AwardWallet receives compensation from advertising partners for links on the blog. Terms Apply to the offers listed on this page. Enrollment is required for select Amex benefits. The opinions expressed here are our own and have not been reviewed, provided, or approved by any bank advertiser. Here's our complete list of Advertisers.
Delta One business class is the airline's flagship premium-cabin service, offering comfort and privacy with flat-bed seats and upgraded dining. It is found on most long-haul international Delta flights and select transcontinental routes, like New York (JFK) to Los Angeles (LAX) and San Francisco (SFO).
The elevated service starts at the airport with a dedicated check-in, priority baggage handling, and accelerated security screening for Delta One passengers. Once airside, you can relax at a Delta One lounge or a Delta Sky Club while you wait to board.
These tickets can be eye-wateringly expensive — especially on long-haul international routes. You can redeem Delta SkyMiles or book with points or miles from various frequent-flyer programs that partner with Delta.
In this post, we’ll cover the Delta One experience and the best strategies for booking these tickets for a fraction of the normal price by leveraging your points and miles.
What is Delta One?
Delta One is Delta's branding for business class on long-haul flights. All Delta One-branded flights — including some domestic routes — offer a fully lie-flat seat, in-flight entertainment screens, and upgraded dining.
Delta One international service
Delta One is the top class of service on the airline's international flights. With service to over 275 destinations in over 60 countries, Delta's business class offers the chance to see the world without having to endure a long journey crammed into the back of the aircraft. All Delta One seats recline into a comfortable flat bed, although cabin configuration and exact seat varies by aircraft. We'll cover the onboard experience in more detail below, including how to find and book flights with Delta One suites for even more comfort and privacy.
Domestic Delta One
You’ll find Delta One seats and service on select transcontinental routes within the U.S., including New York (JFK) to Los Angeles (LAX), San Francisco (SFO), and Honolulu (HNL), Boston (BOS), among others. Onboard these flights, you can expect lie-flat seats and an upgraded onboard dining experience which is far better than the “first-class” product on most domestic routes.
Note that Delta often positions aircraft with Delta One seats between hub airports throughout the year. These positioning flights are sold as passenger flights, so you can book them and sample the Delta One cabin on short-haul flights. That said, you won’t get the same lounge access benefits or upgraded dining found on a true Delta One flight.
Related: 9 Reasons Delta’s SkyMiles Program Is Still Worth Your Consideration
Delta One Airport Experience
As a Delta One passenger, you have access to expedited check-in, security, and airport lounge access before your flight. Here's what you need to know about these included ground services.
Sky Priority Check-in
You can use Sky Priority check-in lanes when you arrive at the airport. At New York (JFK) and Los Angeles (LAX), there are dedicated check-in counters for Delta One passengers.
Dedicated Security Screening
New York (JFK) and Los Angeles (LAX) have dedicated security screening areas for Delta One passengers, which provide a faster security screening process. In other airports, these passengers may use expedited security lanes, if available.
Priority Baggage Handling
Delta One passengers who check bags will be tagged with a yellow priority tag, ensuring they are among the first off the plane.
Delta Lounge Access
Passengers on international and domestic Delta One flights can access Delta One and Sky Club lounges before their flight. Delta One lounges are a separate lounge network accessible only to Delta One passengers. They feature restaurant-style dining, a fully stocked high-end bar, and other amenities. Delta One lounges can be found in Boston (BOS), New York (JFK), Los Angeles (LAX), and Seattle (SEA).
If there's no Delta-branded lounge at your departure airport, you can use a contract lounge. For example, Delta One passengers departing from Amsterdam (AMS) can use the KLM Crown Lounge. Use Delta's lounge finder online or in the Fly Delta mobile app to find a lounge.
Delta One Onboard Experience
With such a large fleet, Delta has several different Delta One seats on its aircraft. These range from the Delta One Suites found on newer aircraft to aging Delta One products on older planes like the Boeing 757-200.
Delta One Seat
The quality of your seat may differ depending on the aircraft. Newer planes, like A330-900neo and most A350-900 aircraft, feature Delta One Suites, with sliding doors for added privacy. Older planes still have lie-flat seats but do not have closing doors or other modern touches found in Delta One Suites.
