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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 option.
Delta Premium Select is the airline’s premium economy fare class. When flying Premium Select, you have bigger and better seats in a dedicated cabin, 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 do come with a bigger price tag. Is the extra cost worth it? Here's a look at Delta Premium Select to help you decide if a bit of splurging on your next long-haul flight is the right call for you.
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Delta Air Lines premium economy (also known as Premium Select) is very different from Delta’s Main class, which comprises Delta Main and Delta Comfort. Premium Select is a separate cabin between Delta Main (economy) and Delta One (business). Delta Premium Select is available on limited domestic flights, a majority of trans-Pacific flights, most transatlantic flights and some flights to Latin and South America.
Here’s a breakdown of what you can expect in this cabin.
- Your ticket includes more seat room in a premium cabin.
- For example: On Delta’s Airbus A350, Premium Select seats are 18.5 inches wide with a 38-inch pitch (the distance between rows).
- In Delta Main on the same Airbus, seat widths are 17.4 inches with a roughly 31-inch pitch.
- Many Premium Select seats also feature an adjustable foldout leg rest and footrest.
» Learn more: How to choose a seat on a plane
Watch TV and movies or listen to music on your own device during the flight, or use the provided 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 and airport security screening (where available) and priority baggage service. Passengers flying in Premium Select board in Zone 2, which is right behind pre-boarding, Delta One and Delta First.
» Learn more: How Delta Sky Priority works
Flyers receive a premium amenity kit containing items like an eye mask and lip balm. Other goodies include a plush blanket, memory-foam pillow and noise-canceling headphones. There’s also hot towel service.
Passengers receive complimentary wine, beer and spirits to go with an elevated menu created just for Premium Select customers. Passengers can pre-select their choices up to 24 hours before the flight. There is also a premium snack basket.
To book a Delta Premium Select ticket:
- Go to Delta.com or use the airline’s Fly Delta app (Apple or Google Play).
- Enter your departure and arrival city, travel dates and the number of passengers.
- 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.
- 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 and book tickets using Delta SkyMiles.
- Premium Select fare options. Delta now has two fare choice when flying Premium Select (and paying for the ticket in cash): Premium Select Classic and Premium Select Extra. The seat and experience are the same, but there are some differences.
- Classic earns 5 miles per $1 for general SkyMiles members. Extra earns 7 miles per $1.
- Classic is only eligible for eCredit if canceled. With Extra, cancellations are refunded to the original form of payment.
- Classic offers free same-day changes on a standby basis, while Extra offers confirmed same-day changes.
- Once you've found a flight that meets your needs, click on the price to complete your booking. At this point, Delta may offer an option to upgrade to the Extra option or even to Delta One for an additional cost.
- Continue the booking process by entering your name, selecting a seat and providing your payment information.
🤓 Nerdy Tip
When paying for your flight, consider using a Delta credit card or a travel card like the American Express Platinum Card® to earn additional miles. Many cards also offer flight protections like trip interruption/cancellation, trip delay and baggage delay benefits. Terms Apply. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit Travel and Retail American Express Card Benefits | Amex for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
» Learn more: The complete guide to the Delta SkyMiles
Delta Comfort offers a slightly upgraded flight experience in economy, but keep in mind that Delta Comfort is not the same as Premium Select. When you're presented with the choice of Delta Comfort versus Delta Premium Select, it pays to know the difference between these upgraded fares.
- Seating. Premium Select seats are roomier than the seats in Delta Comfort, which are the Delta Main seats but with more legroom. For example, on the Airbus A350, Premium Select seats are 18.5 inches wide and have a 38 inch recline, compared to Comfort, which has seats that are 17.4 inches wide and have 34 inches of recline.
- Boarding priority. Premium Select customers board in Zone 2 with Diamond Medallion members. Delta Comfort travelers board after, in Zone 3.
- Route availability. Customers can book Delta Comfort 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, Delta Comfort tickets are generally less expensive than Premium Select. Both are more expensive than main cabin tickets.
🤓 Nerdy Tip
Much like Premium Select Classic and Premium Select Extra, some flights offer both Comfort Classic and Comfort Extra. There is also a Comfort Basic option on certain flights, which has similar amenities but is not available for Medallion upgrades. Medallion status holders (Delta’s loyalty reward program) earn identical miles per dollar spent on each fare, since the number of miles earned depends on the price of the ticket.
| 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: Which Delta Air Lines credit card should you get?
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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 Delta First or Delta One. Premium Select flights can be booked with cash or Delta SkyMiles, so you can compare your options to determine which is the better value.
For the difference in price, Premium Select can be a worthwhile upgrade compared with Delta Comfort on long-haul flights. You’ll receive a wider seat, more legroom, and other notable amenities in addition to complimentary adult beverages and an enhanced in-flight menu.
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