Delta took its first Boeing 777 in 1999. Photo: Getty Images Delta Air Lines acquires the 777. The Boeing 777 is an iconic aircraft, and Delta had an opportunity to work with Boeing to design and get the aircraft into service. Subsequently, in 1999, Delta Air Lines received its first Boeing 777-200ER on March 24th of that year. But Delta has gone all-out in overhauling much of its longhaul fleet with both Delta One Suites and Premium Select. The airline also is retrofitting its 777s with the new updated cabin as well, and some 767s will get the same treatment.
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- The Premium Select cabin will be introduced on the airline’s Airbus A350s and will feature 48 Delta Premium Select seats, as well as 32 Delta One suites and 226 Main Cabin seats. Delta Premium Select will roll out on its Boeing 777 fleet beginning in 2018.
- The cabins are outfitted with the latest Delta One Suites, Premium Select, Comfort+ and standard coach seating. Related: Delta to serve all 777 routes with A350s, and add Cape Town.
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Come November, there will be one less Boeing 777 operator.
In a pandemic-related fleet shakeup, Delta is gearing up to bid farewell to one of the largest planes it operates — the Boeing 777. This widebody jet was the workhorse on many of Delta’s flagship long-haul international routes, including flights from Los Angeles to Syndey and from Atlanta to Johannesburg.
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But then the coronavirus came stateside and nearly wiped out all demand for these routes. Although Delta recently completed a cabin retrofit project across its 18 777s, the Atlanta-based carrier later decided to simplify its fleet for cost-effectiveness.
To that aim, in May, Delta announced the retirement of its entire fleet of 777s by the end of the year. Well, 2020 is nearly over (thankfully), and the carrier has scheduled its final two 777 flights.
If you’re looking to catch one final ride on this Boeing widebody, you better start planning now. The final two flights are as follows, according to Cirium schedules and confirmed by a carrier spokesperson.
- Oct. 30: Delta Flight 8787 ATL — LAX, 3 p.m. — 4:30 p.m.
- Oct. 31: Delta Flight 8807 JFK — LAX, 1 p.m. — 4 p.m.
Of course, there’s a possibility that the dates and timing shift. Over the past few months, there’s been an increased number of pandemic-related schedule changes across airlines. So while these are the final scheduled flights, anything could theoretically change at the last minute.
There are still seats left for sale in all cabins on the first retirement flight from ATL to LAX. The JFK to LAX flight is currently sold-out in business, but there are seats left in the other two cabins. Coach fares start at $149, premium economy starts at $350 and business class starts at roughly $1,200.
© The Points Guy Delta One Suites on a Boeing 777 (Photo by Nick Ellis/The Points Guy)Award availability is limited, though there are currently some coach seats available at saver rates on the JFK to LAX flight. Delta’s charging 16,000 SkyMiles, though you can book the flight through Virgin Atlantic for 12,500 points.
You’ll still see plenty of these Boeing jets flying across the country. Aside from the myriad of international airlines that fly the 777 to the U.S., two of Delta’s biggest competitors — American Airlines and United — both operate the 777-200 and longer 777-300 variant. You’ll even find AA and UA 777s flying on domestic routes from time to time.
Related: These are the jets that could end up in the boneyard
Delta’s retirement of the 777 is just the latest in a long list of planes being sent to the boneyard across the world. With a full recovery not predicted for a few years, carriers are streamlining their fleets and saying goodbye to the gas-guzzling jets of yesteryear. In Delta’s case, the airline has so far retired the Boeing 737-700, McDonnell Douglas MD-88 and the MD-90.
Aviation enthusiasts like me (case in point: check out my Instagram page) will mourn the fact that many Airbus A380s and Boeing 747s — two of the world’s largest passenger planes — are getting scrapped. Just this week, British Airways retired its final two Queens of the Sky. BA was previously the world’s largest operator of the 747. Going forward, it’ll have none, leaving just a handful of airlines still flying the 747.
While long-time fans and enthusiasts will miss the flying the 777 in Delta’s livery, the carrier already has a swanky modern replacement, the Airbus A350. Going forward, the A350 will be DL’s flagship aircraft. The A350 burns 21% less fuel per seat than the 777s they’re replacing.
