Delta’s First A350 Routes Revealed

a large airplane parked in front of a hangar

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Late last week we found out that the inaugural route for Delta’s new A350 aircraft will be the airline’s Detroit (DTW) to Tokyo Narita (NRT) route and that the launch date is set for 30 October this year. Now, thanks to some good work from AirlineRoute, we know what the next two routes to feature Delta’s Airbus A350 will be.

Delta A350 – First International Routes

Detroit (DTW) – Tokyo (NRT)

This is the inaugural route for Delta’s Airbus A350 and is set to be launched on 30 October 2017 (first departure from Tokyo is scheduled for 31 October 2017).

DL275 DTW 13:40 – 16:00 NRT A350 (Daily)
DL276 NRT 17:50 – 16:29 DTW A350 (Daily)

Detroit (DTW) – Seoul (ICN)

From 18 November 2017 Delta will operate a new Airbus A350 aircraft on its Seoul Incheon route on alternate days (first departure from Seoul is scheduled for 20 November 2017). From 16 December 2017 the A350 will operate the route daily.

DL159 DTW 12:24 – 16:30 ICN (alternate days from 18 November then daily from 16 December)
DL158 ICN 11:15 – 10:06 DTW (alternate days from 20 November then daily from 18 December)

Detroit (DTW) – Beijing (PEK)

Delta will deploy an Airbus A350 on it’s Detroit – Beijing route from 17 January 2018. For the first month the aircraft will operate the route on alternate days but, from 23 February 2018, the A350 is set to appear daily.

DL189 DTW 13:18 – 15:40 PEK (alternate days from 17 January then daily from 23 February)
DL188 PEK 17:40– 17:20 DTW (alternate days from 18 January then daily from 24 February)

Fares are already available on Delta.com for all three routes.

a screenshot of a flight schedule

Why The Excitement Over Delta’s A350?

It’s not often that we get excited about a US airline introducing a new aircraft to its fleet and that probably has a lot to do with the race to the bottom the US legacy carriers appear to be engaged in.

All three US legacy carriers now offer some form of Basic Economy fares, American has only just backed away from the idea of introducing cabins with just 29″ of legroom, United got everyone excited with its Polaris Business Class product up until the point we realised that it will be a gazillion years before it’s fully rolled out and Delta has a long haul fleet that makes Mel Brooks look young.

That doesn’t make happy reading for travelers.

But Delta’s A350 is a little different. This aircraft really is introducing something new and, from what little we’ve seen so far, it’s worth getting excited about.

Delta’s A350 will be the first aircraft to showcase the airline’s new all suite Business Class.

a seat in an airplaneDelta A350 Business Class Suites – image courtesy of Delta

This will be second Business Class product in the world (Qatar Airways QSuites will launch first) where the cabin features fully enclosed suites each with its own sliding door.

Per Delta:

In addition to full flat-bed seats with direct aisle access, which the airline introduced eight years ago, the Delta One suite features:

  • A full-height door at every suite
  • Sliding privacy dividers between center suites
  • In-suite, customizable ambient lighting
  • Dedicated stowage compartments for shoes, headphones and laptops
  • Contemporary design featuring premium trim and finishes
  • Memory foam-enhanced comfort cushion
  • An 18-inch, high resolution in-flight entertainment monitor, the largest among U.S. carriers
  • A universal power outlet and high-powered USB port at every seat

an airplane with seats and seatsDelta A350 Business Class Suites – image courtesy of Delta

This would be an innovation for a premier airline like Singapore or Cathay but for a US legacy airline this is nothing short of incredible.

And it’s not just Delta’s cabin that looks interesting – the airline is debuting its Premium Economy product (Premium Select) on the A350 too.

a man and woman sleeping in an airplaneDelta Premium Select – image courtesy of Delta

Per Delta:

Delta Premium Select will feature:

  • More space with up to 38 inches of pitch, up to 19 inches of width and up to seven inches of recline. Delta Premium seats will also offer adjustable leg rests and head rests;
  • Westin Heavenly® In-Flight Blanket with pillow and a TUMI amenity kit featuring Malin+Goetz Travel Essentials, allowing customers to settle in and arrive well-rested;
  • Pre-departure beverage service followed by fresh, seasonal menu selections presented with Alessi serviceware designed exclusively for Delta;
  • An up to 13.3-inch, high resolution in-flight entertainment screen that is among the largest in its class, allowing customers to stay entertained with Delta Studio’s industry-leading library of complimentary movies, shows and games, and noise-cancelling headphones;
  • In-seat power ports for large and small devices and convenient storage to keep them within reach;
  • Sky Priority service, which includes faster check-in, accelerated security, priority boarding and expedited baggage service.

The Airbus A350 will feature a total of 32 Delta One Suites……

a seat of a plane

…..and 48 Premium Select seats…..

a close up of a device

…and it will be interesting to see how easy Delta finds it to fill all those premium seats.

Bottom Line

My experiences with Delta are extremely limited but, if my Delta One flight between JFK and Madrid is anything to go by, the airline may actually be able to pull of a truly premium Delta One product with these new suites.

I’m not fully sold on the idea of Delta Select just yet (I’m not sure US airlines know how to provide a premium economy product) but I’m willing to give Delta the benefit of the doubt for the time being.

The space that each passenger will have in Delta’s A350 Premium Select cabin matches that provided by Singapore Airlines in its A350 Premium Economy cabin (so that bodes well)….but it’s worth noting that Cathay Pacific offers 2″ inches more legroom and 1″ more seat width on its A350 which still makes that the best Premium Economy seat across the Pacific.

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