Below is a table with key specs for Delta One seats across Delta’s fleet:
| Aircraft | Delta One Seat | Configuration | Seat Count | Seat Width (inches) | Bed Length (inches) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbus A350-900 | Delta One Suite | 1-2-1 | 40 | 20.5 | 76-77 |
| Airbus A330-900neo | Delta One Suite | 1-2-1 | 29 | 22.5 | 79-80 |
| Airbus A330-300 | Zodiac Cirrus | 1-2-1 (reverse herringbone) | 34 | 19.7 | 80 |
| Airbus A330-200 | Zodiac Cirrus | 1-2-1 (reverse herringbone) | 34 | 19.7 | 80 |
| Most Boeing 767-400ER | Thompson Vantage | 1-2-1 (staggered) | 34 | 20.0 | 77 |
| Boeing 767-300ER | Thompson Vantage | 1-2-1 (staggered) | 36 | 20.5 | 77 |
| Boeing 757-200 | Collins Parallel Diamond | 2-2 | 16 | 19.0 | 76 |
Delta One Suites
Delta One Suites are Delta’s flagship business class product. As mentioned, you’ll find it on the airline’s Airbus A330-900neo and most of its Airbus A350-900 fleet. The airline will also include this product in its upcoming Airbus A350-1000 aircraft, which are expected to begin revenue service in 2026.
Each seat has direct aisle access, so you don’t have to step over your neighbor to get out of a window seat. Further, sliding doors add privacy. Each suite has an 18-inch in-flight entertainment screen, USB ports and power outlets for charging, and in-seat storage for your headphones and other essentials. You’ll also find Missoni-branded bedding, duvet covers, pillows, and noise-cancelling headphones at your seat.
Delta notes which flights have Delta One Suites when you book on its website. Look for the “Suites” icon on the left-hand side of the flight’s listing. You’ll typically find Delta One suites on premier long-haul routes, like Atlanta (ATL) and New York (JFK) to Sao Paulo (GRU) and Seattle (SEA) to Taipei (TPE).
Delta One Food and Beverage
Food and beverage offerings are similar regardless of the plane you’re flying. Each flight will include meal service in the Delta One cabin, snacks, and alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks throughout the flight. You might find regional food offerings on some flights — for example, flights to and from Seoul (ICN) feature meals designed by Chef Peter Cho, a Korean-American chef known for his modern take on Korean cuisine.
How to Book Delta One with Miles
Delta One tickets are expensive, especially on international routes. Thankfully, there are a few ways to book these flights with points and miles. Here's a look at your options.
Booking Delta One with Delta SkyMiles
Contrary to what you might think, you won't get the best deals if you book with Delta SkyMiles. The airline uses dynamic pricing for its award tickets, and international Delta One routes usually cost over 150,000 SkyMiles plus taxes and fees.
That said, if you're hoping to sample a Delta One seat on a domestic flight that doesn't typically offer Delta One service, you might have luck redeeming SkyMiles on positioning flights. For example, Delta is running a handful of Airbus A350-900 aircraft between Detroit (DTW) and Minneapolis (MSP) in August 2025. You can book this example ticket for 43,500 SkyMiles plus $5.60 in taxes and fees.
With an eligible Delta cobranded credit card, you can save 15% on all Delta-operated SkyMiles award tickets with the TakeOff 15 benefit. This discount is reflected at booking if you're signed into the Delta SkyMiles account associated with your card.
You can earn SkyMiles when you fly Delta and its partners. Likewise, you can earn with Delta cobranded credit cards like the following:
(Terms apply)
- 2X miles per dollar spent on purchases made directly with Delta
- 2X miles per dollar spent at U.S. supermarkets
- 2X miles per dollar at restaurants worldwide, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S.
- 1X miles on all other eligible purchases
(Terms apply)
- 3X miles per dollar spent on purchases made directly with Delta
- 3X miles per dollar at hotels
- 2X miles per dollar at U.S. supermarkets
- 2X Miles per dollar at restaurants worldwide, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S.
