by mid-2014.

Delta Air Lines operates multiple daily flights from Guam/Saipan to Tokyo-Narita, Osaka-KIX and Nagoya- Centrair airports in Japan. Delta also operates two to three weekly flights between Palau and Tokyo. At Tokyo-Narita, customers can conveniently connect to an extensive network to and within the United States. The flights to Japan are operated using Boeing 757-200 aircraft and all trans-Pacific flights beyond Tokyo-Narita are operated using widebody aircraft featuring full-flat bed seats in the BusinessElite cabin, economy comfort with more recline and legroom and audio video on demand on all economy seats, with an extensive library of movies, TV shows, music and games.

Delta Air Lines serves nearly 165 million customers each year. Additional information is available on delta.com, Twitter @Delta, Google.com/+Delta, Facebook.com/delta and Delta’s blog takingoff.delta.com. [B][I](Delta)[/I][/B]

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