Yesterday, Delta Air Lines announced a big re-definition of it core products effective March 1, 2015. Here’s the gist straight from Delta –
- Delta One, formerly BusinessElite, is offered on long-haul international routes; also between New York-JFK and Los Angeles or San Francisco
- First Class is offered on short-haul international and domestic routes
- Delta Comfort+ offers an upgraded experience on all two cabin aircraft around the world
- Main Cabin experience is provided everywhere Delta flies offering a high standard of customer service
- Basic Economy offers Main Cabin service with fewer flexibility options available in select markets
There’s even a handy YouTube video about the changes.
http://youtu.be/wL6vjaRckNM
MJ’s Take
I don’t get some of the bloviating I’ve seen about this announcement. As far as I can tell, Delta is putting new seat covers on some seats, changing the names of some products – the end. They’re even offering something Platinum and Diamond Medallions (maybe other Medallions) who can usually book Economy Comfort (soon to be Delta Comfort+) something that we didn’t get before – comp drinks that I don’t have to print my stupid boarding pass for (they should have told us they were eliminating HOOU coupons or kept offering them until March 1), and a pass of the snack basket from up front. Granted, Golds are losing the ability to confirm Comfort+ seats at booking. In the end, this is a marketing/branding change that breaks things down into five buckets, and that’s about it. You can read more about the changes from Delta’s perspective at delta.com/firstlook and judge for yourself. Doing the important things right still matters most to me.
-MJ, December 9, 2014
Sitting in one of the new seats right now. I like it. Have to wait on the rest until my first missed upgrade after March 1.
Cool. I’ll be cooling my heels in Y today. Could do worse than MD-88 exit row though.
i agree that this too is managing DM & PMs as increasingly they’ll forego free F upgrades as Delta app sells them more routinely. i’ve increasingly resolved myself (my schedule typically allows the plan ahead as i commute as routing) to buying discount first confirmed despite being PM. i used to be AA Plat and had to pay those stickers anyhow; DL’s discounted confirmed first in my market typically the same or less.
i can’t deny that a slightly improved prem econ “Comfort+” is a reasonable product — leg room, early boarding, snack, booze.
Maybe C+ is intended to pacify the growing numbers of DM and PM who won’t be getting first-class upgrades thst delta is selling. The proof of this pudding will be in the level of service C+ recieves.
John, I’d be one of those based on recent luck.
I may be one of the folks considered to have been bloviating 😉 but your take is nearly identical to mine.
* It’s a branding effort, not news
* There are a few minor tweaks
My point in posting on this issue is precisely that there was buildup and anticipation in the announcement, and a pitch towards the notion that this was a big step forward.. when it wasn’t much at all.
And that, if anything, it wasn’t even an unambiguously positive announcement.
I don’t by the way give much credit to the introduction of the snack since it’s rally just the ‘return’ of the snack, the coupons printed by non-upgraded Gold elites and higher used to allow for a snack.
@Gary,
Haha. I’m at sea. Did see your post though. 🙂 And I didn’t really think you were bloviating.
But like you – all I see is seat covers and new names for the most part.