Ready or not, "basic" first- and business-class tickets appear to be on the way at Delta Air Lines sooner, rather than later.
For many months, the Atlanta-based carrier has dropped breadcrumbs about bringing an adapted version of its "basic economy" concept to its myriad of premium seats.
That could conceivably mean booking a $1,500 first-class seat but not getting to actually select your seat — or, perhaps, earning fewer SkyMiles on your flight.
So far, Delta hasn't shared exact details of its plans.
But it appears to be on the cusp of making "basic" a staple of every cabin.
Basic, Classic and Extra
Delta executives on Tuesday dropped their latest hints that these new, stripped-down fares are indeed coming to the airline's high-end cabins.
The idea is similar to basic economy: You'd save some money by booking a "basic" fare, and face some added restrictions in exchange.
How Delta's fares work today
Today, Delta already offers at least two options for virtually all of the seats it sells, regardless of whether you're flying in coach or up in first class:
- A "classic" (or standard) version of its fares
- An "extra" version of the fare that costs more but comes with some added perks
Delta also offers a basic economy option in coach — which it now calls "Main Basic." That fare carries tight restrictions in exchange for the discount, such as zero SkyMiles, no seat selection — and no access to its Sky Clubs, even for members.
'Basic' concept starting to expand
Now, the airline is preparing to layer in "basic" options for its higher-end seats, too.
"I think we've talked about really having three categories for every product, which is Basic, [Classic] and Extra, and that continues to evolve," the airline's president, Glen Hauenstein, said Tuesday on the company's earnings call.
In fact, we're already starting to see this plan in action.
'Comfort Basic' is here
As TPG reported late last fall, Delta in November started selling "basic" versions of its extra-legroom Comfort seats.
Today, on some flights, the carrier sells a Comfort Basic fare that still gets you the extra space. However, you earn fewer SkyMiles with this option, and you can't pick your seat ahead of time. You also have to pay a fee if you need to cancel your trip when you book one of these fares.
Read more: Delta is adding more 'Comfort' seats to its planes
Delta's executive vice president, Joe Esposito, told analysts on Tuesday that the slimmed-down Comfort Basic offering has so far been a success from the airline's perspective.
"We've been incredibly thoughtful about not going too fast, making sure that we're measured in that approach," Esposito said. "We're still testing comfort basic right now, [and] we're going to expand that for the rest of this year."
Read more: Delta is adding the Boeing 787 Dreamliner to its fleet, after 30-plane purchase
Basic first, premium economy and Delta One likely still to come
In the not-too-distant future, expect to see variations of this basic concept offered in more of Delta's high-end cabins, too — whether you're booking a long-haul, lie-flat Delta One seat, a domestic first-class ticket or a Delta Premium Select (premium economy) fare.
Hauenstein called expanding the carrier's menu of fare options one of Delta's "2026 initiatives."
Bottom line
Delta has framed these changes as a way to offer customers more choice.
Instead of $500 for a ticket, picture a $450 fare — but with tighter seat selection and refundability rules, Hauenstein posed.
The airline has also said it's eyeing new and innovative offerings it could someday add to its tickets — presumably as a way to draw more contrast between the different fares it sells.
"There's more we can offer the customer based on what they're willing to pay," Esposito said.
At the same time, more skeptical customers may bristle at the thought of add-on fees or tighter rules on fares that, in some cases, could cost them thousands of dollars.
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