Nothing beats flying in a lie-flat seat, but some business class seats are far better than others. With Delta, there's Delta One Suites … and then the rest.
The divide with Delta One business class is really that stark. Will you wind up in a narrow and outdated seat with tiny, low-resolution screens on an old Boeing or Airbus plane? Or will you luck out with a flight in a state-of-the-art suite, complete with a closing door and modern technology inside?
The trouble is that those superior suites are hard to find.
They're only available on two planes Delta flies: the Airbus A350-900 and the Airbus A330-900neo. And despite its “premium” brand, more than 60% of Delta's long-haul jets flying today are still equipped with business class seats more than a decade old. That's not what you want when you're forking over thousands of dollars (or hundreds of thousands of SkyMiles), that's not what you want.
So we pored through gobs of Delta's scheduling data from Cirium, an aviation analytics company, to pinpoint the exact routes where you can currently book a flight flying Delta One Suites. Whether you want to ensure you're flying in Delta's latest and greatest business class suites all the way to Europe or Asia or simply want to shut the door and lie flat on a quicker domestic flight, this is where you want to look.
One word of caution, though: These routes are all subject to change. Airlines regularly readjust their schedules and swap aircraft in and out – particularly once you look more than a few months out. So while the summer schedule should be more or less set in stone, anything in the fall and beyond could be ripe for a change.
Read our review of flying Delta One Suites and you'll see why this is the one to pick!
Just Two Domestic Routes
If you want to fly a Delta One suite within the good old U.S. of A, you'll have to be extraordinarily picky.
Delta One suites are hard to come by domestically these days. Even on the marquee transcontinental routes like from New York City (JFK) to Los Angeles (LAX) or San Francisco (SFO), you're far more likely to step inside an outdated Boeing 767-300 with cramped seats than get your own suite.
Unless if you luck out with a random domestic route that occasionally uses one of Delta's flagship aircraft – like a handful of flights from Atlanta (ATL) to Las Vegas (LAS) or the laughably short, one-hour flight between Atlanta and Orlando (MCO) a few times later this summer – here's where you'll routinely find a flight with suites at the front of the cabin:
- Atlanta (ATL) to Los Angeles (LAX) or back might be your best bet, with up to one frequency a day on the Airbus A350-900 with Delta One Suites onboard. It's a fixture in Delta's schedule from July through October, then again from January through March 2025.
- Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP) to Detroit (DTW) or vice versa is the only route Midwestern Delta fans will find Delta One suites, with one flight a day in Delta One suites through September and into early October. That includes an early morning departure from Michigan to Minnesota … and the late-night, 9 p.m. departure from Minneapolis back to Detroit.
And that's just about it. But keep in mind: Just because you see a route listed here doesn't mean every flight will have Delta One Suites onboard.
For example, the airline operates a whopping 12 flights a day between Los Angeles and Atlanta. But only one of those flights is on an Airbus A350-900 with suites in the front cabin.
Thrifty Tip: Install the Google Flights Legrooms browser extension to help pinpoint the right flights faster!
South America
While there's slim pickings domestically, you don't need to skip across oceans and time zones to relax in a Delta One Suite: The airline flies its best business class seats down to South America and back …
… but not always. For starters, you'll need to focus on the longest routes – think cities in Chile, Argentina, and Brazil, not Colombia or Peru. And even then, you'll only find planes with suites flying these longer routes occasionally throughout the year – typically just in the winter and spring, before Delta needs those planes flying to Europe.
- Delta is scheduled to fly an Airbus A330-900 with suites from Atlanta (ATL) to Buenos Aires (EZE) from late October through late March
- Ditto for the route from Atlanta (ATL) to Sao Paulo (GRU) – plus a few random days throughout July 2024.
- Heading to Patagonia soon? You're in luck: Delta is currently scheduled to fly one of its prized Airbus A350s with suites from Atlanta (ATL) all the way down to Santiago (SCL) in Chile almost every day this August and September.
