Delta Air Lines unbundles business class
Lounge access, advance seat selection and checked baggage could all be on the chopping block.
By Chris Ashton, July 15 2024
Delta Air Lines will soon be inviting passengers to ‘pay for only what you need’ at the pointy end of its jets, with details of an unbundled business class to be revealed as early as November.
Unbundled fares, which strip out some of the core benefits in exchange for a sharper price, are nothing new. Delta already has an unbundled ‘basic’ fare in economy and, based on its success, is now looking to expand it to the Delta One business class cabin.
Delta’s President Glen Hauenstein confirmed the airline was actively exploring the concept during its Q2 2024 earnings call, though noted “we’re not ready to talk about the details of those plans moving forward. I think Investor Day this year should be very exciting.”
Investor Day takes place in mid-November, meaning we won’t have long to discover how Delta’s take on ‘basic business’ will work.
Finnair is among the airlines already offering unbundled business class.
In the meantime, there are precedents we can look to. Emirates, Qatar Airways and Finnair all offer unbundled business fares, with lounge access removed across the board.
If Delta was to adopt a similar approach, both its Delta Sky Clubs and brand-new Delta One Lounge at JFK, which is specifically-designed for business class passengers, could be off limits.
Advance seat selection, priority check-in and a reduced points/miles earning rate are other common omissions, though frequent flyer status – either with the airline or through an alliance partner – can sometimes get you around the reductions.
If you look at Delta’s ‘basic economy’ as a rough guide, it offers no entry to Delta Sky Clubs (regardless of access method) nor any SkyMiles Medallion status credits or miles.
Whether Delta will follow suit for its ‘basic business’ is yet to be revealed, though the fact it’s considering an unbundled option is an interesting proposition – and could spark a trend among US-based carriers.
Locally, Australians have the option to fly Delta One business class from Sydney to Los Angeles, plus the seasonal Brisbane-Los Angeles, which fires up in December.
Read more: What is unbundled business class
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
18 May 2017
Total posts 37
You either have business class with all the perks, or not. None of this in-between stuff please. It only confuses people, just like so many frequent flyer loyalty programs do these days. Get rid of premium economy and upgrade regular economy to a proper standard. Chuck those horrible ironing board seats out and put in seating like you used to some 30 years ago. Thats how I feel. Not interested in bundled or unbundled bullshit. It's simply business class with all the perks or proper regular economy. The offerings today is a race to the bottom to see which airline arrives there first. Or I travel by other means where possible.
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