Delta Air Lines Quietly Modified Its Airbus A321s — Changes for Both Passengers and Crew!

Delta Air Lines recently completed some adjustments to its Airbus A321 planes — improving seating options while creating more workspace for the cabin crew!

But the changes were so low profile even SeatGuru or Delta.com don’t seem to fully know about them yet!

Row 26: Before and After

This was row 26 (starboard side) when I rode an A321 last May:

But René noticed this during a trip last week:

Don’t get too bent out of shape and worry about Delta adding another row of seats. It seems they removed the back row of the starboard side. There’s still plenty of legroom in row 26.

Conflicting Seat Maps?

As of late yesterday, the A321 page of Delta.com’s fleet map section, though, wasn’t updated. (FWIW, SeatGuru isn’t yet displaying the new seat maps, either.)

But for an upcoming flight, we noticed the updated, correct seat map was popping up.

René contacted Delta corporate communications to ask about the changes — and find out what’s up with the A321 seat map discrepancy on Delta.com (see the WayBackMachine for old page).

Delta spokesperson Kathryn Steele told us:

“Thanks for reaching out, René, and pointing this out – we’re making the update on delta.com to make sure it’s consistent.

The A321s were delivered with 192 seats and we took a two-phased modification approach. Each of those aircraft now has 191 seats and we’ve expanded the back galley space so our flight attendants can better serve our customers.“

Better than Some Comfort+ Exit Row Seats?

Row 26 presents a great option for people traveling in pairs. Both the left and right sides of row 26 consist of only two seats each — with plenty of legroom.

If you like being near a lavatory, there’s one right in front of you!

Seats 26D and 26E are nice because not only do they provide exit row legroom — but also now have storage under the row directly in front!

Another feature I like: the new row 26 essentially eliminates a traditional middle seat. Even if you’re seated in 26B or 26E, there’s only one person next to you: the aisle seat occupant.

Speaking of middle seats: these present a much better option than exit row 13 in Comfort+. (Plus, “exit row 13” just sounds foreboding, doesn’t it?)  It might look nice on seat maps — and even gets a “green” rating on Seat Guru! — but René hated his experience sitting in 13E.

Why? There’s a big jump seat in 13D for flight attendants — leaving little shoulder room for the poor soul in 13E.

Window Seats in Row 27

Seats 27A and 27F have a lot of legroom:

Great for Hard Working Delta Flight Attendants, Too!

It looks like a row of seats in back was eliminated to enlarge the rear galley. This is a nice change for the Delta flight attendants — it gives them more space to do their jobs (and hopefully relax during downtime!).

Related: Should Exit Row Passengers Be Held to Higher Standards?

#KeepClimbing-Worthy

Both René and I like these changes. Delta expanded a galley, eliminated only a single seat, and did a great job of utilizing a surplus exit row space — while retaining great legroom. Keep these seats in mind next time you’re booking a trip aboard a Delta A321!

–Chris

Featured image credit: Delta Air Lines via Flickr (Photo by John Paul Van Wert for Rank Studios)