Delta Air Lines wants to elevate its passenger experience even before the plane leaves the ground.
The airline, which next year will celebrate its centennial anniversary, announced on Tuesday that it is embarking on a "nose to tail" redesign of its interior cabins. The refresh includes new seat fabrics and materials, mood lighting throughout the plane, and memory-foam cushioning in some cabins.
The interior facelift comes as the carrier, which was badly hit by the global CrowdStrike outage in July, reported a third-quarter earnings decline of 26%.
The refresh is the result of extensive research on "customers' changing expectations and lifestyles," Delta said in its announcement, which emphasized the company's dedication to "elevate the travel experience." With passenger complaints surging in 2023, even low-cost carriers like Southwest Airlines are looking to provide consumers with a more premium flight experience.
"As we embark on our next century of flying, this refreshed cabin interior infuses utility with beauty to create an atmosphere that feels fresh, elevated and timeless while reflecting our customers' evolving tastes and expectations," Mauricio Parise, vice president of customer experience design at Delta, said in a statement.
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Here's a look at what Delta passengers can expect from the revamp.
Sleeker seating
Delta Comfort+ and main cabin passengers will enjoy seats made of engineered leather with updated colors and red accent stripes. On wide-body planes, Delta Comfort+ and main cabin seating will have the added luxury of memory-foam cushioning.
Premium passengers in the Delta One cabin will find seats upholstered in soft, breathable fabrics made of a wool and nylon blend, according to the airline.
Despite differences in furnishings and materials among the different seating sections, the redesign is meant to bring a premium look and feel for all cabins, making "everything consistent," according to a promotional video, so that "no matter what, it looks brand new."
Enhanced lighting
Delta's new cabins will also feature what the company describes as "enhanced lighting programs" throughout the plane. "Every flight is different, so we've focused on creating warm, calming and atmospheric lighting options that create an environment for customers to rest and relax, or stay productive as they wish," Parise said.
That includes curated lighting moods for different phases of the flight. For example, during boarding, "We've focused on the 'moment of deceleration' — warm and inviting lighting that makes the cabin appear spacious and open," according to Delta.
At mealtimes: "We queue hues that feel like you're at a candlelit dinner — making meals more natural and inviting."
Sleeptime: "As the lights dim for sleep, we borrow from the sunset and slowly remove blue light while bringing in warm amber tones which are reminiscent of a sunset glow."
Wake time: "When it's time to wake up, the cabin slowly brightens into morning and daylight."
Improved bathrooms
As part of the refresh, restrooms will feature bright walls and calming blue cabinets. New smooth flooring with specks of color will ensure "improved cleanliness and safe traction," according to Delta.
The new cabin design will debut later this fall on narrow-body Boeing 757 aircraft flying domestic and short international routes, according to Delta. Renovated cabins on wide-body Airbus A35 aircraft will make their appearance in 2025, with the rest of the airline's fleet to follow over "the next few years."
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