- 1 mile on every eligible dollar spent on purchases.
(Terms apply)
- 3X miles per dollar spent on purchases made directly with Delta
- 1X miles on every eligible dollar spent on purchases.
Or, you can transfer American Express Membership Rewards points to SkyMiles at a 1:1 transfer rate. That means you can stock up on Delta miles through the following cards:
(Terms apply)
- 4X Membership Rewards® Points at restaurants worldwide, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S. (on up to $50,000 per year in purchases, then 1X)
- 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per year in purchases, then 1X)
- 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com
- 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotels and other eligible travel booked on amextravel.com
- 1X on other eligible purchases
(Terms apply)
- Earn 5X points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel® (up to $500,000 in purchases per calendar year).
- Earn 5X points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel®.
(Terms apply)
- Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on amextravel.com.
- Earn 1.5X Membership Rewards® points on each eligible purchase of $5,000 or more.
- Earn 1.5X Membership Rewards® points on each eligible purchase with U.S. construction material and hardware suppliers.
- Earn 1.5X Membership Rewards® points on each eligible purchase with U.S. electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers.
- Earn 1.5X Membership Rewards® points on each eligible purchase with U.S. shipping providers.
- 1.5X earning rates are subject to a cap of $2 million in purchases per calendar year.
Air France-KLM Flying Blue
Air France and KLM operate a joint loyalty program called Flying Blue. Since both airlines are SkyTeam alliance members, you can use Flying Blue miles to book Delta flights. Flying Blue typically offers better pricing on Delta One flights, but award space is limited.
For example, you can book this Delta One ticket from New York (JFK) to Reykjavik (KEF) for 53,000 Flying Blue miles plus $34.60 in taxes and fees. The same ticket costs a whopping 335,000 SkyMiles.
Pricing varies depending on your route. This flight from Boston (BOS) to Lisbon (LIS) costs 60,000 Flying Blue miles plus $33. This is still a significant savings over booking with SkyMiles, as Delta charges 270,000 SkyMiles for the same Delta One flight.
You can transfer points from Amex Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Citi ThankYou, Capital One miles, and Bilt Rewards to Flying Blue. The loyalty program also has a U.S. cobranded credit card.
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
Virgin Atlantic is another SkyTeam member, and its Flying Club loyalty program is another option for booking Delta One award tickets. You may pay fewer miles than Flying Blue or SkyMiles, but you will pay significantly higher taxes.
Delta One flights from the U.S. to the U.K. — or vice-versa — have the lowest award prices. These flights cost 47,500 Virgin Atlantic miles, but you'll pay a whopping $1,054 in taxes and fees. This pricing applies to all Delta One routes to the U.K.
Flights elsewhere in Europe cost a flat 57,000 Virgin Atlantic miles, plus the same $1,054 in taxes and fees.
Unfortunately, no Delta One award space to Asia or South America was available when writing this article. However, we did find awards from New York (JFK) to Dakar (DSS) for 80,000 miles plus just $5.60 in taxes and fees, making this a low-cost way to experience Delta One on an international flight.
Like Flying Blue, you can transfer Amex Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Capital One Miles, Chase Ultimate Rewards, and Citi ThankYou points to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club. Always compare prices between the two programs to see which offers the better deal.
How to Tell if Your Plane Has Delta One Suites
As mentioned earlier, you can tell if your plane is equipped with newer Delta One Suites before you book. If you're booking with Delta, look for the “Suites” badge listed beneath your flight details when looking for flights.
Booking through a partner is more complicated, as you won't find the “Suites” badge when booking with Flying Blue or Virgin Atlantic. In this case, pull up your flight's seat map on ExpertFlyer and hover over a seat in the Delta One cabin. If your flight has the newer cabin, you'll see “Delta One Suite” noted at the bottom of the info box.
Cancellation and Change Policy for Delta Tickets
Delta lets those booked in Delta One Classic and Delta One Extra ticketholders change and cancel their flights free of charge. If you're booked in Delta One Classic — the nonrefundable version of Delta One — you're issued a flight credit valid for one year from the day you purchased the ticket.
