Delta has announced their new Business Class seat for the retrofitted 767, and it’s a big disappointment. I’m not the only flier who has voiced this disappointment.
The new Delta One Seats are pretty good, but Delta is about to start retrofitting their 767 planes with new Delta One seats without the door!
Currently, Delta’s 767s have ‘Thompson Vantage’ seats. This new, doorless version of the Delta One seat is a lie-flat seat that gives you aisle access, but it’s a little narrow and can be uncomfortable for sleeping. That said, this new Delta One seat is a substantial upgrade from the current seat, at least in theory, adding more privacy (with privacy dividers between middle seats), with a modern design and customizable ambient lighting and an 18 inch high-resolution inflight entertainment screen.
But, and this is crucial, this new lie-flat seat offers 20 inches of width, a 1 inch loss from the seat being replaced, and the high walls make it feel like you are lying in a coffin. For those who want to upgrade using a Global Upgrade Certificate (a benefit option reserved for top-tier Diamond Medallion members), there are only 34 Business Class seats on the retrofitted 764 (compared to 40 on the current planes), so there will be more competition to snag an upgrade.
The Delta seat does look to be better than United’s Polaris seats, which they fit in Boeing 767s, but it’s not a patch on the American Airlines seats that run on the equivalent routes.
Delta says they’re going to use 767-400s for all of their New York and Boston to London flights starting Autumn 2019, so they will directly compete against British Airways’ new Business Class suites in the future, which are better Super Diamond seats with doors.
They’ll also be using 767s without suites to compete against American Airlines, whose worst seat into London Heathrow will be their ‘concept D’ lie flat, meaning that Americans’ seats will beat Delta’s.
Delta’s schedule and reliability from New York and Boston to London is strong compared to American. Still, I’d choose American in Business to London because of the more comfortable and spacious seat and, eventually, British Airways once they finally roll out their new seat.
However, there are still several reasons to choose Delta over American if you are not tall or wide and don’t mind the “cozy” feel of these seats.
Why We Like Delta
Better food than American Airlines. They are more reliable. Better bedding (Westin Heavenly bedding) very much as good as Americans’ Casper bedding and United’s Saks Fifth Avenue offering. No B737 Max planes, so no worries when they come back into circulation. United, Southwest Airlines, and American Airlines all fly the Max, Boeing’s newest plane. I can’t think of a better reason to choose to fly on Delta airlines with its old but reliable fleet. This way, if you are worried (justified or not), you can be sure to avoid these Boeing 737 Max planes altogether. If it’s good enough for former US President, it’s good enough for us.
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