Delta Air Lines has unveiled its new onboard product for the Airbus A350-1000, fearing a refreshed Delta One Suite in business class, and an aggressively premium approach to the cabin layout.
Delta Reveals New A350-1000 Business Class Suites And A Very Premium-Heavy Aircraft
We’ve had many hints and leaks over the new A350-1000 product, but Delta has made it official today. The new Delta One Suite on the A350-1000 is based on the Thompson Aero VantageNOVA platform.
That means a reverse-herringbone 1-2-1 layout with direct aisle access for every passenger and a closing door for privacy, a different product than the staggered A350-900 suite.
In addition:
- A bed that is three inches longer than the A350-900
- 24-inch 4K OLED screens
- Bluetooth audio pairing with IFE system
- Wireless charging plus USB-A and USB-C
- Memory foam cushions in seat
- Improved storage (including dedicated shoe storage and phone storage), but no “cabinet” like on the new business class products on American Airlines or United Airlines
The cabin will also have a self-serve snack bar:
The A350-1000 cabin strikes me as continuation of Delta’s current strategy. Keep the seat competitive, modernize tech, but avoid unnecessary risk…not that there is any great innovation available in business class that would not come at the expense of real estate. I think the current configuration we are seeing across many carriers represents the optimal way to balance comfort and space…there’s very little room for ingenuity left, as least as I conceptualize it.
Delta also won’t introduce “Business Class Plus” seats like United Polaris Studio. I actually think that is a wise move, but I’ll address that in a future post.
This Aircraft Is About Premium Density
As nice as the seat is, the real story is the premium cabin density on the A350-1000. Delta is heavily weighting this aircraft toward premium seating, with a large percentage of the cabin dedicated to Delta One and Premium Select:
- ~50 business class seats (“Delta One”) – Delta has not shared the LOPA, but I’d expect 50 seats based on the other cabin densities
- 48 premium economy seats (“Premium Select”) – per From The Tray Table
- 51 extra legroom economy seats (“Comfort+”)
- 162 standard economy seats
Delta is betting that longhaul demand will continue to skew premium, and it’s hardly alone in betting on more front cabin seating.
Premium Select + Main Cabin Upgrades
Passengers in Premium Select can expect:
- Wider seats around 18.5 inches
- 38 inches of pitch
- Leg rest and footrest
- Upgraded entertainment with Bluetooth
Economy class will see larger 13-inch 4K screens with Bluetooth connectivity:
CONCLUSION
At long last, Delta has revealed its A350-1000 cabins. We’re still left to guess how many business class seats all be present, but we know it will be more than the A350-900 and will represent Delta’s most premium configuration yet.
Based on the renderings, the seats in every cabin keep Delta competitive…which may be all Delta really needs right now to holds its edge over even United.
Sorry Aaron, was working on the A330 story at the same time. Thanks for pointing that out.
“The A350-100 cabin strikes me as continuation of Delta’s current strategy.” A350-100? When did I miss this? How?? Southworst Airlines needs to order this now, contact Airbus for an order of 100 jets! (Yes I know this is a typo)
Almost feels like Star Trek inspired the design? Fine by me! Looks good and love the A350.
It looks great to me. Beautiful color combo. Darker is more elegant. Can’t wait to see more of the 35K.
I agree that the color scheme is excellent.
Call me old-fashioned, but my favorite generation of Delta liveries is the ‘Classic Delta Widget’ (1962-1997) with the darker navy blue/black. This feels like a call-back to that era, and I like it. Sure, it’s not like they’re flying L1011s anymore, but the nostalgia is there.
Mine too RE: Delta, though I prefer United Rising to Saul Bass.
Airbus, therefore flaming bags of dog excrement. And it’s Delta, therefore evil. If you willingly fly Delta, you should be committed and heavily medicated.
Absolutely impressive! Kudos to DL!
Let’s recall that DL has placed a firm order for 20 A350-1000s, expected to be the future flagship of its fleet, with an option for another 20. The first deliveries are planned to begin in 2026… On the other hand, let’s note that, as of April 13, 2026, DL has 40 A350-900s in its fleet wih an average age of 5.6 years.
Incidentally, the stylish men’s loafers featured on one of the photos of the article seem perfect for short or long flights.
Funny you should mention that, as I have a pair that is almost identical that I coincidentally wore to church yesterday!
Comfy loafers are surely one of the biggest helpers for men in their daily lives.
So Delta is going for sleek and sophisticated, American is going for “comfortable club chair” and United is going for 1980s plastic beach lounger?
And the best part is that the A350-1000 can and will fly circles around anything in AA or UA’s fleet and do it at a fraction of the cost
I don’t have any personal axe to grind about either Airbus or Delta, but the A350 has been an outstanding success with airlines, their shareholders, passengers, and crew. They’re also being delivered now; albeit with a significant wait for many customers due to demand; unlike their forever-forthcoming competitor that seems unlikely to enter commercial service much before about 2020 at this rate. Airbus customers are very happy. 777-9 customers are not.