Delta unveils sleek new cabin design

CNN
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Delta Air Lines is debuting a new look this fall, with sleek new cabin interiors on its narrowbody Boeing 757 aircraft that will eventually be rolled out across the airline's fleet.

The new navy and dark gray color palette, a departure from Delta's lighter blue scheme, is in keeping with interior design trends. Subtle red accents and lighting that “encourages relaxation” are part of the design overhaul, which comes just before Delta's 100th birthday.

“As we begin our next century of flight, this refreshed cabin interior combines utility with beauty, creating an atmosphere that feels fresh, elevated and timeless while reflecting our customers’ evolving tastes and expectations,” said Mauricio Parise, vice president of customer experience design , in a press release.

The new cabins will be deployed on Boeing 757s on short-haul domestic and international routes later this fall and will be deployed on wide-body Airbus A350 aircraft in early 2025.

While the interiors undergo a major refresh, there will be “no changes to seat configuration, size or spacing between seats,” a Delta spokesperson said in response to a question about these aspects of the cabin design.

The Delta One's premium seats feature breathable wool-nylon blend fabric upholstery designed to better regulate temperature, as well as technical leather headrests.

Memory foam pillows are available in Delta Premium Select and First Class, as well as economy seats on wide-body aircraft. The main cabin seats are made of technical leather with red accents.

The new lighting is intended to create a “calming onboard environment” that will help customers adjust to time zones.

“When boarding, we focused on the 'moment of deceleration' – warm and inviting lighting that makes the cabin appear spacious and open. At meal times, we queue up colors that feel like you’re at a candlelit dinner – making meals more natural and inviting,” said Parise.

“When dimming the lights for sleep, we borrow from the sunset and slowly remove the blue light while introducing warm amber tones reminiscent of the glow of a sunset. When it’s time to wake up, the cabin slowly gets brighter and brighter into the morning and daylight.”

Every aircraft in the fleet will eventually feature the new cabin design, Delta said.

“Our goal is to create a unique experience for our diverse fleet, rather than just a unique subset,” the airline said.

Some travelers immediately asked for more comfort features.

“Nobody cares about stylish seats. We want lots of legroom,” a CNN commentator wrote on Tuesday. Others expressed a desire for more legroom and armrests with sufficient padding.