In the coming months, Delta Air Lines plans to introduce a very premium domestic narrow body aircraft, with a staggering 44 first class seats. However, this isn’t by design, but is instead intended to make the best of a frustrating situation.
I first wrote about this several months ago (based on information that JonNYC leaked), and then a couple of weeks ago covered how the SkyTeam carrier officially announced what we can expect, in terms of the timeline, routes, etc. There’s now an additional update, as the seat map for this plane has been published, and flights are on sale.
In this post:
Delta unveils 164-seat A321neos, with 44 first class seats
Delta intends to introduce a new Airbus A321neo configuration featuring dozens of first class seats. Specifically, this configuration is expected to feature 44 first class seats, 54 extra legroom economy seats, and 66 standard economy seats.
As a point of comparison, Delta’s standard A321neos have 194 seats, including 20 first class seats, 60 extra legroom economy seats, and 114 standard economy seats.
A few things stand out about this configuration (beyond just the huge number of first class seats):
- First class will have 38″ of pitch, so seats will be a bit more spacious than your typical Delta domestic first class seat
- One lavatory for 44 first class passengers is going to be brutal, so I imagine many first class passengers will have to go back and use the mid-cabin economy lavatory
- There will be an additional oven in the cabin compared to the standard domestic configuration, so serving hot meals in first class on this plane shouldn’t be an issue
The current plan seems to be that seven planes will get this ultra-premium configuration. With the amount of premium demand nowadays, plus given how lucrative loyalty programs are, I’ve long argued that US carriers should increase the average size of their first class cabins. However, introducing a cabin with 44 first class seats is quite the stretch! So, what’s actually going on here?
Delta is making the best of A321neos in storage
Delta plans to introduce a new subfleet of Airbus A321neos, which will be in a premium, three-cabin configuration. The airline intends to add 21 of these A321neos to its fleet, specifically for premium transcontinental flights (United has similar plans for a subfleet of A321neos).
These planes are expected to feature just 148 seats, including 16 business class seats, 12 premium economy seats, 54 extra legroom economy seats, and 66 standard economy seats. However, several of these planes are now in storage, as Delta is having issues with getting the business class seats certified (that’s very Lufthansa of them, eh?).
With there seemingly being no end in sight to these certification issues, the plan is for Delta to put these planes into service with modified interiors. Keep in mind that the premium economy seats on these planes are comparable to domestic first class, so the idea is that in place of the 16 business class seats, the airline will instead temporarily install an additional 32 premium economy or first class seats.
Parking planes for years is obviously costly, so this seems like a logical enough way for Delta to get some use out of these aircraft, until those certification issues can be worked out. Besides, the airline can temporarily install these premium seats on the plane, and then later install them on other newly delivered A321neos.
Flights operated by this aircraft are now on sale, officially for flights as of June 7, 2026. However, customers may see the planes sooner than that, as they are expected to enter service in May. Delta’s plan is to fly these planes on select frequencies from Atlanta (ATL) to Los Angeles (LAX), San Diego (SAN), San Francisco (SFO), and Seattle (SEA).
Here’s how Mauricio Parise, Delta’s VP of Customer Experience Design, describes this:
“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.”
“Customers on coast-to-coast routes want more premium seat options and these aircraft, which will also have 54 Delta Comfort seats, will provide our customers with ample choice. For customers who still want a flatbed option, we’ll continue to operate aircraft with Delta One suites – and Delta Premium Select with additional recline, leg room, and footrest – during peak hours between ATL and LAX.”
What’s pretty wild to me is that Delta took delivery of the first of these planes in October 2024, and it’s expected to enter service in the summer of 2026 with modified interiors. So after the plane is parked for nearly two years, it’ll then get a temporary interior.
Delta must be having some really massive, Lufthansa level certification issues with its new business class seats on those planes for things to play out this way. After all, Delta wouldn’t configure these planes in this way if it expected that the seats would be certified by late 2026 or early 2027, as it wouldn’t be worth the effort.