Plus, these are some of the newest widebodies to enter the airline’s fleet. The cabins are outfitted with the latest Delta One Suites, Premium Select, Comfort+ and standard coach seating.
It’s not all sad news; the A350 is actually opening up a new market for Delta: Cape Town.
Related: Delta to serve all 777 routes with A350s, and add Cape Town
Though the A350 can replace almost every ultra-long-haul 777 route, the Atlanta to Johannesburg frequency requires a modification. Going forward, the airline’s South Africa service will follow a new circular routing that goes: Atlanta-Johannesburg-Cape Town-Atlanta.
The stop will allow for refueling at sea level before beginning the 8,130-mile trek back to the U.S. And it adds a new dot to Delta’s route map.
So while Delta’s 777 retirement is sure to disappoint some flyers, it ushers in a new era for the carrier’s fleet — one focused on more modern, fuel-efficient aircraft.
Featured photo by Alberto Riva/The Points Guy
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When Delta Air Lines revealed its newly refurbished Boeing 777 in Atlanta last week, it made a bold statement that comfort is here to stay not just in the carrier’s new Delta One Suites, but in all cabins, including economy class.
Up front, Delta has completed the first retrofit of its Crystal Cabin Award-winning Delta One Suites on the 777-200ER. A total 18 777s – the ERs and LRs – will be refurbished.
The new suites, based off of the Thompson Vantage XL seat, were introduced on the airline’s new Airbus A350 XWBlate last year. But due to the wider fuselage of the 777, the suites are slightly wider than their A350 counterparts.
Each of the staggered suites includes its own sliding door that, when combined with the privacy partition in the middle seat pairs, provides for a very private experience.
Privacy is key in the Delta One Suite: Image: Jason Rabinowitz
Boeing 777-200 Delta Premium Select
Based on feedback from A350 customers, each suite on the 777 now includes two AC and USB power outlets, a step up from one and one, respectively, on the A350.
There are 28 suites in total, down from the 37 herringbone seats which are being replaced. This decreases the overall odds of an upgrade.
Panasonic Avionics IFE is offered nose-to-tail. Image: Jason Rabinowitz
This 777 is Delta’s second aircraft type with the recently introduced Premium Select cabin – its entrant into the international premium economy ecosystem.
The seats are pitched at about 38 inches in a 2-4-2 configuration, matching most global competition.
The premium economy seat is in line with Delta’s competitors. Image: Jason Rabinowitz
American has made a major push to roll out its premium economyproduct this year, while United has yet to get its installation program started. The Delta 777 does not feature the carrier’s extra legroom economy product, Comfort+, at this stage, but is being considered as a future addition, according to the airline.
The biggest surprise on the aircraft is actually down back in the least premium cabin. It has become extremely rare for any airline to keep its economy seats at the factory-original 3-3-3 layout when refurbishing 777s, but Delta bucked a nearly concrete industry norm and did just that.
Delta Premium Select Boeing 777
Delta has opted to give economy class passengers a humane experience. Image: Jason Rabinowitz
Air France, KLM, American, United, Cathay Pacific, Qatar, Eva Air and many others have all shifted to the unpleasant but now standard 3-4-3 configuration.
Each seat on the Delta 777 is pitched at 31 to 32 inches and is approximately 18.5 inches wide, more than an inch wider than most 777 seats these days.
All seats now also include shared AC power outlets, something that has become standard on Delta’s domestic fleet but is still not common on Delta’s widebodies in economy.While the factory fresh Airbus A350 features Gogo’s 2Ku inflight connectivity system, Delta has not upgraded the 777 from its original, traditional Gogo Ku installation.
Seatguru Delta 777 Premium Select
Yet this connectivity service has shown itself capable of packing a punch. Its antenna-maker, Astronics, tells RGN that “the performance has been really good and we’re really happy with the performance we’ve got”.
The refurbished 777 will enter service in July on the Detroit to Beijing route, with Los Angeles-Sydney beginning in March 2019.
Delta Premium Select 777 Vs A350
Delta’s decision to keep a 9-abreast configuration on the 777 is simply remarkable in the current climate. Image: Jason Rabinowitz
Delta Boeing 777 Business Class
Economy class passengers can look forward to 18.5-inch wide seats. Image: Jason Rabinowitz
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