Leaked: Delta’s ‘Distinctly Delta’ Overhaul Promises Big Upgrades To Premium Meals, Wines, And Service—Starting Right Away

Delta has staked out a position of being the ‘premium airline’ among U.S. carriers. United has been nipping at its heels. And while Delta has the branding, the reality is that its long haul business class still has way too many Boeing 767s with seats that are among the worst of major players in the industry, and their inflight meals lag those of American Airlines.

Three years ago they went with cheaper amenity kits. Their bedding isn’t as nice as United’s.

It sounds like they’re planning to address food and beverage deficiencies, though, in a really serious way. According to aviation watchdog JonNYC who has been sharing details on Twitter and on Bluesky, Delta is launching “pretty ambitious upgrades to several aspects of on board food and drink” along with servingware and service flow.

one person's take:
"looks like delta is really comparing itself to the EU carriers, even it's own partners. as meme'd as it is, they sound like they're really serious about the whole "premium" "best in class" thing"

Calling it "Distinctly Delta" onboard experience

— JonNYC (@xjonnyc.bsky.social) November 18, 2024 at 10:05 AM

What they appear to be planning for is an elevated onboard dining experience dubbed “Distinctly Delta,” leaning into their claim to premium and its happening over the coming months. Elements will no longer include pieces that don’t roll out for several quarters. However it should include both improvements to food offerings (like dessert cart) as well as to servingware and service flow.

The ‘Distinctly Delta’ branding made its debut earlier this year with the roll out of the airline’s new uniforms:

One of the things that United eliminated before the pandemic was having a flight attendant plate entrees in the galley. Things came out pre-plated, and that meant they could save work for the crew in the air and reduce business class staffing as a result. A premium offering from Delta would almost certainly include having entrees plated in the air (probably with their current crew complement). Better food also seems likely to mean more of an investment ($) in what’s being served, from higher quality ingredients to more frequent menu changes and even a better wine program (which is currently an area where they lag).

Before the pandemic Delta really was on a path towards premium, rolling out coursed meals, welcome drinks, and hot towels in economy.

About Gary Leff

Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel - a topic he has covered since 2002. Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »

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Comments

  1. So I’m assuming any dictionary published after say Jan 1 will include the words Delta Airline when looking up the definition of Premium. God help us.

  2. As I have said for years, Delta is about ready to take on significant growth in the international arena.

    They are the most profitable US airline including on international routes so they clearly see the basis for dramatically expanding their footprint and upping their quality – and leaving more distance between DL and both AA and UA is part of the formula.

    DL’s investor day is in a few days; this stuff will come out.

  3. Delta needs to add a flight attendant back to domestic first-class. Planes like the 757 and A321 are too big for one flight attend to handle meals and drinks. Sometimes a second flight is drafted to help the service but often it’s just one flight attendant. They also need to mandate that flight attendants take food and drink orders on the ground before departure so that 10 minutes isn’t wasted once at cruising. Delta also needs to bring back pillows and blankets. If Aeromexico can do it, so can Delta. I would also like to see better quality wine.

  4. Last flight I was on was a 757 from LAS to ATL. The arm of the tray fell off. No one even came to help w spilled drinks over the person next to me as well as myself. Broken planes amd 40 year old equipment with a bag of 5 pretzels in premium is not premium. The CEO needs to clean up his act

  5. I flew first class on United from ABQ – ORD last week and they served mixed warm nuts before the main course and offered a hot towel before the meal. Food was fine. I was impressed with the service.

  6. Fear not everyone, I will check on Daddy to see if he’s covered in Ed Bastian’s ectoplasm…back in a minute.

  7. @ Tim — Let’s see how that goes after Jan 20th. The US and its airlines will become despised globally. Delta will pay a price for that. Maybe Delta can start nonstop flights to N Korea and Russia if they are seeking new markets where they will be welcome. Electing/appointing treasonist, rapists and child molesters to office comes with consequences.

  8. How about Delta starts by bringing back meals in U.S. Business Class after 9:00 PM, like United offers? Would be nice to have a meal offered on a connecting red-eye flight when coming from Asia, or even a connecting flight when crossing the U.S. in the late evening.

  9. Too bad your candidate didn’t win Gene. We dodged a bullet there. Airlines will always want to fly here. Our market is huge and will continue to grow after Jan. 20.

  10. @ Scott Moyer — We have stepped right into the bullet. Please explain to me how it is a good thing to have as the leader of our nation a person who tried to overthrow our governement and is a convicted fraudster and a rapist? How is it good for our nation that this treasonist appoints a sex-trafficking child molester to be the Attorney General? FWIW, “my candidate” didn’t lose anything since they weren’t on the ballot. Please don’t confuse the two.

