Delta Air Lines outlines plan for new premium seating strategy

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Airbus A380 | Airbus

By Sky Industry News

Sep 15, 2024

Delta Air Lines President Glen Hauenstein announced plans to add premium seats to planes during his speech at the Morgan Stanley 12th Annual Laguna Conference. He noted a significant shift in profitability, stating, "The biggest money-losing cabin used to be the premium cabins. And after years of reengineering and years of changing policies and moving distribution, improving distribution, now those are the most profitable cabins on the airplane."

The airline plans to unveil further details at their November Investor Day, including an initiative to unbundle premium cabin fares under a concept referred to as “basic business” or Delta (Less Than) One. This move aims to introduce more seats and cater to different customer segments.

Hauenstein's comments reflect broader industry trends where airlines like British Airways, Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Finnair have already implemented similar models. These carriers have introduced charges for services traditionally included in business class fares such as advance seat assignments, lounge access, and checked baggage.

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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.