Insights from Delta's new cabin preview

Economy seats now feature divided pockets for better organization.
The seat cushions are being redesigned to avoid pressure points and increase comfort, especially on long flights.
For a more comfortable sleeping experience, Delta One business class has switched from leather seats to fabric seats.

ATLANTA – I got an exclusive preview of Delta Air Lines' new cabin finishes at its Atlanta headquarters last month, and while the fresh look isn't in use yet, I can already tell it's having a positive impact on travelers becomes.

It's not just that the color scheme is more modern and relaxed or that the branding on the aircraft is more subtle; There are some key changes that passengers will appreciate in their seats when the new interiors are introduced in the coming years.

Delta has been clear that it will take years – up to seven – to upgrade the entire fleet, but here are two things I'm most excited about when that happens and one that I'm looking forward to most happy Think it's cool, but probably won't affect me at all.

1. More pockets

Main cabin travelers, rejoice. A major advantage that was previously reserved for those who valued seats with more legroom is now finding its way to the back. Delta Comfort+ seats already have an additional small pocket in the backrest for storing small items, but after the redesign, regular economy seats will also have split pockets.

It sounds like a simple change, but I think it's a big improvement for travelers. I'm always worried about forgetting or losing something in the large pocket on the backrest. Therefore, having access to smaller storage compartments in my seat makes me more likely to take advantage of the convenience rather than just rummaging through my backpack for things during the flight.

Delta, I never gave you this feedback, but you read my mind.

2. Smoother seat cushions

Another pet peeve I have when traveling is the seams on the seat cushions. They can create unnecessary pressure points and, especially on long flights, can literally become a real pain in the ass.

As part of the overhaul, Delta is smoothing its seat cushions. It's about eliminating the textures and seams that can be annoying and instead favoring a floor glued on one side.

This is another small but significant improvement that makes long flights more bearable in every cabin.

3. Fabric seats in the Delta One

Although I'm a travel writer, I've never flown Delta One before, so I don't think this will affect me personally, but it's still a big change. Delta is doing away with leather seats in its business class cabin and is (reverting) to fabric seats. Airline executives told me that having the seat in bed mode would make for a more comfortable sleeping experience. They acknowledged that this would add additional complexity as the fabric upholstery would require a new cleaning regime, but said that ultimately passengers would likely prefer the new finishes.

Delta's European partners, Air France and KLM, already have cloth seats in business class and the airline said it had received good advice about what to expect after the change.

“We spent a lot of time with our partners, Air France, KLM and other airlines that are not our partners tend to use fabric in business class,” Mauricio Parise, vice president of brand experience at Delta, told me. “When you sleep in your bed, your mattress is usually made of cotton.”

Miscellaneous

Some of the other tweaks Delta is planning are more subtle, like small, branded seat labels to help identify which cabin you're in. A Delta executive told me that even crew seats are marked with their own individual labels, and a significant amount of design effort was put into making the wing emblem exactly that accent.

The airline also plans to strategically deploy its triangular Delta “widget” throughout the cabin to keep the branding consistent but subtle.

As the son of an electrician who spends an inordinate amount of time thinking about lighting color temperature, I was also pleased to hear that the airline plans to switch to warmer tones in cabin lighting as part of the overhaul.

It will take a while for all of these changes to be implemented across the fleet, and not all aircraft will be completely gutted and renewed, but small improvements like the ones Delta is planning really help differentiate airlines, especially in… Economy in which seats and services are often indistinguishable from airline to airline.

Zach Wichter is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in New York. You can reach him at [email protected].

Insights from Delta's new cabin preview

ByVanessa

1. More pockets

2. Smoother seat cushions

3. Fabric seats in the Delta One

Miscellaneous

By Vanessa

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