  11. I wouldn’t worry about it too much. Looks like sleepy uncle Joe is going to walk us into a world war before January 20. Wonder what that will do for air travel.

  12. Delta can start by improving the wine offerings. The wine selection in Delta One overseas flights has been cheapened to the point where sparkling water is a better choice.

  13. Delta should at least offer some type of meal on first class even on flights leaving later. For example if you take a 715pm flight from San Diego to Miami with a connection in Salt Lake City. You get into Miami at 6am with no food. I don’t consider this a first class experience!!! If you were to take a Delta flight from Minneapolis at 925pm and arrives San Diego at 1122pm. This is almost 4 hours with only a snack in first class:(

  14. Sure! DL says this every few years and the food still sucks, the planes are a mess and let’s face it, UA is a better premium international airline then DL and I would say AA is too. DL was the best airline 5 -10 years ago, but everyone caught up and is “climbing” over them. AA did Flagship Lounges / Dinning and Rolled out Premium Economy before DL finished the first DL Plus cabin. UA Polaris and WIFI is moving ahead and they have a common onboard product. DL has long waits to get into sub standard SkyClubs and crappy IFE screens that don’t work or require aweful headphone and take up underseat space. Let’s face it DL likes to think they are “all that”, but in my book, they are a step above SWA and many behind UA and AA. They might as well go back to their “we get you there” slogan, if that even holds up. . .tech melt down anyone.

  15. All of this is just bluster. Nothing more. This company, that I work for, always says this, and it falls flat. What Delta needs to do in harmonize the onboard product, such a seats, IFE, and so on. All the fleet types have different generations of the seats. You only see the newest and greatest on the newest aircraft while we still have the oldest on the oldest aircraft. Make the product consistent, otherwise, just admit it and quit it

  16. All flights can be premium when you have a pleasant and well-trained crew. I’ve had good and bad crews on all airlines, long and short haul. I don’t think Delta has cornered the market on good service.

  17. I predict Isom will really step up his game and go seriously gourmet.

    Wait, I think I forgot to take my meds this morning.

  18. Get the facts correct.. United has been plating the meals in the galley for almost 3 yrs now… yes, they stopped that during the pandemic; but it has retuned for quite some time.

  19. I travel on Delra exclusively. The service in first class is spotty at best,depending g on the person in Charge,and how they do the service The food is just okay. Beverages are fine .
    Coach however is HORRIBLE! The food is I edible. Then in a long flight ,they serve the.most God Awful bread thing and call it pizza(more.like dough with a smidgen of topping) or even worse is some fake egg shoved into inedible bread thing..it is vile and disgusting. On top of that you have to try to eat it with some cheap wooden utensils. Shame on you Delta. And they give you nothing( except peanuts )on a 6 hour flight. Seriously?

  20. Recently flew KLM and AF Business Class. As a SkyTeam partner, DL has much to learn from both of them with regard to service, meal and wine programs and overall attention to detail. We observed “amped up” ground service and operations performance in Schipol, Lyon and CDG. Across the board, customer facing personnel were polite, courteous and focused on the passenger. We have neither felt this nor experienced this from DL in ages. Planes were clean, lavs tidy/functioning, seating and amenities much more comfortable and refined. Given this; I’d 100% book Business Class on AF or KLM metal with little consideration of DL. I care not for the investor meeting report—but I am inclined to be a repeat customer when I receive what I pay for from a travel partner.

  21. @Jeff Keeth: Pre-departure drinks are happening less than 50% of the time. FAs also not proactively asking to hang your jacket in the closet. Snack baskets are smaller or with less items and are often not passed out on flights with a meal.

  22. If they want to move the needle they need to focus on the service in comfort+ and economy. Being Boston based I have the flexibility to use Virgin, Air France or KLM to go to Europe instead of Delta. If I can’t swing premium select I skip Delta and use a Skyteam partner. As a platinum medallion I get better recognition and perks as Elite Plus, starting with lounge access if I need it. And the economy service, food, amenities are better in every way vs Delta. And if I can swing premium economy I lean towards Virgin, great service and get to torment the Delta staff by using the Skyclub access that I get with Virgin premium economy that is lacking if I fly the same class on Delta. But it starts with returning to comparable economy class offerings

  23. Ahhh, Distinctly Delta…. How vague. It allows the management team soooo much flexibility in accomplishing anything or nothing.

    @gene, take your political bs somewhere else, and no, no one has called me an idiot, least not to my face..haha.

  24. Last night on Delta, 1st Class from BOS to TPA, a tasty ceaser salad was basic but good with some spicy shrimp. Meanwhile, the white wine was undrinkable. I don’t know if came from a can or a box but it was truely foul.

