Delta unveils all-new look for cabins, featuring new seat coverings and fresh mood lighting
Delta Air Lines is giving its cabins a new look.
On Tuesday, the Atlanta-based carrier announced plans for a cabin face-lift for its planes, featuring updated seat coverings, new mood lighting and an overall refresh for the airline's cabin aesthetic across the fleet.
Now, don’t board your next Delta plane expecting to see the updated look; it’ll be a bit of a methodical rollout.
By the end of this year, Delta plans to retrofit one of its Boeing 757 jets serving domestic and short-haul international routes with the new look. The new aesthetic will make its way onto a brand-new Delta Airbus A350 serving long-haul routes in early 2025.
However, the carrier eventually hopes to give its entire fleet a new — and uniform — look, Delta said Tuesday.
“This refreshed cabin interior infused utility with beauty to create an atmosphere that feels fresh, elevated, and timeless while reflecting our customers’ evolving tastes and expectations,” Mauricio Parise, Delta's vice president of customer experience design, said in a statement announcing the news.
Delta's cabin refresh
The changes will be evident as soon as you climb on board a Delta aircraft in the future. The airline’s royal blue seat coverings will be replaced by a much darker color palette that's trimmed in bright red striping.
Read more: Delta's futuristic first-class recliners are coming to the Boeing 737
New Delta branding and motifs will be evident around the cabin, too. Delta is shooting for an interior that “feels fresh, elevated and timeless," as the company's statement put it.
To be clear, Delta is not getting all-new seats, so don’t expect a major hard product overhaul. This is more of a cosmetic update.
The seats will get a new trim and finish, plus new cushions on its Boeing 757s.
On jets with the Delta One cabin, the carrier says its new leather seat covers — atop memory foam — are better for temperature regulation.
Premium Select and domestic-style first-class seats will also get memory foam cushions adorned in leather seat coverings.
Plus, it wouldn’t be a cabin refresh without improved ambient lighting. Delta will offer a variety of mood lighting settings based on the stage of the flight, including a “warm and inviting” setting for boarding, with separate sunset and sunrise tones for overnight flights — not to mention a "candlelight" setting for dinner service.
The cabin itself will also get a new trim and look, including new dividers featuring a “celestial sky pattern” and additional Delta branding.
New cabin timeline
Again, you won’t see these changes right away. By late 2025, new jets delivered to Delta will have the updated look, a spokesperson told TPG.
Delta has dozens of wide-body aircraft slated for delivery in the coming years, including an order of 20 Airbus A350-1000s announced in January. That's on top of hundreds of additional narrow-body jets from Airbus slated for the fleet in the coming years.
The airline is also planning to retrofit its existing fleet with the new look. However, there’s no timeline yet for when those refits might take place.
“Additional aircraft will receive the new cabin design as Delta’s schedule and operation allows over the next few years,” the carrier said.
Delta's premium push
These aesthetic improvements come as Delta aims to position itself as the top premium airline in the U.S. — a mantle on which it’s gotten increased competition in recent years from United Airlines, itself in the midst of an ambitious cabin overhaul and fleet growth plan.
Just last week, Delta cut the ribbon on its 10,000-square-foot, all-business Delta One Lounge at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and has more swanky outposts slated to open in the coming months.
Executives regularly tout the high-dollar spending charged by the airline's loyal Delta SkyMiles members to its suite of cobranded American Express credit cards. Delta made $1.8 billion from its Amex partnership during the third quarter of this year, the company reported last week.
Now, it seems, the carrier hopes a touch-up for its cabins will give its planes a fresh look in the years to come.
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
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You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
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Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.