In early 2022, Delta Air Lines took delivery of its first Airbus A321neo. The airline has 155 of these planes on order, which will be delivered through 2027. The airline has been taking delivery of these jets quickly, and Delta’s A321neo fleet is now approaching 70 aircraft.
This is a great addition to Delta’s fleet — the A321neo has fantastic range and economics, and Delta offers a good passenger experience onboard, including a new first class seat.
The exciting thing is that Delta is expected to introduce an even more premium configuration of the A321neo in the near future. I last wrote about this over a year ago, so want to provide an update, especially as the first of these planes should be entering service in the not-too-distant future.
In this post:
Delta plans 148-seat Airbus A321neos with flat beds
In March 2022, Airline Weekly broke the story about a fleet guide that Delta shared with pilots, outlining the carrier’s unique A321neo plans. Specifically, it’s expected that 21 Delta A321neos will get a special configuration, featuring just 148 seats (compared to the standard 194 seats). This includes:
- 16 Delta One seats (business class), which will be fully flat and in a 1-1 configuration, with each seat having a privacy door
- 12 Delta Premium Select seats (premium economy), which will be in a 2-2 configuration, somewhat similar to what you’d usually find in domestic first class
- 54 Comfort+ seats (extra legroom economy), which will be in a 3-3 configuration
- 66 Main Cabin seats (economy), which will be in a 3-3 configuration
Based on the seat map, it looks like Delta will have reverse herringbone seats in business class on these planes. That’s exciting — as airlines increasingly install flat beds on narrow body aircraft, we’re frequently seeing herringbone seats rather than reverse herringbone seats.
This is purely speculation on my part, but perhaps the airline will use the STELIA Aerospace OPERA seating platform, as you’ll find on ITA Airways’ A321neos. If this is the case, it would be great news for passengers.
When will Delta start flying premium Airbus A321neos?
In early 2024, rumor had it that the first premium Delta Airbus A321neos would enter service in the third quarter of 2024. That timeline has come and gone, so what’s the latest on that?
Well, @xJonNYC reports that Delta may have already taken delivery of two of these special A321neos. Specifically, the plane with the registration code N551DT was delivered in October 2024, while the plane with the registration code N552DT was delivered in November 2024. Upon delivery, both jets were immediately ferried to Victorville (VCV), where they entered storage.
seems to me to be N551DT (delivered oct 2024) and N552DT (november). Both of them were then immediately ferried into VCV for storage.
— JonNYC (@xjonnyc.bsky.social) February 11, 2025 at 12:04 AM
Airlines don’t usually put brand new planes into storage if they’re otherwise ready to go. So the belief is that Delta may be working on getting the cabins of these planes certified. So we’ll see about the timeline with which the cabins get certified — hopefully Delta has more luck than Lufthansa is having with its Allegris 787s.
It’s smart of Delta not to plan a firm entry into service date, if certification is a moving target. I imagine that once the planes are certified, we’ll start to see them scheduled on routes with fairly short notice.
What will Delta do with premium Airbus A321neos?
Delta plans to specifically use these Airbus A321neos for premium transcontinental routes, like New York to Los Angeles, New York to San Francisco, etc.
Historically Delta has typically used a combination of Boeing 767s and Boeing 757s for these premium routes, though we knew that eventually there needs to be a replacement, especially if Delta wants to compete with a leading product:
- The 757s don’t have a very competitive product, as business class is in a 2-2 configuration, and the planes aren’t great in economy
- The 767s are getting old, and if you’re focusing on a premium market, there’s something to be said for a lower capacity aircraft (so that more frequencies can be operated with more premium seats)
While back in the day most airlines operated wide body aircraft on premium transcontinental routes, that’s no longer the case. JetBlue has its fleet of Mint-configured A321s, American flies specially configured A321s (which will soon be replaced by A321XLRs), and United plans to eventually fly 737 MAX 10s with flat beds (if that plane ever gets certified).
I think the configuration Delta is planning is roughly what we would have expected. It’s interesting how premium economy is increasingly being offered by US airlines on premium domestic routes. It’s basically like domestic first class, and for a daytime flight it’s very comfortable, in my opinion. For that matter, Delta has already started selling this cabin on select transcontinental flights.
