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Delta debuts mattress pads, lumbar pillows in business class

Oct. 13, 2023
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3 min read
Delta One Suites Airbus A350
Delta debuts mattress pads, lumbar pillows in business class
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Falling asleep on Delta Air Lines is getting a little bit easier — if you're seated in the pointy end of the plane.

That's because the Atlanta-based carrier will now offer a mattress pad and lumbar support pillow for travelers flying in Delta One business class on ultra-long-haul flights.

Instead of offering a separate pillow and mattress pad, the airline is launching a combination product that looks like a pillow but can be folded open into a mattress pad.

This pillow-pad combo is already being stocked on select flights, so you should start seeing it the next time you're flying in Delta One.

DELTA

I haven't had the opportunity to try Delta's new pillow, but the lack of a mattress pad has long been one of my chief complaints about Delta's sleep amenities. American Airlines offers a mattress pad in business and first class on ultra-long-haul flights, while United Airlines offers one on nearly every long-haul flight.

Delta shared the following infographic with TPG about the new pillow, and I'm eager to check it out for myself the next time I fly in Delta One.

DELTA

This new amenity joins the existing selection of goodies that you receive when flying in Delta One, including duvets and pillows made from recycled materials, slippers, noise-canceling headsets and amenity kits.

Before launching the new pillow-pad combo, Delta says it "thoroughly tested" it with customers and crew members, and it's already received "great feedback."

Delta's new sleep amenity is limited to flights over 6,000 miles, which includes the following routes based on Cirium schedules:

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OriginDestination
Atlanta
Cape Town
Atlanta
Johannesburg
Atlanta
Seoul
Atlanta
Tel Aviv
Atlanta
Tokyo
Detroit
Seoul
Detroit
Shanghai
Detroit
Tokyo
Los Angeles
Auckland
Los Angeles
Shanghai
Los Angeles
Sydney
Minneapolis-St. Paul
Seoul
Minneapolis-St. Paul
Tokyo

Interestingly, the introduction of Delta's enhanced sleep amenities comes just a week after United debuted its first major revamp of the Polaris business-class experience, which includes all-new bedding provided by Saks Fifth Avenue as well as health and wellness products from Therabody.

For years, United has marketed Polaris as offering the "best sleep in the sky," and Delta's move could be viewed by some as a competitive response to provide something similar to United's sleep offerings.

Of course, it'd be great if Delta expanded the availability of this new amenity to more flights, but hopefully, that's something the airline will consider if it continues to receive positive feedback about the pillow.

Related reading:

Featured image by ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUY
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

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