Delta Ups the Ante with New International Business Class

“Lay back, relax and enjoy the flight in the comfort, privacy and exclusivity of your own suite. Delta Air Lines is redefining international business class travel with the introduction of the Delta One suite, the first business class cabin to feature a sliding door at each suite.”

Whether Delta’s new business class seats qualify as suites is a question best left to semanticists. To me, they look more like scaled-down versions of the cubicles that have become ubiquitous in corporate workplaces. Still, they appear to be an upgrade, at least privacy-wise, over most other airlines’ business-class products.

In addition to the sliding door – a feature not found in the typical work cubicle – the new seats boast customizable lighting, plenty of storage space, an 18-inch inflight-entertainment monitor, and power outlets and USB ports.

The new Delta One seating will make its first appearance on the airline’s A350s, with deliveries set to begin in the second half of 2017, followed by retrofits to Delta’s B777s. In all, that means the new seating will be available on just 43 of Delta’s long-haul planes. So would-be cube occupants will have to wait a full year, and then book selectively if they want to experience the suite life.

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After 20 years working in the travel industry, and 15 years writing about it, Tim Winship knows a thing or two about travel. Follow him on Twitter @twinship.