Delta Air Lines rebrands its seating options

Delta Air Lines announced a rebrand of its cabin options on Monday, including an overhaul of its economy and enhanced economy service. The changes will take effect in March of 2015.

Delta says it made the change to more clearly distinguish between products. "We want easily recognizable branded products that reflect thoughtful and reliable amenities for each of our customer types," Delta spokesman Paul Skrbec said to Today in the Sky.

Budget-driven passengers will be able to book "Basic Economy" fares on selected Delta flights. But that choice will come with significant restrictions. Basic Economy passengers will not be able to choose seats in advance, make changes, fly stand-by or receive refunds for unused tickets. In addition, customers will be barred from upgrading to Delta's premium economy seats, which will be rebranded "Delta Comfort+," according to the carrier.

While Delta's "Basic Economy" fares will have significant restrictions, those customers' coach seats will come with what Delta is now terming as its standard "Main Cabin" service. In addition to the standard coach seat, fliers with "Basic Economy fares" will receive the same entertainment and meal and beverage options as the rest of the economy cabin. The carrier first began offering Basic Economy fares in 2012 in a handful of markets, and Delta's Monday announcement indicates it's here to stay.

Economy Comfort, the carrier's current premium economy offering, will also undergo a revamp. Renamed Delta Comfort+, passengers booking the cabin can now expect complimentary alcoholic beverages, premium snack options, and wider access to in-flight entertainment on flights over 900 miles. Those flying between New York and Los Angeles and San Francisco will also receive a complimentary pillow and blanket along with a snack wrap and frozen yogurt.

The changes come at the tail end what Delta says is a four-year investment in upgrading its interiors and other customer-facing touch points. The carrier in 2010 began updating its international "Business Elite" cabin to include lie-flat seats. The cabin will now be rebranded Delta One . Delta's domestic first class will simply be called "First Class."

"It's a smart, pragmatic way for Delta to make itself appealing to a broad base of customers by offering tangibly different products," said Henry Harteveldt, an industry analyst with Atmosphere Research Group based in San Francisco.
Harteveldt said the move will put pressure on competitors on both ends of the spectrum. The new Delta Comfort+ will compete more effectively with premium carriers JetBlue and Virgin America, as well as legacy airlines such as American and United.

Delta says the decision was less geared toward any one carrier or carriers and more toward responding to the market.

Meanwhile, its basic economy package will allow passengers on certain routes to pay a low-cost-carrier price without the bare bones, no frills experience. "We have one of the best domestic products out there when it comes to the economy cabin," Skrbec said. "We have a solid product and reliable service."

Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren is a Seattle-based photojournalist and aviation writer and an occasional contributor to Ben Mutzabaugh's Today in the Sky blog.