- New Yorkers heading to Argentina later this year and early next will get treated to suites: Delta is planning to fly an A330-900neo from New York City (JFK) to Buenos Aires (EZE) from late October through late March 2025.
Plenty of Suites Flying to Europe
It's a coin flip when you're flying Delta One to Europe: Will you get a state-of-the-art Delta One Suite? Or will you get a comparatively ancient-looking Airbus A330?
Fortunately, as Delta has gotten more deliveries of the modern Airbus 350s and Airbus A330-900neos, they've become more prevalent when flying to Europe and back – especially to major European cities like Amsterdam (AMS), Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG), London-Heathrow (LHR), and Rome (FCO).
Still, just 21% of all Delta's business class seats scheduled to fly to Europe this year and next are Delta One Suites, according to data from Cirium. From some Delta hubs, it's a shoe-in you'll be flying a suite across the pond … yet from others, your odds aren't great.
You'll need to pay close attention, too, as Delta doesn't fly its newest planes on every single frequency to those mega-hubs like Paris and Amsterdam. Plus, you'll also need to watch out for a small subset of Airbus A350s the airline purchased from partner carrier LATAM: Those have an entirely different business class cabin in a 2-2-2 layout.
But let's go hub by hub, starting with the granddaddy of all hubs…
Atlanta (ATL)
Atlanta (ATL) might be Delta's biggest and most important hub – and the busiest airport in the world, to boot – but it's still no sure thing you'll find a suite when crossing the Atlantic Ocean in business class.
- Amsterdam (AMS) gets the suites this summer, but only one of Delta's three flights is on an A350
- Ditto for Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG) starting in August
- Rome (FCO) is a good bet, with one of Delta's two daily flights this summer on the A330-900neo … and both frequencies starting next April
- Suites will become a fixture on Atlanta flights to London-Heathrow (LHR) starting next spring
Boston (BOS)
Travelers flying in and out of Boston (BOS) have even more options to score a suite:
- Flights from Boston bound for Amsterdam (AMS) this fall will have suites on the Airbus A330-900neo
- Same goes next spring for Athens (ATH) when Delta's daily seasonal service returns, starting in late March
- Flying Delta One to Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG), you can count on a suite year-round
- Heading to Rome (FCO), you'll find suites onboard occasionally this winter until March, when the A330-900neo becomes a fixture on the daily flights to Italy
- If London is calling, you won't find Delta One suites flying from Boston this summer. But starting in late October and rounding into summer 2025, the the A330-900neo is scheduled to fly Delta's daily nonstop to London-Heathrow (LHR).
Cincinnati (CVG)
Yes, Delta flies nonstop to Europe from Cincinnati (CVG) – one of its old hub from decades ago. And come this fall, you'll have a great shot at catching a ride in Delta One Suites overseas:
- While you won't find suites flying to Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG) this summer, Delta is currently scheduled to fly a suite-equipped A330-900neo on its three-times-a-week service to France in November and December – and then again for a good chunk of March 2025.
Detroit (DTW)
Motor City is one of Delta's most-important transatlantic hubs, yet it's far from a shoe-in for finding a flight from Detroit (DTW) in Delta One Suites across the pond.
- Just one of Delta's three daily flights to Amsterdam (AMS) this summer – through late October – is scheduled on an AIrbus A350 with suites onboard
- Detroiters heading to Rome (FCO) are in for a treat next year when Delta brings back daily nonstop service on an Airbus A330-900neo starting in May 2025
- Daily flights to London-Heathrow (LHR) get a big upgrade this fall when Delta subs in an A330-900neo starting in late October
Los Angeles (LAX)
After dropping daily flights to London earlier this year, Delta offers just one nonstop flight from the City of Angels to Europe: to Paris. But LA-based travelers could hardly do better when it comes time to get on the plane.
