Delta Air Lines is tied.
The Atlanta-based airline, along with the larger US airline industry, is facing a shortage of pilots that is hitting branches in the region hardest. These smaller carriers are forced to airplane park and flight cut due to insufficient personnel in the ranks of the cockpit.
While some larger airlines like United have resort to exiting smaller markets, Delta wants to maintain as much service as possible, especially as travel demand rebounds sharply from COVID-era lows. To avoid route cuts, the airline needs to quickly add mainline planes operated by Delta employees instead of regional planes operated by Delta Connection contractors that are experiencing staffing shortages. .
And, Delta is doing just that.
The airline launched the first of 33 used, registered Boeing 737-900 jets N951DXlast month, as first reported by weekly airline and confirmed by an airline spokesperson to TPG. These jets were choose as part of the deal last year with Lion Air. Low-cost airline Indonesia no longer needed these planes, so it sold them to Delta — potentially significant savings compared to buying new jets from the factory. (Plus, Delta will get the jets much faster than if it were buying new planes from Boeing.)
Although Delta already operates the -900 variant of the 737, these used jets will offer a significantly downgraded passenger experience. That’s because the airline has no plans to retrofit these planes to Delta standards.
Instead, they will come in much less advanced configurations, internally referred to as “73J” and “73R” configurations. The “73J” planes have only 12 first class, single row (six) Comfort+ seats with extra legroom and 162 standard economy class seats.
Compared to Delta’s signature 737-900s, these jets have eight and 15 fewer First Class and Comfort+ seats, respectively. They also have 23 more coach seats. Although the “73J” flotilla has an in-flight entertainment screen and power outlets, it still doesn’t have Wi-Fi.
Meanwhile, the “73R” fleet has 12 first class seats, 24 Comfort+ seats and 137 standard economy class seats. These jets don’t yet have Wi-Fi, power outlets or entertainment systems.
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While the plane has been repainted and the seats have been re-upholstered in Delta’s signature red and blue colors, the rest of the experience will feel very different from Delta’s standards.
The Cirium schedule shows these planes currently scheduled to fly from Atlanta to:
- Memphis.
- Panama City, Florida.
- Destin-Fort Walton Beach, Florida.
As the fleet grows, Delta plans to exclusively deploy these jets on routes from downtown Atlanta that are shorter than 450 miles, or about an hour in the air.
These planes won’t stay that way forever as Delta will add missing amenities in the coming months. Wi-Fi will begin to be added from January 2023, and by the end of April 2023, all 737 aircraft will have Wi-Fi. A larger cabin overhaul is expected in 2024, Airline Weekly reports.
In a statement shared with TPG, a carrier spokesman said:
As these used aircraft are pending modifications to accommodate our existing 737-900 fleet, customers on domestic routes with limited short-haul routes will experience temporary seating configurations. time and may not have access to the rear-seat entertainment system or the in-flight Wi-Fi. Integrating these planes will increase our flying capacity, helping to get our customers where they want to go this winter and beyond. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause in the interim.
To see if an “inferior” Boeing 737 is operating your flight, see the seating chart listed for your flight. If you see 12 First Class and 6 Comfort+ seats on a 737-900, you’re flying on one of the older Lion Air “73J” planes.
While it may seem unusual for Delta – the airline focused on consistency – to add a subgroup of aircraft, it is actually the second time this year the airline has introduced a cabin configuration. less for its fleet.
In March, TPG was the first to report that the used Airbus A350s Delta acquired from LATAM will maintain the same LOPAor the arrangement of passenger accommodation, as they did with the South American super carrier.
Delta stays the same business class configuration 2-2-2 is worse, and it doesn’t even bother adding a Premium Select cabin like you’d find on the airline’s standard A350s. Those who shell out the big bucks (or SkyMiles) for Delta One don’t even enjoy direct access on these planes. (At least Delta added Wi-Fi before these jets entered the fleet.)
Like Delta is doing with Lion Air 737, it is rolling out inferior A350s on a subset of routes, mainly recreational vehicles may not have enough demand for the interior of Delta’s flagship A350. Likewise, the airline is rushing to put these planes into service to fill the void for many of the wide-body planes it has grounded during the pandemic.
Delta still plans to retrofit used A350s with its signature cabins, but there is no specific timeline on when those reconfigurations will take place.
Another major consideration worth mentioning is the supply chain issues airlines worldwide are facing. These shortages are the reason why United are behind schedule A fleet-wide retrofit project called United Nextaccording to Patrick Quayle, the airline’s senior vice president of global network planning and alliances.
Supply chain delays, especially for computer chips, are also frustrating Southwest’s Major Wi-Fi Upgrade DeploymentTony Roach, vice president of customer experience and engagement, said the airline is still on track to meet its original goal of Q3 2023 at its recent press conference in Dallas.
Perhaps Delta thinks that by waiting a few months, shortages in the supply chain will ease, allowing the carrier to complete the retrofit over time more quickly.
