If you're flying Delta Air Lines on a long-haul route out of Atlanta or New York next year, chances are, your aircraft received a bit of an upgrade. In a recent schedule filing reported by Routes Online, Delta Air Lines is replacing some 767s with A330s on transatlantic routes during the summer of 2020.
JFK routes
The following routes will see an equipment swap:
- JFK-Brussels will go from a 767-300ER to an A330-200
- JFK-Dublin will go from a 767-400ER to an A330-300
- JFK-Frankfurt will go from a 767-300ER to an A330-200
- JFK-Nice will go from a 767-400ER to an A330-200
Overall, Brussels, Dublin, and Frankfurt will see an upgauge in capacity. Meanwhile, Nice will see a downgauge.
Atlanta and Portland routes
The following routes out of Atlanta will see 767-300ERs replaced with A330-200s:
- ATL-Brussels
- ATL-Frankfurt
- ATL-Munich
Meanwhile, out of Portland, Delta's flight to Tokyo Narita will see an A330-200 replace the 767-300ER.
What does this mean for passengers?
For passengers, this is a welcome change. The A330 offers a far superior experience onboard compared to 767 aircraft. For those traveling in Delta One, the reverse herringbone seats on the A330 mean additional privacy and more room.
In economy, the A330 offers a 2-4-2 layout compared to the narrower 767s 2-3-2. In comparison to denser 3-3-3 and 3-4-3 layouts on aircraft like the 777 and A350, the economy cabin on Delta's A330s is still one of the more comfortable ways to hop the pond.
What will happen to those 767s?
Delta operates a significant number of 767 aircraft, with over 50 767-300ERs which are nearing the end of their lifespan. It is likely that many of these 767-300ERs will be retired in favor of next-generation aircraft like the A330-900 or even the 797.
On the other hand, Delta Air Lines plans on keeping their Boeing 767-400ER aircraft. These aircraft are newer and, as such, Delta announced a plan to retrofit them. Instead of receiving Delta One Suites, however, the 767-400ERs will receive a modified Delta One seat that improves the passenger experience while cutting the number of Delta One seats onboard.
It seems highly likely that Delta is pulling some 767-400ERs out of service in order to retrofit the cabin. In addition to the new Delta One seats, Delta plans on adding 20 Premium Select seats on the 767. Premium Select is Delta's true premium economy product.
Overall
The 767s are a workhorse for Delta. In addition to transcontinental domestic flights, they are excellent aircraft for long-haul transatlantic and transpacific flights. However, these aircraft are starting to show their age. For passengers, the A330 should be a more pleasant ride.
Delta seems to be placing its bets on New York's JFK airport. Recently, they announced plans to launch flights to Mumbai, India from JFK. In addition, London Gatwick was announced as a new route from JFK. This came with the announcement of additional flights to Paris, Tel Aviv, and Amsterdam out of JFK. For Delta, it is only logical to start improving their product out of New York.
JFK is a competitive market and Delta is going all out to make sure they have a solid footing there.
Ahead of Tokyo's Olympics, it only makes sense for Delta to upgauge their route from Portland to an A330. And, with Atlanta being Delta's largest hub, connecting traffic will help keep those aircraft full.
What do you make of these latest developments from Delta Air Lines? Do you prefer the A330 or the 767? Let us know in the comments!