So, what does Delta plan to do with the 757s and 767s that it takes off these routes? Look, these vintage aircraft should be retired, as far as I’m concerned, but we’re talking about Delta here. The airline would add the Wright Flyer to its fleet if it had the capacity. With that in mind:
- Delta is actually reconfiguring some 757s in standard domestic layouts, so that they can be used to add capacity elsewhere
- Delta currently operates a lot of 767-400ERs on domestic routes, so I suspect we’ll see those taken off more domestic routes, instead being flown on international routes, with more focus on A321neos and 767-300ERs operating domestic flights
Bottom line
Delta Air Lines is expected to configure 21 Airbus A321neos in a premium layout. These planes will feature 148 seats, including business class, premium economy, and lots of extra legroom economy seats. While the planes were supposed to enter service in Q3 2024, that didn’t ultimately happen.
However, rumor has it that two planes have already been configured with these cabins, and they’re now awaiting certification. So I imagine they could enter service in the coming months, though an exact timeline remains to be seen. Delta ultimately needs a plan for refreshing its premium domestic fleet, and this seems like a sensible way to do so.
What do you make of Delta’s premium A321neo configuration plans?
So at the end of the day Delta is kind of taking the XLR approach without buying that model. American will have it and United as well, I think they don't wanna get behind, nice move.
no, DL is putting a premium multi-cabin interior on a plane that will be used for domestic flights while DL will exclusively use widebodies for its intercontinental multi-cabin flights - just like British Airways, Air France, KLM, Lufthansa, Swiss etc.
AA and UA are the minority. You have to ask yourself what AA and UA see that the operators of the majority of capacity over the Atlantic don't see.
May still be too early yet to draw conclusions based on that. For all we know, the other European airlines could be in a wait-and-see approach, especially since they can't get any for years anyway. Also because they won't just be "assaulted" by the A321XLR from the six full-service airlines confirmed to use it for transatlantic flights, but also by multiple African and Middle Eastern airlines who'll be using it to reach Europe from those destinations as well.
and it is also possible that AA and UA will find that they can't get the revenue necessary to support longhaul international flights on the 321XLR with about 150 seats.
Remember, flights over 8 hours need 3 pilots, FA costs continue to go up, don't carry much if any cargo, and they all have to operate in/out of airports where slots are much harder to obtain than in the US.
again, AA and DL both...
and it is also possible that AA and UA will find that they can't get the revenue necessary to support longhaul international flights on the 321XLR with about 150 seats.
Remember, flights over 8 hours need 3 pilots, FA costs continue to go up, don't carry much if any cargo, and they all have to operate in/out of airports where slots are much harder to obtain than in the US.
again, AA and DL both stopped using 757s over the Atlantic years ago while UA has held onto its 757s only to replace them by 321XLRs. UA touts the size of its networks but continually trails DL in profits. There are reasons. Some of you just don't want to admit that some of the assumptions you hold are not as solid as you think
Any chance these operate SFO-BOS?
I can see it happening, if Delta brings back D1 to SFO-BOS, but UA is pretty strong on that route, which is why Delta backed off. We're likely to see BOS-LAX first.
I would hope so - BOS to SFO on the regular A321neo is a disappointing experience for what should be a "premium route" between important cities.
Just to be clear though. UA is much stronger on the SFO side than DL is out of BOS. That's why UA wins hard on this route.
UA has something close to 2.5x the size of a hub at SFO compared to DL at BOS. UA does put 757 flatbeds on this route mostly and there is JetBlue Mint too.
Yolo, is it about "winning" on the route, or just providing a better experience to high value customers out of an important hub (Boston), which should have positive knock-on effects to other Boston routes?
Yes, it is 100% about winning, Delta has 1 daily winter frequency with half the fares that UA gets on this route.
If "high value customers" aren't delivering Delta the money, they are going to optimize resources to hubs that do. Delta is only able to sustain 3x daily routes on this route at its peak, it's just not enough.
