Skip to main content

Aggregator

Delta One’s new ultra-luxury suites come with Wagyu beef burgers and a $200 bottle of wine

Fast Company
6 hours 48 minutes ago

For the average traveler, flying at 30,000 feet means tight seats and dried-out peanuts—not exactly luxury.

But for passengers on Delta One, the airline’s premium class for long-haul routes, the flight is the experience, and it’s about to get a major upgrade.

Delta Air Lines has announced the next generation of its top-tier cabin, marking its first major holistic redesign in 30 years. Backed by more than $1 billion in fleet upgrades, the revamp touches everything from individual seats—featuring larger screens and wireless charging—to elevated takes on classic dishes.

“Intentionality behind every detail”

The overhaul is unsurprising given that Delta’s premium cabin has been earning a larger share of revenue, exceeding economy cabin revenue for the first time ever this year. Airlines more broadly have been aggressively pursuing higher-end travelers for a while now.

“Delta’s fully reimagined experience is rooted in solving real customer needs and desires, with intentionality behind every detail,” Ranjan Goswami, Delta’s chief marketing and product officer, said in a statement.

The upgrades will begin rolling out this fall, starting with transoceanic Delta One routes departing Los Angeles International Airport and expanding across the international network through 2027.

[Photo: Delta] A new cabin

Passengers will be able to experience the redesign upon stepping into the aircraft, with newly designed Delta One seats for the Airbus A350-1000 jet, which will begin flying early next year.

Optimized for privacy and comfort, the seats have sliding doors to create an individual suite, equipped with fully lie-back seats and added mattress pads for comfort. Every small feature of the new seats comes directly from customer feedback, including hooks for handbags, a dedicated holder for eyeglasses, and larger seatback screens.

Such nuanced design fixtures carry throughout the suite, like perforated light fixtures that bring in a more residential feeling, as well as Delta’s “Widget” logo emblazoned in various elements on the seat.

To design for maximum comfort, members of the Delta team tested the seats for hours to mimic the conditions of a long-haul flight.

[Photo: Delta]

Furthermore, Delta One passengers will be greeted with an upgraded Missoni amenity kit, which launches on November 3. Inside the bag from the Italian luxury brand, travel classics such as an eye mask and a toothbrush are available, as are eye patches from popular skincare brand Grown Alchemist. Missoni’s recognizable design extends to the bedding, with a pillow and duvet branded with Missoni’s signature chevron pattern.

Dining in the air

The experience continues on the food tray, with a new menu filled with elevated classics and wine pairings led by chef Simon Hulstone and master sommelier Andrea Robinson, who collaborated with Delta’s in-house culinary team.

Taking into account how taste buds change in high altitude and pressurized environments, the team experimented to create recipes and beverage curations that retain their flavor while in the air.

The ambitious menu includes ample protein options like Wagyu beef burgers, braised lamb, beef short ribs, and Hong Kong-style sea bass. Other fan-favorite additions include a chicken Caesar salad, mac and cheese, and seasonally rotating risotto.

To end the dining experience, Delta One passengers may choose between various dessert options, including a sundae or a dairy-free sorbet paired with champagne.

[Photo: Delta] And drinking, too

The drinks menu is also getting a revamp, expanding on the cocktail and wine menu. The new Delta One experience will offer passengers Blanton’s bourbon and Dassai 45 sake—although the latter will only be available on flights to Japan.

The cocktail menu will now also include popular drinks like the Hugo Spritz and the Paloma. The wine list will expand with global labels, as well as $200 Silver Oak cabernet sauvignon and other Napa Valley favorites.

“This elevated dining and hospitality experience reflects our relentless focus on raising the bar while giving customers greater control throughout their journey,” Goswami added. “Every investment we make is deliberate and designed to deliver the industry’s most premium end-to-end travel experience.”

María José Gutiérrez Chávez