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Delta Air Lines introduced several new “Experiences” last week. These basically amount to more award miles earnings over similar fares, increased change and cancel flexibility, and higher upgrade priority for Medallion/elite status members. (We argued that it’s mostly much ado about nothing — and even a sucker bet in many cases.)
A source tipped us off late Wednesday that Delta was announcing something big — most likely the “unbundling” of Delta One and First Class fares. Think of it like a no-frills version of Delta One or First Class. You can enjoy the onboard product, but that’s about it. (Some airlines already do this.) This is something Delta’s openly discussed for a while.
We know now that wasn’t the information that dropped on Thursday. But we still expect some kind of unbundling news sometime in the nearish future. Perhaps that will be part of Delta’s usual-ish fall surprise.
Let’s look at what unbundling Delta One (and, to a degree, First Class) might look like. This is pure speculation and spitballing. It’s not a “Don’t give Delta any ideas!” post. Trust me. They’ve probably already focus-grouped it to death. Plus, unbundling their premium products is seemingly already in the pipeline.
So, here are some thoughts.
Ticket Changes and Cancellations
The “new” Delta One Classic allows customers to change their tickets (for a fare difference) until the day of departure. Same-Day Confirmed changes cost you a fee.
If you need to cancel your trip, you receive an eCredit for the full amount you paid.
I think a Delta One “Basic” fare (let’s call it that) would be like Delta’s Main Basic: you could cancel it only for a partial eCredit. Changes? Ha! Silly rabbit, no changes are allowed!
Checked Bags
Delta One customers (regardless of the “Classic” or “Extra” experience) may check two bags for free.
I bet that would drop to zero free bags or maybe one for Delta One Basic. But like the current Main Basic passengers, eligible Delta SkyMiles® American Express Card members could check their first bag for free.
Delta One Check In
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) features a dedicated, jazzy check-in area exclusively for Delta One (and Delta 360) passengers. Delta One passengers there don’t need to deal with the unwashed cretins flying Premium Select, Comfort, or Main Cabin. (Disgusting creatures!
They can check their luggage, enjoy a snack, and then use the private TSA checkpoint before taking an elevator to the new, bougie Delta One Lounge. (More on that in a minute.)
I believe New York-Kennedy’s (JFK) old Sky Priority check-in area is now a Delta One check-in, albeit without the bells and whistles of the LAX lounge.
My guess is that Basic passengers wouldn’t be allowed to use the Delta One check-in facilities. They’d need to use the general check-in kiosks and agents or Sky Priority — whichever their status permits. Same thing with TSA security.
Lounge Access
Here’s where things may get very interesting.
Business class fares on transcontinental and international flights almost always give passengers access to an airline club lounge. Delta has three Delta One Lounges (LAX, JFK, and Boston).
They feature made-to-order meals, table service, better complimentary alcohol than “standard” Delta Sky Clubs, and more.
I bet Delta One Basic passengers wouldn’t get lounge access at all — to either Delta One or the Sky Clubs.
In fact, their only hope might be getting in with one of the Amex cards that come with complimentary Delta lounge admission. But Delta’s Main Basic passengers aren’t allowed in Sky Clubs even with an eligible Amex. I wouldn’t be surprised if the same holds true with Delta One Basic.
Seat Selection
Just like with Main Basic, passengers likely wouldn’t be allowed to select their seats ahead of time.
Really want a window seat? Hope there’s a window seat available and sweet-talk the gate agent.
Worst case scenario: you sit in a lie-flat seat that’s not in your desired location. Maybe you’re near a galley or a lavatory. Sorry, but boo-hoo. Bring ear plugs (though you’ll probably get some in your amenity kit.)
Boarding Zones
Delta’s Main Basic passengers usually board in Zone 8 — the last ones to get on the plane. The Walk of Shame! Unless an aircraft is fairly empty, these sad souls rarely, if ever, get to put their luggage in an overhead bin. They have to check it at the gate (for free, which is a good way of gaming the system).
But, they can board with Zone 5 if they have a Delta Amex.