Delta is a profit seeking corporation at the end of the day. If BOS-SFO isn't returning on the investment, then it will get scaled back, which is what happened.
or it will use the aircraft type that delivers the revenue it is getting or thinks it can get.
The ~200 seat A321NEO can undoubtedly be profitable at any fares in the market. The 148 seat premium version would have to get a good percentage of the premium market. And the 757s that UA uses - when they do (they have also used standard domestic aircraft) is less premium that the DL 321NEO transcons or UA's 321XLRs will be.
There is no new news in the article. The Delta One Suites on the 321NEO transcons are awaiting certification. Unlike other carriers, DL is not putting aircraft into service and then having to lock the doors open.
The DL configuration means that they will need at least 4 FAs based on FAA guidance regarding aircraft with doors on premium cabin seats so the economics will work for DL since that is likely what they...
There is no new news in the article. The Delta One Suites on the 321NEO transcons are awaiting certification. Unlike other carriers, DL is not putting aircraft into service and then having to lock the doors open.
The DL configuration means that they will need at least 4 FAs based on FAA guidance regarding aircraft with doors on premium cabin seats so the economics will work for DL since that is likely what they would have done anyway. Carriers that have over 150 seats will need 5 FAs.
these aircraft are not likely to be used on JFK-LAX flights or on very few of them; DL has had an all widebody schedule for years. They will likely supplement or replace widebodies from JFK and also be used for BOS and other transcon routes.
DL chose not to use XLRs or any other narrowbody aircraft to the UK or continental Europe because the labor economics do not work. It is notable that the majority of European flags don't intend to fly narrowbodies over the Atlantic so AA and UA and a FEW oneworld carriers are the exception.
Of course all DL aircraft will soon have high speed free WiFi, on top of the 650+ mainline domestic that already have it.
You're actually correct about most things here. There is very little new info in this article. Basically the only new info is that about the aircraft being stored in VCV and nothing else.
Overall, the 767-300ER replacement story just doesn't make a lot of sense to me. Delta is finally reigning supreme on transcon routes with JFK, slashing capacity massively makes no sense. 763s have 40% more premium seats than these A321neos. I have strong...
You're actually correct about most things here. There is very little new info in this article. Basically the only new info is that about the aircraft being stored in VCV and nothing else.
Overall, the 767-300ER replacement story just doesn't make a lot of sense to me. Delta is finally reigning supreme on transcon routes with JFK, slashing capacity massively makes no sense. 763s have 40% more premium seats than these A321neos. I have strong doubts about all these people claiming JFK-LAX is getting replaced by these A321neos. Delta gets a very massive fare premium with their larger cabin on JFK-LAX, their #1 most successful domestic route. Delta gets up to 2x to what its competitors charge in business class on a larger # of frequencies, even higher than AA can get in First Class on their 3 cabin A321Ts.
LAX-DCA seems very easy to replace, as it would require just one of these, if they want to continue D1 service. BOS-LAX seems very straightforward, as well as the 3 to 4 JFK-SFO frequencies. Everything else seems pretty up in the air to me, I did hear rumors about relaunches of JFK-SEA, perhaps lining up with the launch of SEA's D1 lounge.
thank you.
I don't slight speculation when actual DL plans haven't been revealed. DL is completely opposite of some of its competitors in keeping its cards close to its vest.
DL is the largest airline in the NYC-LAX market as you note and it would take almost 2X more flights than they have today to increase, let alone grow, capacity.
The 321NEOs transcons will have a very nice product but the 330NEOs and...
thank you.
I don't slight speculation when actual DL plans haven't been revealed. DL is completely opposite of some of its competitors in keeping its cards close to its vest.
DL is the largest airline in the NYC-LAX market as you note and it would take almost 2X more flights than they have today to increase, let alone grow, capacity.
The 321NEOs transcons will have a very nice product but the 330NEOs and perhaps 350s will show up on some JFK-LAX routes.
and the 767-300ERs are not gone. DL will use them where they make sense from a cost and product standpoint which may well mean some JFK routes.
And let's also not forget that DL carries millions of pounds of cargo from JFK to the west coast and they will not walk away from that revenue.
