Delta Air Lines is embarking on a bold transformation of its international and domestic operations, with major upgrades to its long-haul fleet and serious consideration of Austin (AUS) as its next U.S. hub. These strategic moves are designed to elevate the premium travel experience and strengthen Delta’s competitiveness across both transcontinental and international markets.
At the heart of this transformation is a fleet-wide retrofit plan for Delta’s older Airbus A330-200 and A330-300 aircraft. These jets, currently equipped with reverse herringbone seats, will soon feature the airline’s signature Delta One Suites—offering passengers enhanced privacy, comfort, and luxury. This upgrade aligns them with the newer Airbus A330-900neo and Airbus A350 aircraft already operating in Delta’s fleet.
The Airbus A350s are also undergoing major configuration changes. Delta is standardizing these aircraft to the “35H” layout, which includes 40 Delta One Suites, a refined Premium Select section, and fewer economy seats. This update will replace the outdated “35L” configuration, which lacked Premium Select and used a less competitive 2-2-2 business-class layout. The retrofits are scheduled to be completed by 2027.
However, not every aircraft will receive a makeover. Delta’s Boeing 767-400s will retain their current suites, albeit without sliding doors, and the older 767-300s, despite recent cabin upgrades, are being phased out in favor of newer, more efficient wide-body jets like the A330-900neo and A350.
Delta’s domestic premium offering is also seeing a boost. The airline is preparing to deploy a fleet of premium-configured Airbus A321neos featuring flat-bed Delta One seats. Currently stored in Victorville, California, these aircraft are awaiting final seat certifications. Once ready, they will operate on high-demand transcontinental routes such as New York (JFK) to Los Angeles (LAX), San Francisco (SFO), and Boston (BOS) to LAX.
While there has been speculation about the A321neo serving transatlantic routes, Delta has confirmed that its wide-body aircraft will remain the backbone of Europe-bound operations. That said, the carrier’s 20 premium-heavy A321neos offer significant strategic flexibility in its domestic and future international scheduling.
On the product side, Delta is expanding its Premium Select cabin, previously limited to international routes, on transcontinental flights. Following strong demand on JFK–LAX services, the airline plans to offer Premium Select on all JFK–SFO flights. Although a specific launch date has not yet been announced, the move underscores Delta’s intention to offer premium travel options on more U.S. routes.
