The carrier on Thursday announced a refresh of its seating categories, which will let passengers choose options important to them, but could make it a little harder to find what they’re used to at the same price.
Here’s what you can expect from the new options:
Each of the three new categories will have subcategories passengers can choose from. For Delta Main, those options are:
Delta Main Basic – These are the seats that used to be covered in Basic Economy. Choosing this option means you won’t be able to reserve a specific seat and will board last. You also won’t earn any frequent flyer miles and can’t access the Delta Sky Clubs, no matter what.
Delta Main Classic – This option is akin to a typical coach seat. You can choose your seat, you board a bit earlier and you’ll earn points towards frequent flyer status.
Delta Main Extra – Choosing this level will get you on board a bit earlier and a reserved seat, as well as 7 frequent flyer miles per dollar spent. These tickets are also the most refundable and include same-day standby.
Delta Comfort and Delta First will also offer tiered experiences, but the carrier did not detail the benefits of those.
The multiple tiers to choose from will result in a wider degree of pricing. A sample ticket Delta showed in an email to frequent flyer members showed a Main Basic seat going for $427, a Main Classic costing $527 and a Main Extra running $767. Actual rates and price differences will vary, however.
Delta says a passenger’s Medallion status and the type of seat they purchased remain the most important factors when determining upgrade eligibility. If two passengers have equal status and one has purchased the Classic seat, while the other paid for the Extra, the one who purchased the “Extra” seat would receive the upgrade.