I don’t know if Delta One Basic would kick passengers all the way down to Zone 8. But considering there’s usually plenty of overhead bin space in Delta One, that’s probably not a tragedy. Sure, you might miss out on a pre-departure beverage. But that’s if your cabin crew actually serves them.
Meal Selection
Delta One, First Class, and Premium Select passengers can choose their in-flight meals between one week and 24 hours before departure.
Delta One Basic passengers might be able to pre-select meals? Whatever is the cheapest and easiest option for Delta is what Delta One Basic passengers would likely receive.
So, What’s the Point?
You’d essentially pay for a lie-flat seat, the food, drinks, your amenity kit and everything else nice that comes with actually sitting in the front of the plane.
There are plenty of times I’ve thought, I wouldn’t mind upgrading with miles and forgoing the perks just to have a lie-flat so I can sleep during this flight.
I know plenty of people who couldn’t care less about dining in the Delta One lounges or boarding first. They just want the comfort of Delta One.
Believe it or not, I could go without the checked bag (or, heck, I’d pay whatever to check a bag), lounge access, and special boarding just to get a bed. There are worse problems in life than eating at a Chili’s Too instead of a Sky Club or Delta One Lounge.
This is potentially bad news for Diamond and Platinum Medallions who select Upgrade Certificates as a Choice Benefit. As we’ve said: Delta does not want to give you a free upgrade. They want people spending cash and miles.
It’s also bad news for non-revenue passengers (i.e., airline employees, their designated companions, etc.) who often are given unsold Delta One seats. If more passengers are able to buy Delta One seats for reduced prices, I think we’d see more paying passengers up front.
But I’m not sure what the Delta One Basic seats would cost. It’s not like a Main Cabin seat would be $500 and Delta One Basic saves the day at a bargain-basement $900. I think it’d still be thousands.
What do you think about Delta probably unbundling Delta One (and probably First Class to follow)? Would you buy up?
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Responses are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
One word: No
At this point, I can’t wait for an economic recession to shake up the airline and hotel industries. Airfares are down to the lowest prices since the worst of the pandemic in 2020. Hotel nightly rates are down year-over-year. Business travel hasn’t returned. Remote work is still a thing. Many suburban office park hotels, predominantly chains, are empty on weekends and struggling during the week. The Big Four consulting firms are laying off staff. Government contractors aren’t flying; likewise, federal government workers are being laid off left and right. The government’s credit rating was downgraded. And for the first time in 5 years, mostly middle-class and upper-middle-class workers have to repay student loans. These millennials have avoided paying $500-$1,000 per month for the last 5 years. They used that money for travel. Now, they’ve lost a major source of discretionary income. I think the remainder of 2025 and into 2026 even without an official recession is going to be tough for airlines and hotels.
A recession would be far worse than anything you don’t like about the air and hotel industry.
I’d say it depends on a number of factors. Like what the restrictions of Delta One Basic actually will be and, given a specific flight I want to take, how the fare differences are between Main Classic and Premium Select [Classic or Basic? Depending on fare difference and differences between those “experiences”] and Delta One Basic and between One Basic and One Classic.
Like is it no free bags? Or is it reduced to just one free bag? What about lounge access if it is not included … but still possible with Amex or not? Might be minor factor but one to be considered.
My personal stance was to never ever buy Delta One with cash (with miles? well, yes, in the past when you could fly for 100k or 125k roundtrip between Europe and US). But my next trip to JFK (from FRA)? To JFK we fly Main but return in Delta One. In this case the fare difference didn’t seem to be that huge to me. This and the prospect of having a lie-flat seat on a night flight, the chance to experience the Delta One lounge in New York, and all the other perks of flying Delta One I decided to go for it.
So I don’t know what I will do in the future. Usually I’d pass on flying business class simply because it is out of reach for me. However, who knows? Maybe something pops up and there is a rare occasion where the price alludes me to go for it. I can’t tell you where exactly my red line is. I could tell you a number and some conditions … and then … a year or two or whatever from now I prove myself a liar.