Here’s to hoping that Delta has better luck with its upcoming Airbus A350-1000s, which are expected to feature a new business class, or else that could pose major issues for the carrier’s growth plans.
Bottom line
In the coming months, Delta has plans to introduce a new Airbus A321neo layout with a staggering 44 first class seats. What’s going on here is that Delta has new A321neos that are supposed to get flat beds, but the airline seemingly can’t get those seats certified.
So rather than keeping these planes in storage with no end in sight, Delta plans to fly up to seven of these with standard domestic first class seats in the space of the business class cabin.
I just find the timeline here to be pretty wild, given that we’re talking about planes that started to be delivered in October 2024, and now they’re going to entering service in the summer of 2026 with temporary interiors. So when will these planes actually fly with the intended interiors? 2028, best case scenario?
What do you make of Delta’s planned premium A321neo configuration situation?
I just flew Deltas 321NEO with these first class seats pictured on your post. The cabin has 1 row too many. The winged seats reduce pitch by 4 inches and there is not enough room to deploy leg rest. Seats are close enough to take tray table out of arm and add to seat in front. Very disappointing that this is gonna be priced as first class, when its no better than their international premium economy
I notice the 31-32 inch pitch in economy. That's better than on most European airlines.
Delta is Junk! Their skytracks awards:
-Most inconsistent product award
-Worst economy class meal award
-Worst flight attendant uniform award
-Tim dunn award of (so-called) excellence
-Award for most bad awards
there really is treatment for TDS. (Tim Derangement Syndrome).
It isn't covered by insurance but will be the best investment you can make.
Great tactic from Delta to really Capitalize on "premium". This move will go down in history books and be in taught in business schools and known utterly as "Tim's Gambit"!
Channeling my inner Tim here before he posts. I see two ways he can spin this:
1. Look at this amazing decision by Delta, adapting in the face of adversity because they can't be at fault for their own poor fleet planning now causing them to fly sub-optimized aircraft across the country.
2. Wow this was Delta's intention all along, these are optimal layouts and they never intended to have them in the...
Channeling my inner Tim here before he posts. I see two ways he can spin this:
1. Look at this amazing decision by Delta, adapting in the face of adversity because they can't be at fault for their own poor fleet planning now causing them to fly sub-optimized aircraft across the country.
2. Wow this was Delta's intention all along, these are optimal layouts and they never intended to have them in the original layout.
Either way, Delta is amazing, can't do anything wrong, the people in fleet planning and configurations at Delta are second to none and Delta>>>>>>> United Peace Out!
Seems like Delta did the same doozy that Lufthansa did, which Tim has criticized across multiple flight bloggers (quite justly tbh, Lufthansa and Delta have both dropped the same ball).
Ben captured it fairly accurately other than to say that Safran couldn't get the seat DL chosen certified. Airbus held the planes for a while but DL ultimately had to take delivery of them.
This is a temporary solution that might turn wildly profitable even as children on other sites yap about UA's premium configured coming MAX aircraft that only exist in their deranged minds.
Ahh so you went with option 1, it is not Delta's fault at all...
we have discussed this before but since you are as forgetful as you are ignorant, DL having chosen a Delta One seat for the 321NEO that didn't get certified is no more or less of an issue than the battery failures on the 787, the continual delays with that model, MCAS that grounded the MAX fleet - all of which DL sat out - but you simpletons go into overdrive at the prospect of condemning...
we have discussed this before but since you are as forgetful as you are ignorant, DL having chosen a Delta One seat for the 321NEO that didn't get certified is no more or less of an issue than the battery failures on the 787, the continual delays with that model, MCAS that grounded the MAX fleet - all of which DL sat out - but you simpletons go into overdrive at the prospect of condemning DL for a supplier issue that DL has turned into a high domestic first class model which could turn out to be wildly popular.
you and the max idiot below love to turn everything into dirt throwing contests because you can't stand that other airlines - in fact, nearly all of them, have had delays in getting and/or reconfiguring aircraft.