I fully expect that the 767-300s would be used for JFK or BOS to Europe routes in the peak season to supplement what they have now (which are 767-heavy as it is). Maybe also to Alaska and Iceland during the peak season.
The A321 transcons would seem ticketed for some combination of:
LAX-DCA
SEA-DCA
JFK-SAN
BOS-SAN
BOS-SFO
JFK-SEA
BOS-SEA
Afaik Delta is generally trying to reduce 763s for international flights, and really is focusing on it for domestic operations. Most JFK flights you will see this summer will be 764s at the smallest. A330ceos will be getting retrofitted and should look nice soon.
I agree with your list, SAN is probably the least likely of the set.
“There is no new news in the article.” Feel free to leave and never come back. You would make 99% of the readers happy. Just wishful thinking.
roberto,
the feeling is mutual
honestly.
I clicked on the article hoping Ben had a date for entry to service. Everything else that was said has been said elsewhere.
We all get to speculate about where it will be used and there have been some good posts in that regard.
So there's no new news. It's ok for article to remind of something that happened in the past = which many may have forgotten about - that was of interest, and advise that there has not been much (or any) change.
So DL is following AA AGAIN! DL misses the boat however without XLR and not solid replacement for the 767/A332's available. Once AA gets the XLRs rolling in and Boeing finally gets 787 deliveries back up to par, AA can start to recapture the lost markets from 2020 poor decisions.
Just for the record:
High-speed WiFi on all two call planes - AA followed by DL / UA
Premium Lounges - AA...
So DL is following AA AGAIN! DL misses the boat however without XLR and not solid replacement for the 767/A332's available. Once AA gets the XLRs rolling in and Boeing finally gets 787 deliveries back up to par, AA can start to recapture the lost markets from 2020 poor decisions.
Just for the record:
High-speed WiFi on all two call planes - AA followed by DL / UA
Premium Lounges - AA followed by UA / DL
Youngest fleet / Eco Friendly fleet - AA followed by UA and a distant DL
and the list goes on. . . .
In the defence of Delta, SV82. It is AA and UA who follow DL in the world airline rankings.
Surely customer satisfaction counts for something, regardless of aircraft choice, yes?
among other things, your fanboyism runs counter to actual facts.
Among others, AA's fleet is LESS FUEL EFFICIENT than DL's. AA bought a lot of older generation aircraft including 737-800s and 321CEOs while DL and then UA ramped up buying NEW GENERATION powered aircraft including the NEO and MAX which AA is now buying. DL has over 100 A220s which use new generation engines and have fuel efficiency per seat that rivals the 321NEO
AA...
among other things, your fanboyism runs counter to actual facts.
Among others, AA's fleet is LESS FUEL EFFICIENT than DL's. AA bought a lot of older generation aircraft including 737-800s and 321CEOs while DL and then UA ramped up buying NEW GENERATION powered aircraft including the NEO and MAX which AA is now buying. DL has over 100 A220s which use new generation engines and have fuel efficiency per seat that rivals the 321NEO
AA will have a less fuel efficient fleet than DL and UA for years to come because AA waited so long for fleet replacement and then bought last generation aircraft which will be in service for more than a decade longer than DL and UA's older generation aircraft.
We'll tune out your gibberish and focus on facts, thank you very much.
@Tim - appreciate the insights but what's with the insults? You can disagree strongly without name calling?
"NEO and MAX which AA is now buying."
Tim, if you want to focus on facts, then let's focus on facts. AA currently has more A321neos than both Delta and United. Even when current orders are filled, their fleet will be the biggest of that type (Delta will be 2nd and United 3rd, again based just on current orders). AA and United were also one of the first airlines to take delivery of the...
"NEO and MAX which AA is now buying."
Tim, if you want to focus on facts, then let's focus on facts. AA currently has more A321neos than both Delta and United. Even when current orders are filled, their fleet will be the biggest of that type (Delta will be 2nd and United 3rd, again based just on current orders). AA and United were also one of the first airlines to take delivery of the 737MAX, a type that Delta currently has 0 of (MAX10 currently on order).
