Delta will introduce its newest business-class suite as it begins taking delivery of Airbus A350-1000 planes next year.
The airline will also retrofit its Airbus A330-200 and A330-300 aircraft, adding sliding doors to the business class pods, while making other changes throughout the aircraft.
Delta pledged that the A350-1000 Delta One suites will be "packed with premium touches." Those are to include six-inch longer flatbeds, extending the total bed length to more than six and a half feet -- and lengthening made possible by the additional width of the A350-1000 compared to Delta's current A350-900 planes.
The airline has an order for 20 A350-1000s, the largest A350 variant, with eight expected next year and the remainder by the end of 2028.
Other new touches include a cubby for shoes, a phone tray within easy reach of the flatbed, a pillow-top cushion that stretches across the seat and Delta's largest in-seat entertainment screen yet, at 24 inches in width.
The two center suites will have a removable divider for customers traveling together. Exterior seats will be angled toward the window, a feature that Delta said will enhance both the view and privacy.
Delta's retrofit program
A self-service snack station will be available to business-class passengers. Photo Credit: Delta Air Lines
The A350-1000 business class cabin will also have a self-service snack station available to passengers throughout the flight. The snack station will also be placed in Delta One cabins of the airline's retrofitted A330 aircraft.
The airline intends to begin retrofitting its 41 A330-200/300s in September, with the first being placed back into service in December. The retrofit program will take three to four years overall, the airline said.
As part of the retrofit, Delta will add sliding doors to the Delta One pods, part of a plan to have 90% of its business class seats equipped with a door by 2030. Those seats will also get new touches, including built-in mattress pads and a shoe cubby in the center seats.
Delta said enhancements will extend across cabins on the A350s and in the A330 retrofits. Every seat will have memory foam cushions, seat shelves and larger seatback screens.
Economy cabin seats, including Comfort Plus extra-legroom seats, will get an additional inch of legroom. The extra inch will be achieved through ergonomic contouring, according to the airline, but without using slimline seats. The space between rows in the economy cabins won't change.
The interior upgrades are part of a $1 billion fleet upgrade program Delta has underway. Both the A350-1000s and the A330-200/300 aircraft will be outfitted with the onboard color palette Delta introduced last year, featuring darker shades of purple than older Delta interiors. More than 800 Delta planes will have those interiors within the next five years.