Delta to expand luxury offerings on long-haul flights

Josh Roberts believes the best trips involve long hikes and muddy boots. His life goals haven't changed much since he was a kid: He still wants to be Indiana Jones when he grows up.

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Josh joined SmarterTravel in 2001, and is an active member in both the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) and the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI).

In addition to SmarterTravel, he has written for USA Today, The Boston Globe, Yahoo! Travel, The Huffington Post, Airfarewatchdog, TripAdvisor, Jetsetter, ABC News, Oyster, and Business Insider. His travel photography can be seen in Britain and Ireland's Best Wild Places, published by Penguin UK.

The Handy Item I Always Pack: "A lacrosse ball. It's small, lightweight, and works wonders on loosening up tight muscles."

Ultimate Bucket List Experience: "Being the first to discover an ancient lost city. Failing that, visiting as many of the already-discovered ancient ruins as possible."

Travel Motto: "Not all those who wander are lost." -J.R.R. Tolkien

Aisle, Window, or Middle Seat: "Aisle."

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It’s no secret that Delta Air Lines is centering much of its bankruptcy exit strategy on cornering the market on pricey luxury offerings for long-haul flights. Now the airline has announced another feature: fully horizontal sleeper suites in its BusinessElite class. Delta will be the first U.S. airline to offer such seats. The first batch of them will arrive in early 2008 when Delta takes delivery of two new Boeing 777s.

“As we continue to grow to ultra long-haul destinations across Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, we want to give our valued business-class customers the utmost in comfort and entertainment,” says Jim Whitehurst, Delta’s CEO, in a statement. “The experience we’re creating for premium international travelers will offer an unmatched combination of privacy and comfort with the option to lie completely flat, unlike some competitors who offer an angled lie flat product.”

Delta plans to add the sleeper seats to its existing 777s beginning next fall, and it also expects to install lie-flat seats in its 767s as well. It’s eyeing 2010 for completion of the entire product.

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