When Are Delta One and Premium Select Not Really Delta One and Premium Select?

I wrote a post detailing how my wife, some friends, and I were fortunate enough to receive excellent Delta Comfort+ upgrades to seats designed for the airline’s Premium Select service.

Here are the bullet points:

• The trip in question was Delta’s inaugural Boston (BOS) to Honolulu (HNL) flight this November. The route is flown on a Boeing 767-300 featuring four classes of seating. The forward cabin has seats usually designated for Delta One service. The next cabin is for Delta’s Premium Select service. Behind that is Comfort+. The rest of the aircraft is the Main Cabin.
• When we booked our tickets, Delta sold only three classes of service on the aircraft: First Class, Comfort+, and Main Cabin.
  • First Class passengers were the lucky ones and assigned seats designed for Delta One.
  • Comfort+ passengers scored seats normally used Premium Select on select routes.
    • These seats were available for Comfort+ purchase, as well as for Diamond and Platinum Medallions, who could upgrade shortly after purchasing their Main Cabin reservations.
  • Everything in the back—including the seats with the Comfort+ logos on them and their extra few inches of pitch—was considered the Main Cabin.
• A few weeks later, Delta suddenly but quietly offered four-class service: Delta One, Premium Select, Comfort+, and Main Cabin. Passengers who were originally slated to fly in the lie-flat seats were kicked back to Premium Select (now considered “First Class”). Those of us in the (very nice) premium seats originally marketed as Comfort+ got reassigned to the Comfort+ seats many of us know.
• It was the exact same plane configuration — just a change in what was being sold.

As I stated in the post, there was no aircraft change and Delta was perfectly within their right to make the change. But it was still kind of deceptive and not a good look for them.

I said as much — and apparently kicked the hornet’s nest.

A few people expressed their displeasure at me in the blog’s Comments section, messages in private social media groups, and things got spicy on the Boarding Area Facebook page both on Saturday and Sunday. Being a travel, points, and credit card blogger automatically earns me extra scorn 🙂 .

But there seemed to be a misunderstanding many of the triggered people shared. Some of them are Diamond Medallions “for years” who said the Delta seat maps were wrong and that Delta never sells lie-flat seats as First Class—only Delta One.

And if they lose their minds on me during a Facebook chat, they’ll get really upset at airline employees when they board a plane and don’t understand a big difference.

And that is:

”Seats” Don’t Always Equal “Service”

I wrote a post about this several years ago and figured now is the perfect time to update it.

Many people don’t seem to realize (or “accept” is perhaps the better word for some) there’s sometimes a difference between “seating” and “service.”

Delta operates dozens of widebody aircraft (for example various Airbus A330, A350, and Boeing 767 models). Many are configured for four-cabin service and travel between the United States and international destinations.

If you’re traveling internationally aboard one of those planes, you’ll get the four-cabin service of Delta One, Premium Select, Comfort+, and Main Cabin.

But unless your domestic flight is specifically marketed as having Delta One or Premium Select (i.e., the LAX to JFK flights offer Delta One, the BOS to HNL flights offer both Delta and Premium Select — not sure if you heard 😉 ), you won’t get the Delta One or Premium Select service or experience.

For example, Delta currently uses 767-300s between LAX and Honolulu. The front seats are outfitted for Delta One. But passengers sitting in them aren’t flying Delta One, per se. They’re flying First Class (but fortunate enough to have lie-flat seats!).

First Class passengers are in the 1-2-1 configuration enjoyed as Delta One by passengers on some routes. The 2-2-2 section is designed for Premium Select but serves as a snazzy Comfort+ on this flight. The first few rows of passengers in the Main Cabin get a little extra legroom because those seats are the usual Comfort+ product on international flights. And eastern United States to Hawaii flights.

Look at the seat map — and how Delta markets the cabins.

But the First Class passengeners don’t have access to the ultra-cool Delta One check-in on the arrivals level.

“But I’m in Delta One!” they may say to the people guarding the doors.

I’m sorry, no. You’re in a very nice First-Class seat. The Sky Priority line upstairs will be happy to assist you.

Their tickets alone don’t entitle them to Sky Club access (Here’s hoping they have an eligible American Express Card.) They won’t receive amenity kits, hot towels, or the comfy bedding that Delta One passengers do once onboard. Why not? Because they’re flying First Class — not Delta One. It doesn’t matter that their seats are sometimes used for Delta One service.

Some of these folks will throw a fit when they aren’t given a set of warm nuts to enjoy.

The food and beverage service will be about the same they can expect on pretty much any other domestic First Class trip. (#FirstWorldProblems, for sure.)

Check out the picture below. I’ve flown in these seats both as a Delta One passenger internationally and as a (domestic) First Class passenger (between Atlanta and LAX, if I remember correctly).

It’s similar for passengers lucky enough to get Comfort+ assignments in cabins outfitted with seats designed for Premium Select. There’s no amenity kit, bedding, or meal. Don’t think about using the Sky Priority lane unless you’re a Silver Medallion or higher.

I’ve ridden these seats as Comfort+ between LAX and New York and really enjoy it. I survived just fine without the Premium Select service bells and whistles. A Comfort+ seat that’s actually extra comfortable? Amazing!

Here are some more examples. This A330-300 between Orlando (MCO) and Detroit (DTW) is outfitted for Delta One, Premium Select, Comfort+, and Main Cabin.

But First Class, Comfort+, and Main Cabin are the services sold. You won’t get the Delta One and Premium Select treatment. (But you will get nice seats!)

Same thing on this Atlanta (ATL) to JFK trip.

All of the LAX-JFK (and vice versa) flights feature Delta One. It’s the luck of the draw as to which Comfort+ seats you get. These are the extra lucky folks: the Comfort+ passengers get the premium seats. (But not Premium Select service.)

The folks on this flight get the “standard” Comfort+ seats.

Why Do Airlines Do This?

“The main reason you see four-class planes on domestic routes is maintenance routing or to rotate aircraft through different markets,” Eye of the Flyer contributor and AvGeeks.Aero publisher Charlie Mortling explains. They’ll mostly be going from hub to hub where the airline has major international service.

“For example,” he adds, “Delta takes the A350 that flies Sydney from Los Angeles and runs it domestically from LAX to Atlanta and back to LAX during the day to utilize the plane during its downtime.”

Why not offer Delta One and Premium Class service?

“Most of the time, they wouldn’t be offered in the typical four-class configuration, simply due to not wanting to offer that level of service on the flight,” he said.

Final Approach

There’s occasionally a difference between which seats you get — and which service you enjoy. I’m positively delighted when I get Premium Select seats but Comfort+ service. Same with First Class service in Delta One seats.

But some people need to know ahead of time there’s a difference between the seat they’re assigned — and the benefits they’re entitled to.