I just received an email from them noting new termanology. Not really a big change, but just an FYI.
Delta Main Basic (former Basic Economy)
Delta Main (formerly Main Cabin)
Delta Comfort (formerly Comfort+)
Delta Premier Select (no change)
Delta First (formerly First Class)
Delta One (no change)
The changes officially take place October 1, 2025, but they will start rolling them out sooner. I checked and it looks like the website has already implemented them.
Hi Mardee…..Does Premier Select equals business class? I fly American or Alaska so not familiar with Delta. You kind of wonder the multiple meetings and consultations with bigwigs that went into this decision.
I'm quite annoyed with the combining of "Main Basic" and "Main" for flight searches. I don't understand the purpose. I rarely buy the basic ticket and I just want to see the price for "Main" when I'm planning an itinerary.
No, Lyndash, Premium Select is NOT business class as it does NOT have lie flat seats. I think the seats are a little wider and maybe recline a short amount more, but I flew it to Paris a year or so ago and was very disappointed. It is more like Comfort+ is for domestic travel.
Lyndash,
Delta's Premium Select would be similar to American Airlines' Premium Economy.
I believe Delta One is considered business class.
It is like 1st class on a domestic flight. Bigger seats, more recline, foot rest, bigger video screen, better food on real dishes and you get a better pillow/blanket and noise canceling ear phones.
Thanks, Mardee for posting this!
I'm quite annoyed with the combining of "Main Basic" and "Main" for flight searches. I don't understand the purpose. I rarely buy the basic ticket and I just want to see the price for "Main" when I'm planning an itinerary.
Jules, I think there's a way that you can filter your search to omit "Main Basic." ETA: Yes, if you're on the Delta site and looking up fares, just click on "Advanced Search" and you can choose Delta Main as your option.
Pam, you're welcome! I'm glad I opened the email. Usually I don't, but I'm sure I would have been confused (like I was when they changed the boarding zones!). :-)
Confusion about different classes, especially business vs first, on the big 3 American airlines is common. There is no true "first class" like you would find on Air France (La Première) or other international airlines, regardless of what their marketing might lead one to believe. All the seats up front on international flights are business class (even though Delta chooses to call them Delta One and United calls them Polaris - oooh fancy).
There is domestic first class, which is just a wider seat, more leg room, but no lay flat. Not much to write home about, really.
Premier Select on a Delta international flight is closer to domestic first - wider seat, more leg room and recline, better food (in theory). Comfort is a bit smaller still, same food as coach. On domestic flights, it gets you free booze (if they bother to do a service).
I'm quite annoyed with the combining of "Main Basic" and "Main" for flight searches.
Same, Jules, same.
Yes, of course you can filter for the "class." But it irks me to have to click an additional time when until now i could see it right there on the first screen. Ugh.
Names assigned to seat classes are meaningless for comparison among airlines. There are just too many variable. People continuously use the term "Business Class" related to Delta, I am not sure if they ever had a "business class". Seat pitch, width, features (recline, footrests, lie flat, enclosed cabins just vary to the point that you can't really say what is equivalent between airlines, even the cheap seats vary greatly.
Thanks for the update, and the tip, Mardee
Just a note I was booking a flight on Delta today and saw this. Read the little menu below the price you select to make sure you’re getting what you want. They’re going to give you three options for example in coach you get basic, main and another option bet you’re fully refundable option
you need to read those things do not just click and buy which is what people do and then get upset because it wasn’t what they wanted
Exactly. I think about people who don't fly as much as we do who already don't quite understand the difference between Main Economy and Basic Economy.
Now they have cluttered that up with all sorts of different interim levels ? I guess they are obviously going to make more money out of this or they wouldn't do it, but you would think they wouldn't want to deal with the complaints of all the confused passengers who don't understand why they didn't get to select their seat, etc. (or whatever they didn't take time to figure out is applicable to their fare class).
Mardee: appreciate the heads up.
On domestic flights, it gets you free booze (if they bother to do a service)
Ha! On a one hour late departing American flight (now leaving at 10 pm, DCA to MSP) in February I had a comfort seat and wanted my free beer (of course!). They announced right at the beginning of the 2-1/2 hour flight that they be skipping the bev service so people could sleep. I suspect so the attendants could gossip was the real reason. I tried to find the attendants in flight but failed, so rang the button and woke up the plane anyway.
Names assigned to seat classes are meaningless for comparison among airlines. There are just too many variables
So true, examples
Seat back monitors: included on all non-RJ Delta seats but not included in American domestic first class.
Liquor: Included all Delta fares transatlantic but for a fee with economy fares United or American.
Basic Economy Bags transatlantic: Delta includes one free bag, United doesn’t
Business Class: don’t expect lie flat seats unless the plane has 2 aisles.
It would be nice to have a chart cross referencing airline fare classes with free bag, voucherable fares or not, inches of pitch, cost of booze, etc. But recognizing that it also depends on the route and the model of plane as to what you get, it’s not just the airline.
I was upgraded to comfort plus for a flight Seattle to Honolulu. Flight attendants came thru once. I asked for 2 G & Ts, and they gave me one and said they MIGHT come thru again. They didn't. I'm not over it. Sent Delta a comment expressing that had I paid for the upgrade, it didn't feel like it'd be worth it.
Maybe it sounds picky to want my G & Ts. But, in the rest of my existence, I don't sit much, so the idea for sitting for 5 hours watching movies and having a couple cocktails feels like the height of decadence to me.
Jules, I'd be indignant, too. lol
For the Delta flyers (probably other airlines too but, living near ATL, I'm stuck with Delta), the lack of service is always a hot topic on FlyerTalk. You absolutely should send a complaint to Delta when the flight attendants don't provide the included service. It does not make you a prima donna (well, you may be one, but not because you insist on a service you paid for). Sometimes Delta will throw a few SkyMiles to you, at least.
Of course there are circumstances like legit turbulence where it would be unsafe, but it's widely reported that, especially post-covid, "turbulence" - that never materializes - is used as an excuse.
"turbulence" - that never materializes - is used as an excuse.
Had this one too, on Southwest, not a single bump but “turbulence” was the reason for no bev service. At least the flight attendants got to catch up on gossip.
For those of you saying the flight attendants want to gossip instead of providing beverage service, I think it's more likely that the airline told them to say that to save the cost of the beverage service.
