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At long last, Delta is bringing basic fares to premium economy, domestic first class and — most notably — Delta One.
The move isn’t a surprise. The carrier has been laying the groundwork for months.
But until now, Delta hadn’t said how much these tickets would cost, or what travelers would pay to choose a seat. So I combed through every long-haul market to find out.
Here’s what you need to know.
Basic Business tickets are $400 cheaper
So far, Delta has rolled out basic fares in two transatlantic markets: New York to Lisbon and New York to Rome. (I searched every other long-haul route and couldn’t find a basic fare.)
When you select Delta One or Premium Select in an eligible market, you’ll now see three fare types on the next screen: Basic, Classic and Extra.
In every market I found, the gap between the basic and classic round-trip fare is $400. For what it’s worth, the jump from classic to extra is currently a whopping $1,000.
This is the same tiered buy-up structure United rolled out when it launched basic fares.
I don’t have access to historical Delta One fare data, so it’s difficult to know whether these new basic fares are actually cheaper than what Delta previously charged for the standard experience on the same route and dates.
Either way, a $400 upcharge to move from basic to classic feels roughly in line with what I would have expected. In Premium Select, meanwhile, the jump from basic to classic currently appears to be $220.
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As a reminder, Basic Business tickets — which Delta pointedly isn’t branding as Basic Delta One — come with the following restrictions:
- Seats assigned after check-in
- One checked bag
- Lower mileage earn (2 SkyMiles per dollar spent)
- No same-day confirmed or standby changes
- Changes or cancellations for a $500 fee
Basic Business seats are a flat $100
When you buy a Basic Business ticket, you won’t receive a complimentary seat assignment.
You can pay to choose a seat any time before check-in, or wait until check-in opens and take whatever is left within 24 hours of departure. That probably won’t be one of the better options.
I dug through every Delta Basic Business fare I could find to see how much the airline is charging for seats.
Unlike United, which prices seats based on where in the cabin you want to sit, Delta is charging a flat $100, or 10,000 miles, for each seat assignment in business class.
In Premium Select, the airline is charging $80, or 8,000 miles.
Bottom line
Delta’s basic fares in premium cabins are officially here, and the value proposition is mixed.
Yes, you can save $400 by booking a Basic Business fare, but you’ll also give up a long list of perks.
One of the biggest tradeoffs is seat selection. You’ll have to decide whether you’re comfortable chancing it or paying $200 for seats on a round-trip.
The other big tradeoff is flexibility. If there’s even a small chance you’ll need to change your flight, I’d suggest booking a classic fare — that $500 change fee is steep.
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