Delta's US$1,000 surcharge for A350 Delta One business class
By David Flynn, August 15 2017
UPDATED | Delta Air Lines will slug passengers booked into its new Airbus A350 Delta One business class suites with a surcharge as high as US$1,000 on a return ticket.
The 'Delta One levy' was highlighted in a memo sent this week from Delta to travel agents in Korea, which will host the A350 flights from Detroit and Atlanta to Seoul's Incheon Airport.
Agents have been advised that when they "book the A350-900 with 'Delta One Suite', you will be charged a surcharge" on top of the base fare.
Delta One passengers booked under discounted I-class and Z-class fares will be charged US$500 "per direction", with a US$250 tariff on C, D and J ticket codes.
Based on current average Delta One fares of US$7,600 for a business class round-trip between Detroit and Seoul flown on the airline's Boeing 747 in early November, the A350 Delta One suites surcharge could see that same fare rocket as high as $8,600 – a jump of some 13%.
Delta's Airbus A350 has 32 Delta One suites, each with sliding doors for privacy, which convert into a fully-flat bed.
Asked to explain the rationale behind the surcharge, a spokesman for the airline said "the Delta One suite is priced appropriately and competitively for the premium experience it will offer our customers."
"Other Delta One fares are available to the same destinations on routes and aircraft not equipped with the Delta One suite."
Despite repeated enquiries from Australian Business Traveller, Delta Air Lines refused to confirm if the new Delta One suites surcharge would be applied to all routes flown by the Airbus A350.
However, this have since proved to be the case for all Delta Airbus A350 flights, which take wing between Detroit and Tokyo from October 30, to Seoul from November 18 and to Beijing from mid-January 2018. A350 flights between Delta's Atlanta hub and Seoul will launch from March 24, 2018.
While Delta will begin upgrading its entire Boeing 777 fleet with the new business class suites from 2018, Australian Business Traveller was told "It has not (been) decided yet if the surcharge applies to B777 after upgrading."
David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
23 Oct 2013
Total posts 699
Fair enough... provided they also charge those redeeming miles but if not then why not just roll it into the ticket price by increasing the base fare.
31 Mar 2016
Total posts 619
DL needs to apply a surcharge on top of J fare specifically for DL One product because:
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
15 Dec 2016
Total posts 10
Its possible to see 150000 SkyMiles one-way plus hefty $1100 surcharge on Delta One award ticket soon...
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
08 Jun 2016
Total posts 44
Your story says flights to Seoul....what about the possibility of having to pay staff 'risk' payments because of the destination and the current threats being exchanged between 2 idiots with bad haircuts?
31 Mar 2016
Total posts 619
@lafleche:
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
11 Oct 2014
Total posts 691
It is somewhat curious that Delta has chosen two very specific routes (Detroit-Seoul and Atlanta-Seoul) to levy this "surcharge". Equally curious that their PR is not inclined to answer questions on whether this surcharge will apply to other DL A350 routes, let alone the revamped B777 fleet.
My own suspicion is that this move might more be related to DL's recent 'win' of a business contract with a certain multinational global electronics firm .. which coincidentally beat out both Korean carriers to the USA. Given that DL now has somewhat of a captive J market, could they just being a little bit 'naughty' with the retail market?
31 Mar 2016
Total posts 619
@kimshep:
Hi Guest, join in the discussion on Delta's US$1,000 surcharge for A350 Delta One business class