Whenever an official announcement from an airline contains news that they will retrofit airplanes with new seats in the premium class cabin, I am simply not interested.
Why New Premium Class Seats Do Not Interest Me. Usually, Anyway.
The reason that I am not interested is because I am unlikely to ever sit in one of those seats — especially for transoceanic flights.
Sure, the amenities and benefits seem to be great. I would enjoy basking with the extra leg room in a lie-flat seat in which I can relax and sleep. I likely would enjoy the choices of food and beverages that are offered in the premium class cabin. I would appreciate the service from members of the flight crew that I would not receive in the economy class cabin. I might review the hundreds of options that are available in the in-flight entertainment system…
…but I am simply not willing to pay the price.
“Months of research and feedback with SkyMiles Members and Delta people steered every stitch and feature of the next generation suite with partner Thompson Aero Seating to develop a truly bespoke Delta One experience”, according to this article from Delta Air Lines from Monday, April 13, 2026. “The result: a seat packed with premium touches, including a 3+ inch longer flat-bed that gives customers more than six-and-half feet to stretch out, a new pillow-top cushion that adds a plush layer on top of the memory foam cushioned seat and smart stowage options that include a cubby for shoes, a tray within easy reach of the flat bed for your phone and a hook for eyeglasses.” A dedicated refreshment station is even being included in the premium class cabin for those passengers who want to indulge.
All of that looks and sounds great — but here is one key tidbit to the news: “Altogether, these initiatives are part of one of Delta’s largest fleet upgrade investments, totaling more than $1B.”
An investment of one billion dollars to improve the experience in the premium cabin for passengers aboard airplanes is quite impressive…
…but Delta Air Lines is a for-profit business; and the airline rightfully not only wants to recoup its investment — but increase revenue from it as well — which means that whoever wants to experience it will likely be required to pay more money than the current technology that is offered today.
As a random example, a nonstop flight to Seoul that departs from Atlanta on Tuesday, October 6, 2026 and returns on Tuesday, October 20, 2026 costs $1,719.43 for a seat in the economy class cabin. A seat in the premium cabin on the Delta One Classic fare on that same airplane costs $8,714.43…
…or the total cost of the ticket is $11,601.43 if opting for the refundable Delta One Extra fare.
A nonstop flight to Seoul that departs from Atlanta on Tuesday, October 6, 2026 and returns on Tuesday, October 20, 2026 costs 108,000 SkyMiles for a seat in the economy class cabin. A seat in the premium cabin on the Delta One Classic fare on that same airplane costs 820,000 SkyMiles. $41.00 in fees are added to all fare classes.
Do not be surprised to see those costs increase — both when the cabins are equipped with the latest seats and technology; and when Delta Air Lines officially introduces different levels of premium class fares that will “unbundle” some benefits for supposedly lower prices.
Final Boarding Call
Plenty of writers have reported on this and the improvement or refreshing of the premium class experience on other airlines as well. That is great. A market exists for these products; and they should report on them.
While one can find great deals for flights in the premium class cabin on a number of airlines — especially if that person subscribes to Thrifty Traveler Premium — they can be significantly more difficult to find if the home airport is the international airport that serves the greater Atlanta metropolitan area…
…which happens to be the closest airport to where I am based — and that can be chalked up to another reason why new premium class cabins do not interest me. Sure, I can take a positioning flight to get to the origination airport of the deal — but doing so is not always worth the trouble and the money.
I just cannot justify spending $8,714.43 or 820,000 SkyMiles for one flight. The former costs approximately $290.00 per hour; while the latter costs greater than 27,333 SkyMiles per hour. I can usually get ten transoceanic flights for those fares, more or less.
To some people, the benefits, perks, and comfort are worth the high costs — but in most cases, not to me…
Photograph ©2016 by Brian Cohen.
