Delta Expands Popular 'Economy Comfort' Brand

New seating to be installed on more than 800 mainline and two-class regional jet aircraft

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Oct 20, 2011, 10:00 ET

ATLANTA, Oct. 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) today unveiled another major investment in its product offering with plans to introduce "Economy Comfort" – a premium economy cabin product launched on long-haul international flights earlier this year – to its entire mainline fleet of more than 550 aircraft, in addition to more than 250 two-class regional jets.

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"Our goal is to make sure premium customers are sitting in premium seats," said Richard Anderson, Delta's chief executive officer. "Delta already offers more First Class seats than any other U.S. airline and by expanding Economy Comfort we'll offer customers even more opportunities to select a premium seat."

The new seats will feature pitch of at least 34 inches or more. Delta's standard Economy Class seat pitch is currently 31 inches. In addition to more leg room, customers seated in Economy Comfort will enjoy Priority Boarding.

The product will be installed in the first three-to-five rows of the Economy cabin by removing a negligible number of seats from the current cabin configuration on all of Delta's domestic Boeing 767, 757, 737, MD88, MD90, DC9, Airbus A320 and A319 aircraft, and all two-class regional jets including the CRJ900, CRJ700, E170 and E175 aircraft types by summer 2012. The breadth of this installation means flights to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central and northern South America will also offer the Economy Comfort product. The first of these converted aircraft will be a Boeing 757 which will enter service in November.

The expansion of Economy Comfort is the latest in Delta's previously announced plan to invest more than $2 billion in enhanced global products, services and airport facilities through 2013. In addition to Economy Comfort, Delta is adding more First Class seats and in-flight entertainment to its domestic product; offering flat-bed BusinessElite seats on its entire international widebody fleet; adding personal, in-seat entertainment for both BusinessElite and Economy class customers on all long-haul international flights; adding in-flight Wi-Fi service to all domestic two-class aircraft, including regional jets, with a First and Economy class cabin; updating Delta Sky Clubs throughout the system; and building new terminal facilities for international customers at its two largest global gateways – Atlanta and New York-JFK.

Customers who have purchased an Economy ticket on Delta will be able to choose Economy Comfort seats for an additional introductory fee of $19-$99 on a one-way itinerary including Alaska, Hawaii and short-haul international markets. Economy Comfort seats can be reserved through delta.com, kiosks, and Delta reservations beginning in late spring for travel in summer 2012.

Similar to Delta's long-haul international Economy Comfort product, complimentary access to domestic and short-haul international seats will be available at booking to all SkyMiles Diamond and Platinum Medallions and customers purchasing full-fare Economy class tickets. Gold Medallion members will also have free access to these seats at time of booking, while Silver Medallions can purchase them at a 50 percent discount off the fee at time of purchase or can access these seats for free at check-in.

Delta Air Lines serves more than 160 million customers each year, and was named by Fortune magazine as the most admired airline worldwide in its 2011 World's Most Admired Companies airline industry list. With an industry-leading global network, Delta and the Delta Connection carriers offer service to 338 destinations in 59 countries on six continents. Headquartered in Atlanta, Delta employs 80,000 employees worldwide and operates a mainline fleet of more than 700 aircraft. A founding member of the SkyTeam global alliance, Delta participates in the industry's leading trans-Atlantic joint venture with Air France-KLM and Alitalia. Including its worldwide alliance partners, Delta offers customers more than 13,000 daily flights, with hubs in Amsterdam, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Detroit, Memphis, Minneapolis-St. Paul, New York-JFK, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Salt Lake City and Tokyo-Narita. The airline's service includes the SkyMiles frequent flier program, a world-class airline loyalty program; the award-winning BusinessElite service; and more than 50 Delta Sky Clubs in airports worldwide. Delta is investing more than $2 billion through 2013 in airport facilities and global products, services and technology to enhance the customer experience in the air and on the ground. Customers can check in for flights, print boarding passes, check bags and review flight status at delta.com.