The Guide to Delta Premium Select
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When you're looking to upgrade from economy, but flying first or business class isn't in your budget, Delta Air Lines Premium Select might be a good compromise.
Delta Premium Select is the airline’s premium economy fare class. When flying Premium Select, you have bigger seats with additional recline, an adjustable footrest, specialty dining, a premium amenity kit and other goodies to enhance your flight experience. This cabin class is akin to domestic first class and is typically offered on long-haul flights.
These extra perks come with a bigger price tag, but is the extra cost really worth it? Here's a look at Delta Premium Select to help you decide if splurging is the right call.
Delta Air Lines premium economy (also known as Premium Select) is very different from Delta’s economy class, which comprises main cabin and Comfort Plus. Premium Select is a separate cabin between Delta’s economy and business class (known as Delta One). Travelers flying within the continental U.S. won't see Delta Premium Select when booking tickets because this cabin type is only available on all trans-Pacific and most trans-Atlantic flights.
Here’s a breakdown of what you can expect in this cabin.
Delta Premium Select seats
Your ticket includes a wider seat that offers an additional recline and an adjustable footrest. For example, on Delta’s Airbus A350, Premium Select seats are 18.5 inches wide and have an 38 inch pitch compared to main cabin, which has seats that are 17.4 inches wide and have a 31-32 inch seat pitch.
» Learn more: How to choose a seat on a plane
Delta Premium Select entertainment
Watch TV and movies or listen to music on your own device during the flight, or use the complimentary noise-canceling headphones and embedded in-flight entertainment screen that's up to 13.3 inches.
Delta Sky Priority perks
When flying Premium Select, you’ll also benefit from priority boarding, accelerated check-in, airport security screening and priority baggage service. Delta has 8 boarding zones (not including pre-boarding) and those flying in Premium Select board in Zone 2, which is right behind preboarding and Delta One and first class passengers.
» Learn more: Delta Sky Priority: what you need to know
Delta Premium Select amenity kit
Flyers receive a premium amenity kit from Someone Somewhere that contains an eye mask, socks, ear plugs, a toothbrush and lip balm made by Grown Alchemist. Other goodies include a plush blanket, memory-foam pillow and noise-canceling headphones. Before meal service, flight attendants will hand out a vanilla and orange peel oshibori hand towel.
Delta Premium Select menu
Passengers receive complimentary wine, beer and spirits to go with an enhanced meal service. According to a Delta news release, you can expect meals like braised beef short rib with fingerling potatoes and dijon peppercorn jus or Impossible meatballs with polenta, pomodoro sauce and broccoli, amongst other options.
To book a Delta Premium Select ticket, go to Delta.com or use the airline's app on your mobile device (Apple, Android).
Enter your departure and arrival city, travel dates and the number of passengers. You can also check "Shop with Miles" if you want to use SkyMiles instead of cash. If you click on “Advanced Search,” you'll see the option "Best Fares For." Clicking this option will allow you to select "Delta Premium Select" from a dropdown menu, further helping to narrow your search.
When your search results appear, filter for flights that meet your budget and preferred departure and arrival time. Delta's website designates which flights have the "Lowest Fare" with a small marker in the upper left corner.
You can also switch to award flights by toggling to the "Miles" button.
Once you've found a flight that meets your needs, click on the price to complete your booking. Delta may offer an option to upgrade to a fully refundable flight for a higher price.
Continue the booking process by entering your name, selecting a seat and providing your payment information.
When paying for your flight, consider using a Delta credit card or a travel card like the The Platinum Card® from American Express to earn additional miles or a credit card that offers flight protections. These protections generally include trip interruption/cancellation, trip delay and baggage delay benefits.
Delta Comfort Plus offers an upgraded flight experience in economy, but keep in mind that Comfort Plus is not the same as Premium Select. When you're presented with the choice of Delta Comfort Plus versus Delta Premium Select, it pays to know the difference between these upgraded fares.
Seating. Premium Select seats are roomier than the seats in Comfort Plus. For exampe, on the Airbus A350, Premium Select seats are 18.5 inches wide and have a 38 inch recline, compared to Comfort Plus, which has seats that are 17.4 inches wide and have 34 inches of recline.
Boarding priority. Premium Select customers board with Diamond Medallion members and just before customers traveling with strollers and car seats. Delta Comfort Plus travelers board after.
Route availability. Customers can book Comfort Plus on domestic and short-haul international flights. Premium Select is primarily available on certain long-haul flights.