Other airlines don't run Super Bowl commercials or run major ad campaigns touting products that exist on 2% of their mainline fleet as UA has done w/ Starlink.
Why has Delta had so much trouble with aircraft interiors for so long?
What is wrong at a United that 99% of their mainline fleet doesn’t have Starlink and yet they have the gall to advertise it for two plus years running. JetBlue has more WiFi seats than United. And don’t even talk about American and esp Delta that operated thousands of mainline flights throughout the Americas and across the Atlantic with free high speed WIFI
Meanwhile Delta will Delta scores of passengers with their supersized first class...
What is wrong at a United that 99% of their mainline fleet doesn’t have Starlink and yet they have the gall to advertise it for two plus years running. JetBlue has more WiFi seats than United. And don’t even talk about American and esp Delta that operated thousands of mainline flights throughout the Americas and across the Atlantic with free high speed WIFI
Meanwhile Delta will Delta scores of passengers with their supersized first class cabins from Atlanta to the west coast.
DL interiors:
No wifi over most of Pacific
717 non-compliant new seats (back to drawing board), no screens, no wifi
764 non-D1 suites mess
777 refurbed (then the pseudo cargo transformation prior to retiring)
A350s with no gasper vents
A321 CEOs with small overhead bins
A321 NEOs lie flats disapproved (fire resistance?), engines removed, 44 temporary recliner seats installed two years on and until lie-flat seat/beds selected, approved...
DL interiors:
No wifi over most of Pacific
717 non-compliant new seats (back to drawing board), no screens, no wifi
764 non-D1 suites mess
777 refurbed (then the pseudo cargo transformation prior to retiring)
A350s with no gasper vents
A321 CEOs with small overhead bins
A321 NEOs lie flats disapproved (fire resistance?), engines removed, 44 temporary recliner seats installed two years on and until lie-flat seat/beds selected, approved and installed.
Multiple Int'l J-class seats. Little hard product consistency
Safran Cirrus I: A332s & A333s
Thompson Vantage: B767s
Thompson Vantage XL: A339s, A350s
Thompson Aero Vantage NOVA?: A35Xs (2027?)
78Xs (2031): ?
spare us the hypocrisy.
The 717s are DL's version of the CRJ550s. On the 717, you don't have to dig through a huge dumpster to find your luggage.
Let us know how many AA or UA flights operated over the Pacific with free high speed WiFi for all passengers.
The answer is ZERO. DL is no better or worse.
But DL is operating thousands of flights on mainline aircraft w/ free high speed WiFi...
spare us the hypocrisy.
The 717s are DL's version of the CRJ550s. On the 717, you don't have to dig through a huge dumpster to find your luggage.
Let us know how many AA or UA flights operated over the Pacific with free high speed WiFi for all passengers.
The answer is ZERO. DL is no better or worse.
But DL is operating thousands of flights on mainline aircraft w/ free high speed WiFi through the Americas and over the Atlantic. No other airline on the planet can say that.
you are so incapable of admitting the weaknesses of your dearly beloved so you throw stones.
Let us know when Pratt and Whitney expects to get parts for those wretched 777s.
and, to recap, Polaris is a high density, low quality product. UA decided to dumb down every other aircraft so it could say it had a consistent product on the 767.
and UA is operating precisely ZERO widebodies with a suite product w/ doors.
As usual, UA yaps the most and delivers the least.
AA will actually be renovating some of their aircraft w/ new interiors but UA will stick with their old, tired interiors.
it must be sad to live your life under someone's desk - just waiting for a pat on your head.
