Delta Completes Installing Flat-Bed Seats in Its Boeing 747-400s

Delta Air Lines has completed installing full flat-bed seats in the BusinessElite cabins of all 16 of its Boeing 747-400s.

The last of  the 16 Boeing 747-400 widebodies, each with 48 BusinessElite seats, has been retrofitted with full flat-bed seats. It entered scheduled service this week on a flight between Singapore and Tokyo’s Narita airport, before making its way to Atlanta.

Delta Air Lines inherited a fleet of 16 Boeing 747-400s from Northwest Airlines upon its merger with the Minneapolis/St. Paul-based carrier. By mid-November 2012, Delta had completed installing full flat-bed seats in the BusinessElite business-class cabins of all 16 aircraft

“A full flat-bed seat with direct aisle access is a premium cabin feature that’s important to our customers and one of the many ways we’re keeping our commitment to making flying better,” says Glen Hauenstein, Delta’s executive vice president – network, revenue management and marketing.

“The 747 is an iconic aircraft and with this nose-to-tail modification complete, it will serve as the crown jewel of our fleet taking our customers everywhere they want to go – from Australia, Asia, the Middle East and back again,” adds Hauenstein,.

Delta had already previously completed installation of full flat-bed seats in its Boeing 777 and Boeing 767-400ER aircraft. To date, 13 of Delta’s Boeing 767-300ER jets have received the modification and three more will have been completed by month’s end, according to the airline.

The Business Elite cabins in Delta Air Lines’ Boeing 767-400ERs are fitted with full lie-flat bed seats

In total, approximately 50 per cent of Delta Air Lines’ widebody international fleet has received the upgrade, the carrier estimates.

In addition to flat-bed seats in BusinessElite, the cabin overhaul includes upgraded seats in Economy cabins, with personal in-flight entertainment screens provided at every seat.

Delta Air Lines says its entire widebody international fleet of more than 140 aircraft will receive the full aircraft modification in both cabins by the middle of 2014.

By 2015, Delta Air Lines expects to have approximately 1,000 aircraft equipped to offer Gogo Inflight Internet service via W-Fi, provided by its service partner Gogo. Among the aircraft equipped will be more than 150 long-haul international aircraft, which will offer Wi-Fi-enabled Inflight service via Ku-Band satellites

The carrier also recently announced plans to install full flat-bed seats on its transcontinental flights linking New York JFK with Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle.

This autumn, Delta announced plans to add Wi-Fi to its entire international fleet. The airline says it is already the largest operator of Wi-Fi-equipped aircraft, offering the service on more than 3,000 flights serving more than 400,000 customers every day.

When complete, Delta will offer in-flight Wi-Fi on more than 950 aircraft, from 747s to two-class regional jets.