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Delta Air Lines passengers flying on some of the carrier’s newest Airbus A321neo aircraft will soon notice a major change up front. These aircraft will sport unusually large Delta First cabins with over twice as many seats as other Airbus A321neos.
Beginning in May, Delta is introducing a temporary configuration on seven of its newest Airbus A321neos that expands the Delta First cabin to an incredible 44 seats. The unique setup is designed to be a limited-time solution as Delta awaits delivery of flatbed suite seating that will eventually be installed on these aircraft.
Delta’s expanded First Class cabin represents a rare move for a narrow-body aircraft and gives travelers significantly more opportunities to book premium seating (or possibly snag an upgrade) on key transcontinental routes. While Delta has not confirmed how long the configuration will remain in place, it emphasized that the aircraft will ultimately transition to a new flatbed suite product once deliveries arrive. In the meantime, Delta teams across the company (including flight attendants) are developing specialized onboard service procedures to ensure customers still receive a distinct and elevated Delta First experience despite the unusually large cabin size.
The expanded-cabin A321neos are scheduled to operate on several high-demand routes from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) beginning June 7th. These include:
- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) to/from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) to/from San Diego International Airport (SAN)
- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) to/from San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) to/from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)
These flights will become available for booking starting February 21st. Delta notes that customers may begin seeing the aircraft enter service earlier as deliveries and operations begin in May.
Delta’s decision to temporarily expand Delta First capacity highlights the airline’s continued investment in premium travel, especially on competitive long-haul domestic routes. While the 44-seat First Class layout is not expected to last, it offers travelers a unique window of time to experience a rare premium-heavy narrow-body configuration before being introduced to Delta’s next-generation flatbed suite.
Mauricio Parise, Vice President of Customer Experience Design at Delta, said:
Sometimes the supply chain throws us a curve. Rather than wait, we chose to implement a creative solution to ensure our customers had access to some of our newest aircraft in time for the summer travel season.”
Anthony’s Take: For passengers flying between Atlanta and the West Coast this summer, the front of the plane may look very different (but in a good way). With 44 seats, more passengers will fly in comfort and elite members might finally see some upgrades.
(Featured Image Credit: Delta Air Lines.)
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Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
