Delta debuts mattress pads, lumbar pillows in business class

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.

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.

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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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.

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