Delta's First A350 Now Bookable With Cash or SkyMiles
Update 6/18/17 3:30pm: At the moment it appears if you book a Delta Premium Select premium economy seat on the A350 and connect to/from Detroit on another Delta flight, your ticket will include first class seating on the connection. It's not clear whether this is intentional by Delta or a bug, but it's a nice if somewhat unexpected perk. (H/T: Rene's Points)
A few days ago, the very first Delta Airbus A350-900 rolled out of the paint shop in all its glory, but now we know where and when the plane is scheduled fly its first official inaugural revenue flight.
Seat maps loaded at delta.com show the A350 configuration, including 32 new Delta One suites along with the airline's new Premium Select premium economy cabin featuring 48 seats, on Delta flight 275 from Detroit (DTW) to Tokyo/Narita (NRT) at 1:40pm starting October 30. The return on October 31 is Delta flight 276 departing from Narita back to Detroit at 5:50pm Tokyo time. Delta currently has a 747-400 flying this route, which is scheduled to be operating using the same flight numbers up through the previous day.
The new Delta One product is a suite with closing doors, sliding privacy dividers between the middle two seats in the 1x2x1 configuration and an 18-inch inflight entertainment system screen — amongst other features. The Delta Premium Select premium economy cabin will have seats arranged in a 2x4x2 layout with 38 inches of pitch, 7 inches of recline and adjustable leg rests and head rests. The A350 is Delta's first aircraft model to feature either of these new products, though the seats are expected to make their way to Delta's 777-200s sometime in 2018.
It's also now possible to book these new Delta One and Delta Premium Select seats using SkyMiles, even on the inaugural flight to Tokyo itself, but you'll pay a hefty price for doing so. Delta One seats are currently pricing at 160,000 SkyMiles in one direction — though there is availability across Delta's award calendar at that price. Premium Select is available for 65,000 SkyMiles one way, which is the same price Delta is charging for economy on the inaugural flight as well (though you can find a smattering of regular economy seats at 35,000 for dates in 2018). In comparison, a one-week Detroit-Tokyo round-trip on the Delta A350s is selling now for $9,495 in Delta One and $2,422 in Premium Select.
Note that while this is currently scheduled to be the first "official" A350 revenue flight, it's always possible that Delta's plans could change before October 30. Also, these A350s may do test runs on domestic flights on earlier dates in order to train cabin crews before the planes are put on the longer international routes. Still, if you'd like to take a trip on Delta's new A350, now's as good a time as any to book your ticket.
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 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. |
| 5X | New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Valuable dining and food-related credits
- Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
- Multiple travel and purchase protections
- No foreign transaction fees
- Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)
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 $8,000 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.
- New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
- Updated! $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- New! As an American Express® Gold Card Member, you can enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status. Enjoy benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
- Take advantage of a $100 credit towards eligible charges* at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide when you book The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App **. *Eligible charges vary by property. **The Hotel Collection requires a two-night minimum stay.
- Book your travel through the Amex Travel App with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.