Meanwhile, Delta One Extra tickets are fully refundable. If you change or cancel, you'll receive a refund to your original form of payment. These tickets are usually more expensive than Delta One Classic tickets.
All Delta SkyMiles award tickets — excluding basic economy — are refundable. Your miles will be refunded to your SkyMiles account, and taxes and fees will be refunded to the original form of payment. Bookings made with other loyalty programs will be subject to the program's change and cancellation policies.
Earning Elite Status with Paid Delta One
Delta One tickets earn Medallion Qualifying Dollars (MQD) toward Medallion elite status like any other Delta flight. Your MQD earnings are directly correlated to the cost of your ticket before taxes. You can view your estimated earnings on the check-out screen when you book on Delta's website.
You'll also earn MQD — but not redeemable SkyMiles — if you redeem SkyMiles for any Delta award ticket in Main or higher. Basic economy tickets are not eligible. You'll earn at a rate of $1 MQD per 100 SkyMiles redeemed. You'd earn $1,000 MQD if you spent 100,000 SkyMiles for a ticket.
Related: 4 Airlines That Offer Elite Status Credits on Award Travel
Other Delta Classes of Service
Plenty of other options exist if you’re not ready to spend big for a Delta One seat. Here's a look at Delta's other classes of service on international and domestic flights. Make sure to study each of these carefully before you book, as each has varying perks and restrictions.
Basic Economy
Basic economy is Delta's lowest (and cheapest) class of service on international and domestic flights. It doesn't include seat selection, checked bags, or other perks, and you cannot change or cancel these tickets without paying a hefty fee.
Main
This is a standard Delta economy ticket. You can pick a seat when booking a Main ticket, and some international Main tickets include a checked bag. Further, you can change or cancel your tickets (for a flight credit) without paying an additional fee.
Delta Comfort
Delta Comfort is a step up from Main and is offered on all planes across Delta's fleet. You'll enjoy more legroom, priority boarding, and dedicated overhead bin space. You'll also enjoy complimentary snacks and alcoholic beverages throughout your flight. Like Main, you can change or cancel your ticket.
Delta First
Delta First is the airline's domestic and short-haul international first-class seat on routes that don't have Delta One service. Typically, these are large recliner-style seats at the front of the plane. Meal service is offered in Delta First on two-hour or longer flights. You can change or cancel your ticket at no charge.
Delta Premium Select
Delta Premium Select is offered on most international and some transcontinental flights. It's Delta's version of premium economy, where passengers enjoy a large recliner seat and upgraded meal service. This cabin is often priced somewhere between Main and Delta One, making it a good pick for budget-conscious travelers who want a more comfortable flight. You can change or cancel these tickets for free.
How Delta One Business Compares to the Competition
The best business class product is subjective. If you like the look and feel of Delta's cabins, you might find it better than what American Airlines and United Airlines offer. Like Delta, these airlines also have varying hard products, so research which airline offers the best cabin on the route you'd like to book.
Looking abroad, however, and you're almost always likely to have better onboard service with Asian airlines like Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific, as these airlines are known for service and attention to detail.
Final Thoughts
Flying Delta One business class can make a huge difference in your travel experience. You'll get faster, dedicated service at check-in and security, giving you more time to relax at a Sky Club or Delta One lounge prior to departure. Once onboard, you'll enjoy the comfort of a lay-flat seat, extra space and privacy in Delta One Suites, and better food and amenities. Given Delta's huge fleet, it's worth paying attention to the aircraft and seat to find the best option for your trip. If you can book Delta One on the newer Airbus A330-900 aircraft, you can enjoy Delta One Suites with closing doors for privacy.
For many, a paid Delta One fare is often out of the question, but with a bit of patience and planning, you can experience this excellent product at a fraction of the normal cost with points or miles.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card (Rates & Fees), Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card (Rates & Fees), Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card (Rates & Fees), American Express® Gold Card (Rates & Fees), The Platinum Card® from American Express (Rates & Fees), and The Business Platinum Card® from American Express (Rates & Fees)
The comments on this page are not provided, reviewed, or otherwise approved by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.