The way I see it, the only efficiency advantage Delta has over AA, at least when it comes to narrowbodies, is the A220. They currently have 67 of those, not "over 100", though they do have about 70 on order yet to be delivered. I don't know the numbers on how exactly overall fleet fuel efficiency shakes out and I doubt you do as well, other than just looking at the general fleet makeup.
This isn't me being a fanboy - projection much? - just someone who agrees with you that arguments ought to backed up with facts.
"the 737MAX, a type that Delta currently has 0"
Why are you writing that like it's a bad thing?
That dogshit aircraft has been nothing but trouble, to this point.
Tim, with all due respect, that's not really a true statement. DL specifically took delivery of many very late build 737 NGs and not just any late build but THE LAST built A32X ceos. With a massive fleet of 757s, 32X ceos, 767s, and NG 737s, plus middle aged 330ceos, they are only offset by the 350s, 330neos, and the A220s which you greatly overaxxagerated, plus the 321neos they've been taking on (after and less...
Tim, with all due respect, that's not really a true statement. DL specifically took delivery of many very late build 737 NGs and not just any late build but THE LAST built A32X ceos. With a massive fleet of 757s, 32X ceos, 767s, and NG 737s, plus middle aged 330ceos, they are only offset by the 350s, 330neos, and the A220s which you greatly overaxxagerated, plus the 321neos they've been taking on (after and less then AA). There's quite a lot of misinformation out there.
For someone who is pretty much the only crazy fanboy on this site, it's quite humorous and ironic when you get angry at someone else for showing even small signs of being a fanboy. Thanks for the entertainment!
sarthak,
if calling what someone says as fanboyism or gibberish is an insult, then there is a lot on this site that shouldn't be said.
I have said over and over that the only reason I participate in aviation social media is to state actual facts and correct incorrect statements and that is still true.
sunviking's statements can only be classified as fanboy cheerleading which includes statements that are either patently false or can...
sarthak,
if calling what someone says as fanboyism or gibberish is an insult, then there is a lot on this site that shouldn't be said.
I have said over and over that the only reason I participate in aviation social media is to state actual facts and correct incorrect statements and that is still true.
sunviking's statements can only be classified as fanboy cheerleading which includes statements that are either patently false or can only be said by using cherrypicked and manipulated data.
As for the 2 comments directly above this one, it is FACTUALLY correct that AA and UA's fleet fuel efficiency is lower than DL's.
Counting the number and delivery time of new generation aircraft misses the point
The 777-200ER and 767-300ER have similar and equally inferior fuel efficiency.
AA and UA have dozens of 777-200ERs; DL got rid of its smaller fleet of 777s. The A330CEO burns about 12% less fuel per seat than the 777-200ER and the two types fly similar distances and have similar configurations.
As much as people talk about the 767-300ER's product, the real driver is that it is an expensive plane per seat with low fuel economy and high labor costs due to 3 pilots (on 8+ hour long flights) spread over just 215 passengers. 275 seat planes are much more efficient from a labor standpoint.
DL's widebody fleet is much more fuel efficient than AA or UA's and getting more efficient as DL takes delivery of more new generation aircraft and also retires 767s.
On the small aircraft end of the spectrum, DL is the only one of the big 4 that decided decades ago to reduce the percentage of regional jets and add new generation small narrowbodies. The A220-100 is far more fuel efficient than large RJs while the 717 essentially replaced 50 seat RJs at DL. The A220-300 is incredibly fuel efficient and has transcon range. DL managed to get a good deal on the C Series/A220s which makes it even more obvious why DL has lower fuel costs on both its domestic and international networks.
DL has the lowest percentage of its network that is operated on regional jets of the big 3 plus AS and DL also flies more domestic ASMs on mainline than AA or UA because mainline is simply more labor and fuel efficient.
The big 3 report their data including fuel burn on a consolidated basis - mainline plus regional.
Fleet fuel efficiency is simply the number of ASMs produced divided by the amount of fuel burned.
Actual data shows that DL consistently burns at least 5% fuel per ASM than AA and UA.
...5% LESS fuel per ASM
"...5% LESS fuel per ASM"
Except that that's only a projection of how dense most DL aircraft are and their average stage length vs how you're choosing to wrongly interpret the data. Delta's fleet is, by far, older than AA's fleet.
