In this post Show
Editorial Disclosure
Delta is introducing its most premium domestic plane yet, and this wild new configuration with 44 first-class seats only exists by accident.
For years, Delta has been planning a posh new Airbus A321neo subfleet for the nation’s most lucrative transcon routes. The planned layout: 16 lie-flat Delta One Suites, a new 12-seat Premium Select cabin, plus Comfort and economy.
The problem? Those new lie-flat suites still aren’t certified.
Rather than let brand-new planes bake in the desert sun, Delta is taking action.
The carrier is going to start flying these jets in an all-new configuration — dubbed the 3NP variant — and it’ll surprise you in more ways than one.
Here’s your first look on board.
Delta premium Airbus A321neo backstory
Delta already flies the Airbus A321neo, but it was planning a more premium single-aisle subfleet for the most lucrative domestic transcon routes.
The airline expected to receive certification for its new lie-flat suites shortly after taking delivery of the new planes, but that’s not how things panned out.
Delta waited and waited. As the seats still weren’t certified, the carrier needed to decide what to do.
It already had six factory-fresh A321neos sitting in storage — four in the U.S. and two in Toulouse, France, at Airbus’ headquarters — that had never flown a paying passenger. These jets were also missing all their premium seats, since Delta was waiting on certification to install them.
That’s when Delta got creative. Could the airline temporarily fly these planes in another configuration while it awaited certification?
Interior modifications typically take two or more years to certify, but according to Michael Steinfeld, manager of onboard product, Delta went from concept to certification in less than a year. That was due in part to the carrier’s ability to leverage its in-house TechOps team to complete the entire retrofit.
The finished product: a wild new A321neo configuration with 44 first-class seats, occupying the same space as what would’ve been just 16 Delta One Suites and 12 Premium Select recliners.
Delta premium Airbus A321neo first class
Going into my tour, I didn’t fully appreciate just how big an 11-row first-class cabin would feel. These seats just go on and on and on.
That’s great news for Medallion elite members, as the upgrade odds on this jet should be among the best in the sky.
As for the seats themselves, they should remind you of Delta’s new signature first-class recliner with privacy wings.
This iteration, however, has a twist. Delta is installing its Premium Select recliner on this jet instead of the standard domestic first-class seat.
That means you’ll get a legrest, footrest, retractable entertainment remote, and 38 inches of pitch — one inch more than normal.
Steinfeld explained that Delta chose the premium economy version of the recliner because the airline had already purchased 12 of them for this jet anyway.
First class is arranged 2-2 across 11 rows, stretching practically half the plane.
No seats are missing windows, and the only row I’d avoid is 11, since the cabin is only partially divided and your seat will recline into the Comfort cabin.
As for which seat to pick, that’s an easy one: the bulkhead, ideally 1C or 1D.
Just look at how much legroom you’ll get.
The port-side bulkhead seats don’t have quite as much legroom, but they’re still pretty good. Better yet, Delta isn’t charging extra for these seats or reserving them for top-tier elite flyers.
The product’s bones are identical to Delta’s new signature domestic first class, which has been flying since 2022 and has received mixed reviews.
Some travelers complain that the seats aren’t padded enough and don’t offer enough room to move around.
I personally think they’re quite comfortable, and the extra inch of pitch and the legrest on the 3NP should help.
I also love that the 13-inch TVs support Bluetooth connectivity. There are 60-watt USB-C ports and universal AC outlets at each seat.
Just note that only one of the seven A321neos in the 3NP configuration will feature Delta’s new color palette and refreshed cabin design. (This one, registered N556DT, didn’t.)
Subscribe to the newsletter
Get the front-row look at the evolving world of travel, loyalty, tech and lifestyle — delivered directly to your inbox.
Delta premium Airbus A321neo first-class service
With 44 first-class seats on a single-aisle plane, you might be wondering how Delta plans to complete service.
According to Chase Ford — one of my favorite Delta flight attendants — the airline has made an enormous investment to pull it off.
Delta is staffing this 164-seat jet with five flight attendants. That’s one more than the federally mandated requirement.
Three flight attendants will be dedicated to first class, while the other two will work in the back.
One will cover rows 1 through 5, another will cover rows 6 through 11, and the third will be on kitchen duty in the galley.
Delta will use carts to deliver drinks, minimizing back-and-forth galley traffic and keeping the galley accessible for passengers who need to use the lavatory.
Flight attendants will then carry meal trays to each seat and complete drink refills by hand.
In terms of galley space, Delta added a second oven up front to accommodate 44 meals. There’s a third oven in the back that’ll be used to warm bread rolls.
Delta says the service timing will be comparable to that of a standard 20-seat A321neo first-class cabin. “It’s like riding a bicycle — it takes a couple of times, and then you’re ready to go,” Ford said.
The airline is also providing training resources, video demos, and inflight support for flight attendants. Crew bidding for this plane is open systemwide, and New York-based Ford plans to work the inaugural weekend.
Perhaps the bigger issue with these planes will be that there’s only one standard-size lavatory for first-class passengers.
I imagine it’ll be busy throughout the flight, and the aisle will be especially crowded during meal service.
I’d suggest anyone sitting in row 7 or farther back use the mid-cabin lavatory between Comfort and standard economy.
Delta premium Airbus A321neo Comfort and economy
The rest of the jet is composed of 56 extra-legroom Comfort seats and 64 standard economy ones.
While the Comfort bulkhead in row 13 might be tempting, I’d suggest avoiding it because of the fixed armrests and TVs that swivel out from the seat (which can’t be used during taxi, takeoff, or landing).
Otherwise, exit rows 14 and 15 looked quite comfortable, as did the rest of the cabin — minus the last row, 21, which reclines into the lavatory wall.
Economy spans just about a third of the jet. Every seat features a personal TV, USB-A and USB-C charging ports, and AC outlets.
Avoid rows 23 and 24 for the missing and misaligned windows.
There are two standard-size lavatories in front of the rear galley.
Delta premium Airbus A321neo routes
If you’re itching to try this wild new jet, Delta plans to officially start flying it on May 20.
It’ll operate the busiest transcontinental flights from Atlanta during peak hours, supplementing existing wide-body Delta One and Premium Select flights.
This includes:
- Los Angeles: 3x daily
- San Francisco: 2x daily
- Seattle: 2x daily
- San Diego: 1x daily
Delta will have six aircraft flying by summer, with the seventh joining in the fall after it’s delivered from Airbus.
Delta premium Airbus A321neo bottom line
Delta’s wildest new plane is finally here, and it’s unlike anything you’ve seen before.
With 44 first-class seats, this is Delta’s most ambitious premium domestic cabin to date — and it’s only happening because the lie-flat suites that were supposed to fly on these jets still aren’t certified.
To pull it off, Delta has rolled out a slew of service updates, redesigned galleys, and new procedures to keep things moving across the longest first-class cabin in its mainline fleet.
At the end of the day, Delta doesn’t want you to feel lost in this sea of premium. “Whether you’re sitting at row one or row 11, you’re gonna get the same experience,” Ford said.
I’d love to be the judge of that when these planes start flying.
Subscribe to the newsletter
Get the front-row look at the evolving world of travel, loyalty, tech and lifestyle — delivered directly to your inbox.
Comments Disclosure
Responses are not provided by or commissioned by any bank advertisers. Responses have not been reviewed , approved, or endorsed by any bank advertisers. It is not the responsibility of the bank advertiser to respond to comments.