Savour the Delta experience of Full Flat-Bed seats on all overseas flights

The competition to outdo each other, especially on long-haul flights, is heating up as mega international airlines continue to introduce innovative amenities to keep travellers to their sides.

Fully flat-bed seats in business class are easily the single greatest improvement in the long-haul flying experience. Previously the best a passenger could hope for was a flat seat that reclined, albeit at a downward angle.

Recently, Delta Airlines completed the installation of full flat-bed seats with direct-aisle access in BusinessElite across its entire international wide-body fleet, making it the only United States carrier to offer full flat-bed seats and the convenience of direct-aisle access on all overseas flights.

The completed interior fleet modifications include all Delta Airbus A330-200/300, Boeing 767-300ER/400ER, 747-400 and 777-200ER/LR aircraft; which represents Delta’s largest interior fleet modification investment in more than a decade.

With these modifications complete, Delta also is the only U.S. domestic carrier to offer personal, on-demand entertainment at every seat on all long-haul international flights.

The fleet modifications are Delta’s latest investment in improving the customer experience.

Since 2010, Delta also has launched international Wi-Fi service and completed the installation of Wi-Fi on all domestic, two-class mainline and regional jets, offering more than 400,000 customers per day access to the Internet above 10,000 feet on more than 870 aircraft.

It has transformed the sleep experience in the air by offering Westin Heavenly In-Flight bedding for customers in the BusinessElite cabin.

It has also updated BusinessElite amenity kits with stylish cases from Tumi and skincare product brand Malin+Goetz.

 The airline has also built a team of celebrity chefs and James Beard Award winners to offer customers great food and wine selections at 30,000 feet.

It introduced International Economy Sleep Kits and added new amenities for its Economy customers on transoceanic flights.

“We’re investing in giving our customers the wide range of options they want on long flights — from being fully connected via in-flight Wi-Fi to being fully disconnected and enjoying a great movie or comfortable sleep.

 “Delta has set a new standard for our customers by adding full flat-bed seats with direct-aisle access, improved meals and amenities, and quality in-flight entertainment options”, Tim Mapes, senior vice president –Marketing, said.

Beginning July 1, 2014, Delta will also operate three updated Boeing 757 aircraft with full flat-bed seats on the transcontinental route between New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport and Los Angeles International Airport. These will be the first 757 aircraft in service to feature Delta’s previously announced upgrades including full flat-bed seats in BusinessElite on transcon flights between New York-JFK and Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle. All transcon flights on these routes will feature full flat-bed seats by summer 2015.

Customers can see a complete overview of Delta’s ongoing updates to its products with the Delta Fleet Sheet on Facebook.

Delta has invested billions of dollars in the customer experience including, updating interiors with more baggage space and access to power throughout 225 domestic narrowbody aircraft through 2016, a new Terminal 4 at New York-JFK and the Maynard H. Jackson Jr. International Terminal in Atlanta.

The airline said it has also spent more than $100 million to expand, renovate and consolidate terminals C and D at New York-LaGuardia Airport, opened a Sky Deck at Delta Sky Clubs in New York-JFK and Atlanta in 2013.

 Additionally, customers have seen Delta’s investment in its more than 50 Delta Sky Clubs throughout the system, power recharging stations at dozens of airports, continued updates to the Fly Delta app including features such as integrated baggage tracking and mobile check-in.

Delta Airlines serves nearly 165 million customers each year. This year, it was named the 2014 Airline of the Year by Air Transport World magazine and was named to Fortune magazine’s top 50 Most Admired Companies in addition to being named the most admired airline for the third time in four years. With an industry-leading global network, Delta and the Delta Connection carriers offer service to 319 destinations in 57 countries on six continents. Headquartered in Atlanta, Delta employs nearly 80,000 employees worldwide and operates a mainline fleet of more than 700 aircraft.

 The airline is a founding member of the SkyTeam global alliance and participates in the industry’s leading trans-Atlantic joint venture with Air France-KLM and Alitalia as well as a newly formed joint venture with Virgin Atlantic.

Including its worldwide alliance partners, Delta offers customers more than 15,000 daily flights, with hubs in Amsterdam, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Detroit, Minneapolis-St. Paul, New York-JFK, New York-LaGuardia, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Salt Lake City and Tokyo-Narita. Delta has invested billions of dollars in airport facilities, global products, services and technology to enhance the customer experience in the air and on the ground.

Delta Airlines posted first quarter 2014 net income of $213 million, up $7 million from the prior year 2013 period.

Excluding special items, the airline’s quarterly result was $281 million, representing a $196 million year-over-year improvement.

Total passenger revenue increased 5 percent to $7.7 billion, which “shows the strength of Delta’s revenue momentum even through the revenue loss from weather and a shift of the Easter holiday traffic into April”, according to Ed Bastain, Delta’s Vice-President.

“We see continued revenue strength as we move through the year from corporate revenue gains, the benefits of the Virgin Atlantic joint venture and improved ancillary revenues.  These initiatives, coupled with a solid demand environment, should lead to unit revenue growth in the mid-single digits for the June quarter”, he added.

Total operating expense in the quarter increased $18 million year-over-year driven by the impact of employee investments including $79 million higher profit sharing expense. 

These cost increases were almost fully offset by lower fuel expense, savings from Delta’s structural cost initiatives, and receipt of a $25 million insurance claim related to Superstorm Sandy. 

In the March quarter, the company returned $176 million to shareholders.  On March 14, the company said it paid $51 million to shareholders, which represents a $0.06 per share quarterly dividend. 

In addition, the company repurchased four million shares at an average price of $30.94 for a total of $125 million. 

The company has completed $375 million of the $500 million share repurchase plan authorized by Delta’s Board of Directors in May 2013.

Sade Williams