Following last year’s debut of American Airlines’ new premium-heavy Boeing 787-9P twinjets with Flagship Suites, and United Airlines’ recent unveiling of next-gen Polaris for its deluxe new 787-9s, Delta appears ready to raise the stakes.
Ten years after the US major set an industry standard by offering all-doored-suite business class cabins, it has revealed stunning renderings of its next-generation, doored Delta One suites.
Based on Thompson Aero Seating’s stellar VantageNOVA platform, and configured 1-2-1, the doored suites will start arriving next year aboard Delta’s new Airbus A350-1000s along with a host of amenities including 24″ Thales QLED IFE screens (and FlytEDGE edge caching capabilities) plus a worthy boast: 100% of the suites are accessible to passengers with reduced mobility (PRMs).
“Our goal has always been to exceed DOT regulations wherever we can — not just meet them. On the new A350-1000, we’re proud to say 100% of suites will be PRM accessible thanks to the reverse herringbone layout,” Delta confirms to Runway Girl Network.
Space-wise, the A350-1000’s extra wide fuselage should make it a little easier to aid PRMs who might require assistance when transferring from an aisle chair to the suite.
Disability advocates often flag problems with accessing modern, angled business class seats. So the accessibility proof, as they say, will be in the pudding, when the new Delta One suites are flying in revenue service.
But it’s nice to see that accessibility is a key part of Delta’s early messaging around its next-gen Delta One suites.
Closely collaborating with members of the disability community via its own Advisory Board on Disabilities, Delta has also taken the needs of blind and low vision passengers into consideration, with the carrier noting that the new Delta One suites feature tactile seat controls that allow adjustments through the sense of touch.
“Floor space for those traveling with a trained service animal is featured at the front row, window seats,” adds the airline.
There’s a lot of other things to like about the next-generation Delta One suite for the A350-1000. The bed is longer — a full three inches longer than its prior-generation Delta One suite (which is based on Thompson’s popular VantageXL platform.)
Even so, the new suites are 10% lighter.
The Delta One suites aboard the A350-1000s will also feature a zero-G lounge mode (which is crucial for taking the strain off of legs), and, as mentioned, those massive 24” Thales 4K QLED inflight entertainment screens.
Big screens are certainly having a moment in aviation. American Airlines is offering 17.5″ screens in Flagship Suite business class on its 787-9Ps, including in the front-row, biz-plus Flagship Suite Preferred seats. United, meanwhile, recently upped the ante when it unveiled 19″ screens for its next-gen Polaris suites, as well as whopping 27″ displays in the new front-row Polaris Studio suites.
Every IFE screen in the Delta One business class cabin on the A350-1000s will be sized at a consistent 24″, which Delta is calling “best in class.” Naturally, each system will also feature Bluetooth connectivity and the latest Delta Sync seatback interface.
Delta has not yet provided a LOPA (layout of passenger accommodations) for its forthcoming new premium-packed A350-1000s — though some numbers are presently being bandied about by AvGeeks. The carrier assures that nearly 50% of the aircraft will constitute premium seating.
The twinjets will ply key long-haul routes to Asia, Africa, the Middle East and the South Pacific.
Meanwhile, many of the design features from the next generation Delta One suite will carry over to the doored suites being added to Delta’s A330-200/300 fleet, which are also in line for a nose-to-tail refresh, as Delta revealed today.
“The new suites being added to the A330-200/300 fleet will utilize the VantageXL seating platform with privacy doors, which is currently the platform in use for our existing Delta One suites. However, the suites on the A330-200/300s will also feature some of the design enhancements developed for our next generation Delta One suite on the A350-1000 including the pillow-top, wireless charging, tactile seat controls, signature feature lamp, in-suite mood lighting and USB-C,” Delta tells RGN.
From an accessibility standpoint, Delta will continue to meet the DOT’s 50% standard on the A330s “as the cabin will have a staggered layout as our existing widebodies with suites do. For those customers using a wheelchair, seats nearest the aisle enable a side-to-side transfer — just like our current suites,” Delta says.
Guests in Delta One on both the Airbus A330-200/300 and A350-1000s will also be able to avail of a dedicated refreshment station – located at the main entryway on the A350- 1000 and at the front of the A330-200/300.
From a CMF standpoint (color, materials and finish), you’ll note that Delta is bringing the darker, moodier palette it first revealed in 2024 to the new interiors on its existing A330s and new A350-1000s. Delta’s design partner, Factorydesign, says it’s “hugely proud and honoured to have contributed in part to this amazing, ongoing and significant elevation of the customer experience.”
“With customizations based on 10 years of customer feedback on the current Delta One suite, the next-generation Delta One suite maintains customer favorite features — flat beds, privacy doors, and ample storage for personal belongings — while offering new touches like a specially designed pillow top, enhanced in-suite accent lighting, and thoughtful touches like an eyeglasses hook,” the carrier says.
Related Articles:
- Amazon Leo to serve as launchpad for more Delta brand experiences
- United Airlines transforms devil’s chariot into premium CRJ-450
- How United is leveraging Starlink and the cloud to enhance IFE
- Panasonic enjoys rapid IFE growth as connected seatback takes wing
- Flagship Suite Preferred impresses on American 787-9P inaugural
- American’s 787-9P ups the ante for Premium Economy
- United, Delta tout NPS and wellbeing benefits of seatback IFE
- U.S. DOT hits pause on four provisions in new Wheelchair Rule
All images credited to Delta