TD says, “The 717s are DL's version of the CRJ550s”
DL B717s: 110 seats & no Wi-Fi
DLC CRJ550: 50 seats & no Wi-Fi
UAX CRJ550: 50 seats & Starlink Wi-Fi
you do realize that DL is installing Hughes WiFi on the 717 fleet as we speak, just as more than half of the A350 fleet has WiFi as well?
But let's nitpick over the 10% of DL's fleet that doesn't have free high speed WiFi so we ignore the 900 mainline and hundreds of large RJs that don't have it.
and you still don't have to dig your bag out from under a million other...
you do realize that DL is installing Hughes WiFi on the 717 fleet as we speak, just as more than half of the A350 fleet has WiFi as well?
But let's nitpick over the 10% of DL's fleet that doesn't have free high speed WiFi so we ignore the 900 mainline and hundreds of large RJs that don't have it.
and you still don't have to dig your bag out from under a million other people's bags because the 717 has standard overhead bins.
and you do realize that the only reason why UA had to "invent" the CRJ550 was because UA was too cheap to buy a mainline 100 seat aircraft like the A220 or E190/E2; DL had UA have/had/ the same scope contract on RJs and DL has bought hundreds of small mainline aircraft, AA has hundreds more large RJs than DL or UA - and UA has scores of inefficient, costly CRJ550s?
as much as you want to believe DL's huge profits come from Amex, it comes because DL runs a much more efficient operation run by DL employees and not far more contractors as UA does.
and given that those RJs - all of them - are time limited to a few more years, UA has no choice but to upgauge.
suppose UA's motivation to finish off AA at ORD is because UA knows its high RJ strategy won't work w/ two carriers.
I guarantee you that DL will complete WiFi installation far before UA does; and DL already has free high speed WiFi across the Atlantic and to S. America, places UA would love to serve with CRJ550s but DL serves with widebodies.
and has Starlink installation started on the 787s yet? Thought so.
UA is just a bunch of advertising hot air
I can't believe Delta is still installing last-gen wifi on mainline aircraft. It sounds a lot like the int'l J-seat mess. How many wifi vendors? It's so weird how an airline can be good at so many things and so bad at managing the aircraft interior hard product.
Yerdumb, "sounds like Delta needs assistance in source selection, the acquisition process, and program management. There is a whole work of study around those topics … and...
I can't believe Delta is still installing last-gen wifi on mainline aircraft. It sounds a lot like the int'l J-seat mess. How many wifi vendors? It's so weird how an airline can be good at so many things and so bad at managing the aircraft interior hard product.
Yerdumb, "sounds like Delta needs assistance in source selection, the acquisition process, and program management. There is a whole work of study around those topics … and another one called supply chain management."
Right on.
Tim, first read my name.
Next, sounds like Delta needs assistance in source selection, the acquisition process, and program management. There is a whole work of study around those topics … and another one called supply chain management.
Tim, read my name again.
It really is remarkable how bad Delta has become at fleet planning/mods. No wonder they're just copying AA and others on their new A350 seats -- everything unique they've done recently seems to be a failure.
1. The LATAM A359s coming to DL were known about since 2019 yet those planes were still flying around without wifi (at all) and without standard Delta interiors until 2025? And those were used on TPAC flights
2....
It really is remarkable how bad Delta has become at fleet planning/mods. No wonder they're just copying AA and others on their new A350 seats -- everything unique they've done recently seems to be a failure.
1. The LATAM A359s coming to DL were known about since 2019 yet those planes were still flying around without wifi (at all) and without standard Delta interiors until 2025? And those were used on TPAC flights
2. The 717s with a high speed wifi plan that just collapsed leaving poor Tim Dunn with little to say except "free wifi everywhere else -- almost, maybe...", to say nothing of the on again, off again, plan to put seatback IFE on the 717s. I have to say, there's nothing as amusing as a delta passenger using gogo on a 717 today wondering why they ever believed the marketing.