But sure. even a 763 can be more fuel efficient on an ASM basis since that has little to do with aircraft fuel efficiency and emphasizes density as a metric instead. And you...
"...5% LESS fuel per ASM"
Except that that's only a projection of how dense most DL aircraft are and their average stage length vs how you're choosing to wrongly interpret the data. Delta's fleet is, by far, older than AA's fleet.
But sure. even a 763 can be more fuel efficient on an ASM basis since that has little to do with aircraft fuel efficiency and emphasizes density as a metric instead. And you know so little (or choose to ignore what delta says) about delta's own profitability is truly astonishing.
Tim, don't you ever get tired of saying so much wrong all the time? You have so much on these comments today that is just absurdly wrong but no one has time to keep up with your incessant poorly phrased lies here. Get a life
Julie,
don't you get tired of arguing things about which you clearly know nothing?
US airlines release their fuel burn by aircraft type.
UA has larger premium cabins than DL or AA but AA and DL are pretty comparable in that regard.
And UA has high density aircraft like the 777As which reduce the fuel burn per seat mile but the overall fuel burn per trip is the same if not higher than for...
Julie,
don't you get tired of arguing things about which you clearly know nothing?
US airlines release their fuel burn by aircraft type.
UA has larger premium cabins than DL or AA but AA and DL are pretty comparable in that regard.
And UA has high density aircraft like the 777As which reduce the fuel burn per seat mile but the overall fuel burn per trip is the same if not higher than for AA's 777-200ERs.
As much as you want to argue otherwise, DL has lower fuel burn per seat mile than AA and UA and it is related to both widebody fuel efficiency and also to DL's lower use of regional jets and the elimination of 50 seat aircraft other than the CRJ550s which DL uses on subsidized EAS flights
and DL is retiring older aircraft at a faster rate and adding new generation aircraft including the A220 while AA and UA have no interest in a small mainline aircraft even though there is no such thing as a new generation powered regional jet in US airline fleets.
I understand what fuel efficiency measured by ASMs. Which says nothing related to what you're saying.
But I'm not interested in your usual 6 paragraphs of trying to misdirect when you're corrected on something.
No. lower fuel efficiency by ASM means little about aircraft fuel efficiency. You like throwing around data which you don't understand. Then try to attack other people when corrected.
Get a life
it's a fact you OBVIOUSLY can't accept.
and it is based on aircraft model selection and use.
AA and UA simply use more expensive aircraft to operate with higher fuel burn.
They simply have less fuel efficient fleets because of their widebody and small narrowbody aircraft which includes regional jets.
Get over yourself and face reality.
Oh no! Not the usual Tim Dunn insults with no reply to the substance than an attempted misdirect to regionals?
How predictable. YOUR comment was about how old 737s and A321CEOs makes AA and UA more inefficient fuel wise. While ignoring how Delta's speciality has been late model orders of the 739 and A321CEO as well as the A330neo, which, while nice, only attains any fuel efficiency vs the 787 due to delta's seat...
Oh no! Not the usual Tim Dunn insults with no reply to the substance than an attempted misdirect to regionals?
How predictable. YOUR comment was about how old 737s and A321CEOs makes AA and UA more inefficient fuel wise. While ignoring how Delta's speciality has been late model orders of the 739 and A321CEO as well as the A330neo, which, while nice, only attains any fuel efficiency vs the 787 due to delta's seat density. THAT, is the only way you can make your weird arguments work that make no sense.
Move on, loser. You're really good at making things up until called out on them, then you just resort to weird immature insults that just make you look sad and tragic.
If you want to talk about mainline fuel efficiency (which you specifically did) then bring up regional fuel efficiency, you should be asking yourself why, if regionals are so bad, did Delta ONLY buy the A220 to unlock regional scope that AA already had.
It's like you get so lost in your own idiocy, that you have no ability to grasp what's going on around you. But also something Delta realized when they fired you due to your drinking issues.
as usual, you can't stand reality so you try to confuse and confound.
