Delta Announces Plans to “Wow” Main Cabin Passengers on International Routes

Delta will soon roll out an improved Main Cabin experience — designed with flight attendants’ input — on international flights.

Delta News Hub’s Savannah Huddleston writes today that the service will include “Free ‘Welcome Aboard’ cocktails featuring Bellinis to start, hot towel service and mix-and-match options for premium appetizers and larger entrees are just a few of the ways Delta is differentiating its international Main Cabin service,” which should roll out in November.

So what’s included in the new experience?

Delta’s New Main Cabin International Experience

The flight’s Purser (or lead flight attendant) will greet passengers in the gatehouse. When passengers board the aircraft, they’ll receive a personal greeting. (I imagine this will be something like flight attendants quickly looking at a passenger’s boarding pass, spotting the name, and saying, “Welcome aboard, Mister/Ms. Suchandsuch.”)

“Welcome Aboard” cocktails sound an awful lot like pre-departure beverages, don’t they? PDBs will still be an exclusive Delta One perk; the Welcome Aboard cocktails are served once the plane is airborne. The Welcome Aboard beverages will feature Bellinis (sparkling wine and peach puree). For those of us aren’t sparkling wine fans, maybe we can opt for some Woodford Reserve instead? 😉

Hot towel service follows before dinner.

Delta wants you to feel like you’re visiting an upscale eatery, as the experience is “designed to delight and create ‘wow’ moments that feel like dining in your favorite splurge restaurant.”

Delta says meals will be “‘bistro-style meal service’ with upgraded appetizers and entrees to mix and match.”  Custom dinnerware, upgraded cutlery, and a placemat are part of the new experience. The new food consists of larger entrees “inspired by beloved Delta One dishes.” That sounds…interesting.

Here’s a seemingly minor change I think will make a big difference:

Most of us who’ve ridden Main Cabin on international flights received our packaged desserts served at the same time as dinner entrees. Dessert will now be a separate course.

I like that because cabin services break up the flight; the more of them there are, the quicker the flight seems. The dessert course/service will give passengers something else to look forward to.

Passengers will receive another hot towel before arrival. Plus, flight attendants will serve chocolates as “as a token of gratitude for flying Delta.”

Bravo to Flight Attendants

The extra services will create a little work for flight attendants: more items to hand out, more trash to pick up.

But it seems FAs support this upgraded experience:

“The thoughtful touches we’re investing in throughout the new Main Cabin experience were designed by flight attendants with one goal in mind — delivering an exceptional experience that our customers will rave about and one that our team, the best in the business, is proud to deliver.”
 
–Allison Ausband, Delta Senior Vice President — In-Flight Service
 
“With this service, at the end of the flight I know I’ve made a difference in the customer’s journey,” said Michael Miller, a New York-based flight attendant and member of the design team behind the new experience. “I know I’ve had the opportunity to not only offer an exceptional onboard experience, but also to engage with customers and create special moments for them.”

Remember to recognize your cabin crews for great experiences and service!

Where to Find Delta’s New Main Cabin International Experience

Delta tells us the new service will be available on “international flights scheduled for 6.5 hours or longer, plus select shorter international flights where Delta One or Delta Premium Select is offered.”

So maybe those of you flying the Boston, Burbank, or Chicago mileage runs to London get to enjoy the new Main Cabin experience.

What Do You Think?

Share your thoughts in the comment section below!