Delta Air Lines will upgrade its Boeing 737-800 aircraft with new first-class seats
Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines, which commenced operations in 1929, is upgrading its 737-800 fleet with a new premium interior product that will also be introduced in its new Airbus A321neo fleet. According to One Mile At A Time, the first aircraft to undergo the upgrade will be the 22-year-old N3744F, which will be refurbished at Kansas City International Airport (MCI) between September 2023 and January 2024.
The extensive 737-800 fleet is expected to receive the new interior by the end of 2025, with approximately one upgrade per week, as reported by simpleflying.com.
Representatives of Delta Air Lines explained the decision to overhaul the 737-800s.
"We are committed to maintaining a high level of customer service, including enhancing the interior of our aircraft as part of our ongoing planned upgrades," the airline stated.
The new cabin will feature 16 reclining seats with enclosed wings in a 2-2 configuration, additional storage space, and an 11-inch in-flight entertainment system. The carrier opted not to install the larger overhead bins offered on the A321neos, leaving the rest of the cabin unchanged.
In addition to First Class, Delta Air Lines will upgrade the aircraft's lavatories with touchscreen flushing and touchscreen handwashing. Economy class cabins will also receive updated seats.
With one of the oldest fleets in the aviation industry, Delta Air Lines is accustomed to refurbishing its aging aircraft cabins. In 2021, the carrier began modernizing its long-haul workhorses, the Boeing 767-300ER and Airbus A330, by introducing premium economy seats, enhancing business class, and implementing new configurations.
The average age of Delta Air Lines' 767-300ERs is now 27.9 years, while the A330s are comparatively younger, with an average age of 18.8 years for the 200s and 15.1 years for the 300s. This process was completed in June 2022.
Alaska Airlines is also set to upgrade its fleet. As announced in December, the airline will modernize its 737-800 aircraft, which currently have an average age of about 16 years. As part of the upgrade, Alaska Airlines will introduce additional first-class seats, similar to those currently installed on the 737 MAX 9, featuring increased legroom of up to 40 inches. Additionally, there will be extra legroom in economy class with a recline angle of 35 inches. The implementation of these upgrades will commence later this year and is expected to continue until the end of 2024.
"It is more important than ever that we offer our guests a sustainable product. Modernizing our older Boeing aircraft will ensure a more consistent experience for our guests across the Boeing fleet, bringing the cabin closer in line with our 737-9 and 737-8 aircraft," said Todd Trainor-Corey, Managing Director of Guest Products at Alaska Airlines.