    Please Delta, step up your act!

  25. Now, if we could just get pilots to stop pushing up the throttles and turning 2.5 hr flights into less than 2 hr that keeps from having to be served except “coffee, tea or water” FFS…

  26. Hope to see all or any of this happen soon, as we’re splurging on some upgraded premium cabins for our 2025 trips, one across the US and one to Paris, first time together in Delta One.

  27. If Delta were serving, say, a predominantly European, Asian or Middle Eastern market, these improvements to food and beverage would make better sense.

    However, I do believe it’s a wasted effort on Delta’s American market. Most modern day Americans (those born after 1970) are pragmatic creatures, far more interested in a nice airport lounge, a comfortable seat and an affordable flight.

    It’s a shame, really. As one born in the 50s I was fortunate to have logged a lot of First Class miles when flights as short as 3 hours included trolley service with appetizers, salads and a roast of some type were plated and served seatside by stewardesses who had been well trained and took pride in a proper meal service. Alas, neither the passengers nor the FAs have any appreciation for such nice ties today – at least not in US domestic skies.

    I wish Delta well in this endeavor, but I imagine it will be short lived and we’ll be right back where we are today within a couple of years, given modern-day American sensibilities.

    BTW, I’d happily pay $25-35 more on a 4+ hour flight to have a First Class meal service the equal of what I used to enjoy aboard the likes of Continental’s Gold Table Service, TWA’s Ambassador Service or Western’s Pacific Northerner flights. I remember downright excellent perfectly cooked roasts and wonderful and creative vegetable accompaniments back in the 1970s.

    Alas, I’ve no doubt I’m about the only one here who remembers those days AND would be willing to pay for that level of inflight meal service again. I mean – get real! This is America in 2024. No reasonably sane flyer would ever fly for the food these days!

  28. I typically fly United as their network closely matches my travel requirements both domestically and internationally. I have definitely noticed UA stepping up their game, consistently. Both the hard product and soft product are improving consistently. While not yet perfect, the overall quality of the customer experience is rising. Flight attendants are better and better at service with warm welcome to every passenger, attentive service, hanging coats in first class and frequent appearances in the cabin. Bedding and amenity kits are high quality and batiste clean and well maintained.

    I am impressed by the continued improvements and commitment to service.

    You also cannot beat their app!

  29. Flew Hawaiingeom ATL in main cabin for 9+ hours all day, and got one sandwich as hot meal and another one when we were closer. I can imagine premium cabinets treated nicely, but no meal on international route when you fly 9+ hours… No wonder their stock is all time high because they don’t spend any $$$ on service. No more than 10 or 15 visit for sky club and smaller and smaller size of snack, list goes on while they charge the most fare for some of the segments i fly.

    Only reason Delta is better because others are so far worse.

  30. It’s unfortunate Gene has to devolve into name calling. He certainly can’t win a debate based on policy. Here’s a tip for you: Get over it.

  31. I don’t know if it’s possible, but how about simply removing comments that devolve into politics and personal attacks?

    Other than that, hats off to Mr. Leff for all of his First Class information, commentary and insight!

  32. @ELTON_PARKS from your lips to Gary’s ears. But, it in a world where quantity, not quality is what’s valued in social media, I would not hold my breath. As for this thread…there is so much variability on what constitutes “premium” the word really carries no weight with me any more.

    Personally, I don’t see “premium dining” to include ground beef and potato chips. That’s what I expect to feed a 7 year-old. Then again, judging by some people flying these days, their expectation for “premium” seems to be indoor plumbing, feet on the walls, throwing their trash on the floor, forcing everyone to listen to things on speakerphone, questionable fashion choices, I could go on. Premium seems to be tray tables that are busted or lean so far my drink falls off. Premium seems to be filthy lavatories and inoperative power ports. All of this experienced on DL (and every other airline) as a matter of routine.

    What DL is pushing sounds upgraded, but not premium. Honestly, just getting the FAs to get up from their jump seat half the time is an upgrade these days. From where I sit, AA sucks while DL and UA are tolerable.

  33. @ Tucsonbabe
    Good god, if you have time to complain about wine offerings in a premium cabin on a website, you are not an elite flyer. Just put a sock in it (your mouth.)

  34. In the past 3 months have flown biz class Delta ATL> Nice, Qatar PHL> Durban, South Africa and ANA from ORD> Narita. Delta cost more and delivered a lot less. The ANA service and food reminded me of Northwest 747 to Asia in the 80’s. Impeccable attitude, food and service. What a pleasure. Qatar was good but the food was 50% of ANA quality. Delta was not in the running.

  35. Never buying J on a US carrier again until they fix the wine and food. Just appalling recently. I had better F&B on premium economy on ANZ

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