3. I guess the Indonesian 737s from Lion Air were just inducted with nothing but new seat covers -- maybe delta gets a planning pass on that since Delta just planned to operate those 739s as a horrible hard product for some time? Not planning at all for a standard hard product is, I guess, better than poor planning?
4. The inability to get the NEO seats ready to go for years past when it was supposed to be inducted in late 2024 (aka. this poor planning goes far beyond 2024, it represents poor strategic planning by Delta for years to get to the point where they had the aircraft, couldn't install it, and are now planning on an inability to install it for years)
all of that and United still has 238 narrowbody aircraft that don't have Next.
and we haven't even started on the grounded Pratt 777-200s
or the 1010 mainline UA aircraft that don't have Starlink.
we are talking about SEVEN, max, count 'em, DL 7 A321NEOs.
some day you'll learn to just keep your mouth shut but today is clearly not going to be the day.
You are the hypocrite extraordinaire.
oh... you mean the planned interior mods United is doing that are planned to take a few years and are NOT years behind schedule? Unlike each Delta item I mentioned?
Or the Starlink installations that are on track and ahead of schedule vs the 717 high speed wifi that is YEARS overdue per Delta's own announcements?
You'd do well to remember how long it took DL to redo their airbus interiors, tim. You're comparing failed...
oh... you mean the planned interior mods United is doing that are planned to take a few years and are NOT years behind schedule? Unlike each Delta item I mentioned?
Or the Starlink installations that are on track and ahead of schedule vs the 717 high speed wifi that is YEARS overdue per Delta's own announcements?
You'd do well to remember how long it took DL to redo their airbus interiors, tim. You're comparing failed strategies by Delta to common interior refurbishment that is always done on a schedule
Then keep your mouth shut ;)
You really do have the stupidest comebacks lol. I'm a hypocrite for pointing out how much of a failure is at their latest fleet mods? You then bring up normal, on track installations/interior mods to show what? How it is supposed to work vs at Delta? lol
get your little bud jon to provide the project plans for each of the mods which you state are years behind schedule.
You can't because nowhere is what you state in terms of timelines accurate.
Again, DL hasn't run major ad campaigns for any product that exists on 2% of its fleet as UA has done for years w/ Starlink.
And you wonder why I absolutely love pointing out the hypocrisy of you and UA everytime you bother to criticize somebody else.
lol. My buddy Jon?
You mean the starlink announcement from UA in late 2024 that will have installation largely wrapped up by late 2027? That isn't years of major ad campaigns, Tim ;) Try to look up when it was even announced. Do you happen to know how long it took Delta to announce free wifi to the time they actually made it free? IT WAS YEARS AND YEARS and Delta still doesn't provide it...
lol. My buddy Jon?
You mean the starlink announcement from UA in late 2024 that will have installation largely wrapped up by late 2027? That isn't years of major ad campaigns, Tim ;) Try to look up when it was even announced. Do you happen to know how long it took Delta to announce free wifi to the time they actually made it free? IT WAS YEARS AND YEARS and Delta still doesn't provide it -- even on mainline lol
And yes. Delta has most definitely done major ad campaigns about free internet while having no plans for the 717 and continuing to induct mainline planes to their fleet with no working wifi whatsoever from the 737 to the A350.
But beyond that. You're just funny and a sad little man. UA isn't a perfect airline, but I don't really know what timelines you mention that are behind schedule? All 4 of the items I mentioned with DL? They're behind schedule or just didn't even have a plan to meet Delta product consistency.
Everything United from the NEXT interiors to Starlink is, by all accounts, on a normal track. You're doing your usual attempt to say nonsense and confuse the issue but you've provided no account that anything is behind schedule and we know from UA itself that the starlink installation is accelerated and ahead of schedule despite your manic attempts to pretend it won't be done for years.
You'd do well to do what the rest of us do -- have an airline you prefer to fly then stop pretending your entire life revolves around it.
