Delta’s swanky new suite is designed for side sleepers

The next frontier of the premium airline wars is who can design a seat that feels the most like a bed.

Delta Air Lines just unveiled the new version of its most premium seat, and it’s designed to let passengers stretch out just like they would in their bed at home.

On April 13, the company announced that the “next generation” of its Delta One suites, which are made for long-haul international and domestic flights, will debut in early 2027 on new Airbus A350-1000 aircraft. The updated design will include a flat bed that’s been expanded by more than 3 inches, a custom cushion to act like an in-air mattress, and a new cubbyhole to store shoes. 

Delta’s announcement comes just weeks after United Airlines (the second-largest airline by revenue, behind only Delta) officially debuted its new Polaris Studio, an ultra-luxe seating option that’s 25% larger than its previous top-tier seat. 

Both of these moves are part of a broader focus on premiumization in the airline industry, aimed to attract and retain high-income fliers. As the sector’s biggest players double down on the most luxe in-flight experience possible, the race to design the most comfortable lie-back seat is officially on.

Inside the airline industry’s ultra-premium seats race

For the past several years, Delta has been on a mission to, as CEO Ed Bastian put it to Fast Company in 2024, “distinguish around service and having a premium brand.” 

So far, that effort is paying off: After the company began rolling out a more premium, redesigned cabin across its fleet in 2025, its total premium ticket revenue (which includes Delta First, Delta One, Delta Premium Select, and Delta Comfort) was $22.1 billion, a 7% year-over-year increase, according to a press release. And in 2026, despite increased jet fuel prices due to the U.S.-Israel war in Iran, Delta hit a record March quarter revenue of $14.2 billion. The achievement was driven in large part by premium ticket revenue, which has almost overtaken the company’s main cabin revenue for the first time ever. The airline also recently raised its checked bag fees.

In an April interview with Fortune, Bastian explained: “Delta is not a low-cost airline. We can’t win by trying to provide the cheapest. We have to be able to win by providing the best.”

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