Ask AA pilots about the regional scope that AA got in its bankruptcy LONG AFTER DL and UA's trip through chapter 11 if you want to know how AA got the ability to use more regional jets.
and you still don't get that the A220 in either version is far more fuel efficient than any regional jet in AA or UA's fleet.
...as usual, you can't stand reality so you try to confuse and confound.
Ask AA pilots about the regional scope that AA got in its bankruptcy LONG AFTER DL and UA's trip through chapter 11 if you want to know how AA got the ability to use more regional jets.
and you still don't get that the A220 in either version is far more fuel efficient than any regional jet in AA or UA's fleet.
DL's 339s have fewer seats than AA's "standard" 789s even though DL's 339s have more business class plus premium economy seats.
So, once again, you lie and manipulate because you can't stand to admit that DL has better fuel efficiency because DL got rid of the LEAST fuel efficient aircraft while AA and esp. UA still cling to many more of them.
It isn't hard for anyone with a modicum of intelligence and humility (to admit your team isn't winning)- which doesn't include you - to understand
btw, jules, do you realize that Frontier, in its first proposal to acquire Spirit, showed fuel efficiency by US carrier and THEY using DOT data noted that DL's fuel efficiency was 7.7% better than AA and UA.
further, the A220-100 burns less fuel than the E175 while carrying 33 more passengers, or 43%.
go ahead and crow about the larger number of RJs that AA can operate. DL bought A220s that not only burn far...
btw, jules, do you realize that Frontier, in its first proposal to acquire Spirit, showed fuel efficiency by US carrier and THEY using DOT data noted that DL's fuel efficiency was 7.7% better than AA and UA.
further, the A220-100 burns less fuel than the E175 while carrying 33 more passengers, or 43%.
go ahead and crow about the larger number of RJs that AA can operate. DL bought A220s that not only burn far less fuel but also provide jobs to DL mainline employees while AA and UA both operate hundreds more RJs and contract out thousands of more jobs.
You highlight how little you know about the airline industry and how misplaced your hubris is while throwing your own coworkers under the bus.
Delta operates 10 JFK to LAX flights a day on various 767 (300, 400), with between 24-29 Delta One seats each. Delta does very well selling these seats. These A321neos planes will have 16 Delta One seats each. Delta wouldn’t be able to increase frequency enough to make up the loss of D1 capacity. I think JFK to LAX remains a 767 route for a long time - and it should. The vast majority of...
Delta operates 10 JFK to LAX flights a day on various 767 (300, 400), with between 24-29 Delta One seats each. Delta does very well selling these seats. These A321neos planes will have 16 Delta One seats each. Delta wouldn’t be able to increase frequency enough to make up the loss of D1 capacity. I think JFK to LAX remains a 767 route for a long time - and it should. The vast majority of these flights are daytime fights, and the 767 offers pretty good all aisle access to passengers (plus comfortable premium economy, comfort plus and economy cabins).
It does make sense to use these new A321 neos on routes like JFK to SFO, which still use the 757. I am also hoping for more domestic one on flights like JFK/BOS/ATL to LAS/PHX/SEA/SLC.
They have started flying a 763 once daily jfk-slc which I’m a fan of. The 9a flight slc-jfk is often full in all cabins (763) but the other routes typically use an 321neo these days and are only full in premium cabins. Would be great to have these planes on that route and launch true D1 route jfk-slc, with the 767 once daily and the premium neos for the other frequencies.
Nah, JFK-SLC is a repositioning of widebodies for longer flights, never going to be D1 since the market isn't there.
Just in the same way ATL, MSP, and DTW get random A350 frequencies from other hubs.
It used to be just random on occasion but now it’s consistently daily the 7a jfk-slc flight and 9a slc-jfk flight. Yeah the planes are in sequence to support Slc Hawaii routes but it seems pretty intentional to have the larger capacity on the morning flight out of slc. FC is almost always sold out a week in advance with $1-2k one way fares.
Idk what to tell you, it's just not going to happen. If you're look at fares, SLC MSA ranks 37th by GDP, SEA has 4x the amount and ranks 10th, yet has no domestic D1 service. BOS (8th) to SFO (4th) doesn't have it either.