3 years to put WiFi on a fleet when the unit can be installed overnight?
yes, Max, that is hypocritically long.
and you still can't grasp that nobody is advertising - let alone on the Super Bowl - a feature that exists on less than 2% of their mainline fleet.
and, again, tell us what DL's plans were for the 35Ls and LionAir 739s; both involve far more modification than sticking a Starlink antenna on...
3 years to put WiFi on a fleet when the unit can be installed overnight?
yes, Max, that is hypocritically long.
and you still can't grasp that nobody is advertising - let alone on the Super Bowl - a feature that exists on less than 2% of their mainline fleet.
and, again, tell us what DL's plans were for the 35Ls and LionAir 739s; both involve far more modification than sticking a Starlink antenna on a fuselage? You do realize that Boeing is doing the LionAir conversions as part of DL's contracts for MAX10s?
AA has mods that are delayed....
WN went w/ a fairly simple repitch of seats - but they got it done. And I have enjoyed their new cabins and their WiFi.
what would be good for all of us is if you would refrain from your incessant need to bring me into a conversation and then proceed to act like DL's "sins" are greater when everyone else has just as many if not more "sins"
You are the epitome of hypocrisy with your incessant need to find the speck in someone else's eye while ignoring the log in your own.
and the complete idiocy of even discussing this is that any rational person - Ben included - can see that DL's super large FC domestic cabins might turn into something that is popular and profitable- which can hardly be said about other supply chain related problems.
"Forgetful" indeed as you have pointed out how some aircraft models are still awaiting FAA certification, but well over 25% of UA/UAX flights on over 320 aircraft are enjoying Starlink wifi. 500 more mainline aircraft will get Starlink in 2026 and the rest in 2027. In the interim all UA aircraft have wifi that works everywhere including the Pacific unlike Viasat. Do DL 717s have any wifi at all?
Don’t reply. Don’t post in the first place.
You never met an actual fact you accepted
lol. not even worth replying to your idiocy, tim
enjoy your night. You'd truly defend delta if they knifed you in the heart
but as usual, your usual telltale sign when you know you have nothing to say -- you resort to insults like you did in your very first reply and each one since.
You never change, Tim. lol Just keep insulting to make yourself feel better.
lmao. look at you clicking refresh over and over and over to reply to me in two minutes. ;)
You really do love making an idiot of yourself with lack of knowledge and an incessant need to click refresh and reply
Feel free to name a single fact I don't accept. That Delta claimed to be doing free wifi for years (pre covid) and it took YEARS for them to do it? Far longer...
lmao. look at you clicking refresh over and over and over to reply to me in two minutes. ;)
You really do love making an idiot of yourself with lack of knowledge and an incessant need to click refresh and reply
Feel free to name a single fact I don't accept. That Delta claimed to be doing free wifi for years (pre covid) and it took YEARS for them to do it? Far longer than it will take United.
That you don't know what DOT data is? How many times do you really need to get owned on the same topics, Tim?
This entire exchange was *refresh*-ing
And because Tim couldn’t get lie-flat approved, they’re going with lame recliners… boo hiss…
How are they going to serve meals with that small galley? It’s going to take 1 hour for meals to be cooked and served. And what about drinks?
Probably do most of them in the afternoon galley and trolly them up front.
Sorry, autocorrect, AFT Galley.
I kinda like the idea of an afternoon galley.
Could never understand why they went with 44F. After "real" seats are certified, much of the cabin will need to be ripped out anyway. Is the difference between temporarily putting regular A321 config and this premium-heavy one THAT big?
World's most evil airline pushes more Airpus abominations on their pitiful clientele. So what else is new?
Although there’s a mid lavatory back there, DL’s lie-flat a321 will potentially have the same front-lav crowd issue with AA and UA that was discussed at the other post by lucky. One difference would be that DL has four less F passengers than UA or AA.
Not lie flat, no thanks.
how dare you talk about delta wwaaaaaaaaaa