Pricing. Whether you're booking with cash or miles, Comfort Plus tickets are generally less expensive than Premium Select. However, both are more expensive than main cabin tickets.
» Learn more: Delta economy vs. main cabin
Medallion status holders earn identical miles per dollar spent on each fare.
Elite status level | SkyMiles you earn |
---|---|
General member | 5 miles per $1. |
Silver Medallion | 7 miles per $1. |
Gold Medallion | 8 miles per $1. |
Platinum Medallion | 9 miles per $1. |
Diamond Medallion | 11 miles per $1. |
» Learn more: The best airline credit cards right now
3 ways to get good value
There are numerous ways to get good value flying Delta Premium Select or when redeeming rewards for Delta flights.
1) Book Delta premium economy with miles
Instead of paying cash for your Delta Premium Select ticket, use your Delta SkyMiles instead. The difference in price between economy (main cabin or Comfort Plus) and premium economy (Premium Select) can be worth it when flying long distances. Additionally, Premium Select tickets can be much cheaper than Delta One award flights.
As seen below, a nonstop flight from New York-John F. Kennedy (JFK) to Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) is 52,000 miles in economy, 94,000 miles in Premium Select or 230,000 miles in Delta One. All of these award tickets include a $6 fee for taxes.
If you need additional SkyMiles to book your flight, you can transfer American Express Membership Rewards points. If you have miles with other SkyTeaam airlines, you may be able to book through a partner’s website. If you need additional SkyMiles to book your flight, apply for a new Delta card or transfer American Express Membership Rewards points.
$0.
$0 intro for the first year, then $150.
$350.
$650.
Earn 10,000 bonus miles after you spend $1,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months. Terms Apply.
Earn 80,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Terms Apply.
Earn 90,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $4,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Terms Apply.
Earn 100,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Terms Apply.
★ LIMITED TIME OFFER
Heads up! For a limited time, select Delta Air Lines credit cards are dangling larger welcome offers for new cardholders — 40,000 miles larger than the previous offers, to be exact, for a total of 80,000 to 100,000 miles, depending on the card. (Terms apply.) NerdWallet calculates the average value of Delta miles at 1.2 cents apiece, meaning these offers could be worth $960 to $1,200. Good until Oct. 23, 2024. Learn more and apply here.
» Learn more: Which Delta Air Lines credit card should you get?
2) Book flights with miles or cash onSkyTeam partners
Delta is notorious for charging high prices for its awards. You may be able to book a similar flight for less miles if you book your ticket on one of Delta's SkyTeam partner airlines, including Air France-KLM, Korean Air or Virgin Atlantic.
Here’s an example of an award ticket on the same day from JFK to CDG with Air France, but the cost in miles is significantly cheaper in all cabins.
Looking particularly at premium economy, the Air France award ticket is 35,000 miles + $130 in taxes compared to the Delta ticket which is 94,000 miles + $6 in taxes. Note that on Air France, premium economy offers the equivalent experience to that of Delta’s premium select. When booking with a partner airline, always double check the seat map to confirm the seat type.
It's also much easier to accumulate Flying Blue miles than Delta SkyMiles since Air France is a partner of all five transferable point programs (AmEx Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards®, Citi ThankYou, Capital One and Marriott Bonvoy).
» Learn more: The complete guide to Delta partners
3) Travel off-peak to save
During off-peak times, you can often find flights for cheaper than you would during busier travel periods. Whether you're paying for your flight with cash or miles, if you have the flexibility of when you can travel, you'll save if you can book during off-peak times. While you may not want to travel in the middle of winter, you can also save by flying during the shoulder seasons.
For example, traveling in September or October still offers good weather in most locations, while fewer crowds because kids are back in school.
» Learn more: How to find cheaper last-minute flights
Travelers flying long-haul on Delta may want to consider booking a Premium Select ticket on their next flight. It offers a premium cabin experience without the much higher cost of flying business or first class. These flights can be booked with cash or Delta SkyMiles, so compare your options to determine which is the better value.
For the difference in price, it's a worthwhile upgrade compared with Comfort Plus on long-haul flights. You'll receive a wider seat, more legroom and an adjustable footrest, in addition to complimentary adult beverages to go with an enhanced in-flight menu.
How to maximize your rewards
You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are some of the best travel credit cards of 2024:
Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
No annual fee: Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card
Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express
Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
on Chase's website
1x-5x
Points60,000 Points + $300 Travel Credit
2x-5x
Miles75,000
Miles