To answer the primary question, I would absolutely pay for the just the seat. I don’t need all the other stuff and often I don’t want to eat a big meal on a plane right before I’m trying to sleep. There are so many airport lounge options (many of which are accessible with credit cards) that I never have trouble finding a place to eat. Checked bags and check-in don’t really matter that much as overhead space is rarely ever a problem up front and the fees are nominal to check.
To FNTs comment about federal workers being laid off “right and left”…So far it’s been about 150K with possibility of 150K or so more in the future. You have to understand, how many took early retirement, how many were typical customers of these hotels/travel to begin with, it’s also not ‘left and right’, there have been roadmaps on what to expect in terms of the extent of government reductions – the monthly job reports routinely show shifts in 6 figures. There are over 150 Million people employed in the US, so 150K represents a thousandth of a percent of the workforce and you don’t know how many took new employment. That is not enough to have a significant impact on any sector of the economy. You also mention the downgrade of the US credit rating, well that’s because of spending and debt…reducing government spending through layoffs is one way, among others, to help the credit rating. Is your suggestion that cutting government spending will not help the credit rating and the rating was cut because of staff reductions? Incidentally the lower credit rating could have more of an impact on travel that the loss of government jobs. How would you suggest addressing the credit rating since you have a grip on what it means economically. I’m assuming you’re not just aping a comment you heard, but you really have the proper understanding of the interplays and economic theory here to up the why (but look, we all know you’re going to have to google any answer you give). I imagine your comments were meant as a slight against the current administration, but it really shows your lack of economic understanding of ability to research and explain what you’re talking about. I would love to be proven wrong, however, so if you could give some explanations and statistics as to why the federal layoffs will impact travel I’d like to hear them keeping in mind your opinions are not facts or statistics.
At a certain price, I’m sure I would consider it but as you say realistically it’s always going to be beyond my budget (and if you upgrade with miles post-ticket purchase, I suspect it won’t be to D1 Basic).
This validates my decision to become a free agent over a year ago. I’m Platinum for life. Good enough. GUCs and higher upgrade status are no longer relevant to me. Still get RUCs and other Platinum benefits. SkyClub via AmEx. Still SkyTeam elite+. So I’ll shop for best premium cabin pricing, and use Delta or SkyTeam when it makes sense. Delta: you want to trash my loyalty? Ditto, my ex-friend.
Current “administration?” Have you flown in/out of Newark or JFK recently? 20 minutes after departing the gate my Delta’s flight’s pilot finally announced we’re number 19 for takeoff due to ATC staffing. FNT’s points are well taken.
How long will it be before business lite (whatever that will be) costs as much as current J and we pay higher fares for the luxury of seat assignments, lounge access, refundable tickets, etc. Isn’t this what happened with basic economy and main cabin fares? Qatar Airways is an airline I’m somewhat familiar with that has unbundled its J fares. Prices haven’t dropped noticeably for cheap business class and it is sometimes difficult to see which lounge, if any, is accessible without paying more. Fortunately oneworld Emeralds get free seat assignments that would have cost $100 per segment. Business lite makes things more complicated.
Of course. That’s the strategy. Look at how we pay more now for Sky Club access but the lounges are as crowded as before.
I have diamond for 5 years because of the rollover elimination, MQMs, etc. I’m fly half as much now. I no longer take an extra connection like I did in the past because I needed the MQM and MQS for status. I’m no longer finding an excuse to fly for a meeting or client if I can do it by Zoom. Before I’d do anything for a trip and an extra couple segments. So Delta’s changes intended to get me to fly more and spend more are causing me to fly less and spend less.
I would not, but then again I rarely actually pay for business class, rather I use upgrades.
And then there’s the option of taking a Skyteam partner if they still provide full business class without having to pay extra for it. But in the end truly free is the traveler not ‘grounded’ with a loyalty program… there are business class sales and etc. I agree those who say Delta is ‘descending’ as one pays more and more for less and less.
I think it depends on the price. I would forgo a lot of things in order to have a lie flat seat. Or just an opportunity to go horizontal. In fact when I flew to Europe regularly, I would deliberately choose flights with a lot of empty middle row seats in coach (main cabin). And as soon as the plane took off I was there.