Delta Air Lines outlines plan for new premium seating strategy

For instance, Finnair's model requires passengers with business class tickets from Europe to Asia to check in with economy passengers and pay for checked bags while being denied lounge access. Delta believes adopting such measures will allow them to charge current premium customers more through a la carte pricing while filling excess seats with basic business passengers.

Currently, Delta offers business class upgrades to coach passengers for as little as $299 if they anticipate empty seats. However, they aim not to cannibalize revenue by ensuring these remain distinct products from higher-priced fare options.

While the idea of Basic Business is intriguing for segregating high-fare passengers from low-fare ones without losing revenue opportunities, no successful implementation has yet been achieved.

Additionally, much of the benefit derived from unbundling domestic economy is driven by tax advantages that do not apply internationally. Thus far-reaching implications may be limited domestically due to fewer premium passengers compared internationally.

Delta has been striving over the past decade to monetize first-class offerings better. Historically upgrading 90% of first-class seats with frequent flyers by 2018 was deemed impractical by CEO Ed Bastian who called it "stupid." While eliminating first-class domestic upgrades entirely didn't materialize fully; treating extra legroom coach seating as an 'upgrade' became a strategy along with shifting top elite confirmed upgrades into premium economy versus business class.

Aircraft reconfiguration could include adding both first-class and Comfort+ seats alongside premium economy on international flights. Delta envisions itself as a premier airline catering primarily towards high-paying customers—whether this niche market continues growing remains uncertain but will undoubtedly attract attention come Investor Day.