For decades, flying first-class has meant avoiding the nickel-and-diming for basic perks and comfort items. You paid significantly more, but you got the best treatment available on the plane: the best seats, early boarding (and envious looks from economy passengers walking past you), food and drinks at your leisure, and the flexibility to change your ticket or relax in a private airport lounge. But as airlines continue to rethink how they sell everything from legroom to loyalty points in an effort to maximize revenue, even first class is no longer immune to à la carte pricing — and Delta Air Lines’ President just made that clear. On January 13, it announced it won’t be just Economy class that has a bare-bones option. Soon, you’ll be able top buy basic tickets in First and Business Class, too.
Does Delta have tiers for First and Business class?
Delta First Basic isn’t an option — but it will be. Photo: Delta Air Lines
In May 2025, Delta began selling First Class seats with different levels of built-in flexibility. It rebranded its First Class as “Delta First” and introduced two tiers: Delta First Classic tickets are nonrefundable, earn SkyMiles at a rate of five miles per dollar, and have limited cancellation and change options. Delta First Extra tickets kept the benefits usually associated with first class, including higher SkyMiles earnings, refundability, higher upgrade priority, and priority boarding. In general, the old First Class pricing was similar to the new First Class Classic, while First Class Extra became a new, more expensive option. The change brought the airline in line with other carriers that offered tiered pricing, but was generally considered confusing and overpriced by flyers.
‘Basic’ comes for Business and First class
As of January 2026, Delta says “basic” airfare is coming for Delta’s Business and First class, too. It was announced on an earnings call on January 13, during which Delta President Glen Hauenstein said the airline will have “three categories for every product.” It’s a change that will come in 2026, he said. For consumers, it means when you look for premium seating on Delta, you may see a third less expensive option pop up, even if it’s not called “Delta First Basic.” It could help Delta Air Lines look more affordable in cost comparisons, as it will compare the lowest tier of its most premium to other airlines that only have one level of premium seating.
Reactions online so far have been generally negative, with commenters on Reddit asking “Will I have to pay extra for a D1 seat that doesn’t have a broken recline or have crumbs in the cushion?” However, some users have said they’d appreciate the chance to buy a lie-flat seat without paying for extras like cabin service or amenity kits.
What would be restricted in a “Basic” first class or business class ticket, and how those rules would change on domestic versus international flights, hasn’t been announced. Realistically, based on how Delta handles Main Basic and Comfort Basic seats in the main cabin, it’s likely the differences would be related to fare rules and perks, not the seat or service itself. Passengers will still likely sit in a Delta First seat with the same service as other flyers, with the same complimentary food/drinks, and other in-flight amenities of First Class. This is how Delta operates in its main cabin, giving all passengers in the same seats the same service.
A Delta First Basic ticket may not include seat selection, or it could limit how many SkyMiles are earned during the flight. As Delta First Classic has limited options for refunds and changes, it’s likely a Delta First Basic ticket would be even more restrictive. It may also remove perks like priority check-in, early boarding, and lounge access.
For now, it’s unclear when details about the new basic fare will roll out, other than it’ll be some time this year. Likely, the airline will try to introduce it sooner rather than later, as the growth and revenue for premium seats across all US airlines has grown each year since 2019, indicating airlines stand to profit the most by optimizing those fare classes. In the last three months of 2025, Delta reported a five percent revenue growth for premium class seats, but a five percent decline in main cabin profits.
As of now, no other major airlines have announced plans to add a basic tier to premium cabins.