These flights are specifically for that 763 widebody repositioning, I'm not sure why you think an A321neo with 40% less premium capacity is going to replace it.
DL has a large hub at SLC and operates widebody service to Hawaii as well as to Europe -and soon Asia.
There will be some repositioning.
But some of DL's hub to hub routes - esp. ATL - move large amounts of people and the 767 and other widebodies can be used for the high number of domestic seats plus a very nice premium product which some people connecting at either ATL or...
DL has a large hub at SLC and operates widebody service to Hawaii as well as to Europe -and soon Asia.
There will be some repositioning.
But some of DL's hub to hub routes - esp. ATL - move large amounts of people and the 767 and other widebodies can be used for the high number of domestic seats plus a very nice premium product which some people connecting at either ATL or SLC or both can experience.
AA, like DL, does not focus on using widebodies on domestic routes when a narrowbody will work but when they are deployed by either carrier, they generally make sense. Any of DL's hub to hub flights - which is where they are likely to appear - are viable uses for widebodies.
@Ben
This is out of topic but Emirates is now expecting their first 777X between 2nd quarter of 2027 and 2028.
https://airlinegeeks.com/2025/02/10/777x-deliveries-likely-delayed-again/
Tim Dunn must be glad Delta chose the A350-1000.
not just the A350-1000 but any Airbus widebody.
DL is expected to take delivery of more new widebodies in 2025 than AA and UA just as was true in 2024.
DL is retiring 767s and replacing them with larger, more fuel and labor efficient aircraft while AA and UA continue to hold onto their 777-200s and 767-300ERs, both of which have well below average fuel efficiency.
There is a reason why DL spent...
not just the A350-1000 but any Airbus widebody.
DL is expected to take delivery of more new widebodies in 2025 than AA and UA just as was true in 2024.
DL is retiring 767s and replacing them with larger, more fuel and labor efficient aircraft while AA and UA continue to hold onto their 777-200s and 767-300ERs, both of which have well below average fuel efficiency.
There is a reason why DL spent $1 billion LESS on fuel than AA and UA in 2024 and it has a lot to do with using more fuel efficient aircraft not just on widebodies but also on the smallest domestic aircraft.
"Tim Dunn must be glad Delta chose the A350-1000."
For once, that's not just a Tim Dunn thing. In fact, I'm wondering if anyone who chose the 777-X over the A350 is actually happy with that decision.
How dare you suggest the 757s should be retired!!! They need to grace our flight logs for years to come!
Not a fan of first on the current planes: seat is too hard and you can’t preorder meals due to storage space (?). Hopefully with less seats in new layout they can fix the latter
As of a few months ago, the 321neos have preordering.
Delta is probably going to phase out most 767-300ER flying on intercontinental routes. These jets were overhauled nose to tail in 2009 and haven't been since, other than seat recovering. The premium cabin seats are terrible. Very narrow, dated, and a lot of these planes are 30+ years old at this point and slated for retirement. The 767-400ER appears to be used more on JFK-LAX than ever, and also remains on a lot of TATL...
Delta is probably going to phase out most 767-300ER flying on intercontinental routes. These jets were overhauled nose to tail in 2009 and haven't been since, other than seat recovering. The premium cabin seats are terrible. Very narrow, dated, and a lot of these planes are 30+ years old at this point and slated for retirement. The 767-400ER appears to be used more on JFK-LAX than ever, and also remains on a lot of TATL and Latin America routes.
Hearing that DL is going to reconfigure the Delta One cabined 757s to domestic formats is quite something. These jets are really old, and must be approaching the limit of their cycles, but DL inherited the focus on retaining, overhauling, and continuing to operate older jets, which was a fixture of NW's operation.
Seems wild to do that. The 763s have 40% more premium seating than these A321neos. JFK-LAX is Delta's most profitable route, I doubt they'd choose to slash capacity like that. The reality is that Delta still reigns supreme on this route, even with a dated product.
The 757s are what this will replace.
The 757s and 767s would be great for Seattle, Denver, Las Vegas, and other markets that are basically transcontinental but don’t have Delta One as a product. Miami to Seattle should be a lay-flat even if it’s not technically Delta One.