- Every flight from Los Angeles to Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG) from now through late October is scheduled to be on either an Airbus A350-900 or Airbus A330-900neo, both equipped with Delta One Suites.
- From Oct. 29 through the end of 2024, that flight will swap to one of those other Airbus A350s without suites onboard.
- But come 2025, it's back in the suite life on the flight from California to France – all year long, according to current schedules.
Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP)
Minnesotans have more nonstop flights to Europe than ever before. But if they want to splurge for a suite, they'll have to be choosy.
- Delta flies to Amsterdam (AMS) as much as three times a day over the summer, but you'll rarely find Delta One Suites in business class: Just a few flights in December and January are currently scheduled on the Airbus A330-900neo
- Your odds are much better flying to Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG): Delta's daily nonstop to France is scheduled to have suites onboard almost every day this summer through most of October
- The airline's London-Heathrow (LHR)-bound flights get a major upgrade this fall when the A330-900neo becomes a fixture from late October and onward
New York City (JFK)
It might not get the same attention (good or bad) as Atlanta, but New York City (JFK) is actually Delta's biggest hub for flying across the pond. There's good and bad news there…
On the plus side, Delta flies planes equipped with Delta One Suites to more European destinations than any of its other hubs.
But with so many flights to Europe on other, inferior planes, it's far from a sure thing: Just 12% of its business class seats scheduled to fly to Europe through June 2025 are the suites on the A350-900 or A330-900neo, according to Cirium's data.
- New York to Amsterdam (AMS) is a fairly safe bet, as one of Delta's two Dutch-bound flights has suites at the front of the plane all year long
- Hitching a ride in suites is hit or miss when heading for Athens (ATH), as Delta has sporadically scheduled an A330-900neo on that route through the summer, fall, and into 2025
- Heading for tapas in Barcelona (BCN) this fall? You're in for a treat: Those same planes equipped with suites are scheduled to fly that route starting in late October into the New Year
- New York to Rome (FCO) might just be the best bet on this entire list: One of Delta's two daily flights has suites onboard … and both of those daily frequencies feature Delta One Suites starting next April!
- Delta flights to London-Heathrow (LHR) regularly (but not always) have suites
- There are a few (and I mean that literally) flights from New York to Milan (MXP) and Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG) with suites onboard this summer.
Seattle (SEA)
No Delta hub has it better for scoring a ride in suites than Seattle (SEA): Heading over to Europe – and beyond, for that matter – this airport bats 100%.
- There are as many as two flights a day to Amsterdam (AMS), and they've all got suites onboard an Airbus A330-900neo
- Same goes for the daily flights to London-Heathrow (LHR)
- Ditto with Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG), where Delta flies once a day year-round
Salt Lake City (SLC)
Even Salt Lake City (SLC) fares well for travelers hoping to fly across the pond in their own private suite in an Airbus A330-900neo.
- Until late October and again next spring and summer starting in late March, Delta's once-a-day flights to Amsterdam (AMS) have suites up in business class.
- The exact same pattern holds up with flights to and from Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG), too
- Heading to London-Heathrow (LHR), suite service begins
Asia, Australia & Oceania
If you're crossing the Pacific Ocean instead with Delta, you're practically guaranteed a private suite in business class.
From the 10-plus hour jaunts to Tokyo-Haneda (HND) to the 15-ish-hour flights to the land down under, these are some of Delta's longest flights. That means they all but require either their biggest (and most fuel efficient) Airbus A350s or A330-900neo in order to make it safely.
And lucky you, almost all of them have Delta One suites onboard.
- Atlanta (ATL) to Seoul (ICN) and Tokyo-Haneda (HND)
- Detroit (DTW) to Seoul (ICN), Tokyo-Haneda (HND), and Shanghai (PVG)
- Los Angeles (LAX) to Tokyo-Haneda (HND), Sydney (SYD), Brisbane (BNE), and Auckland (AKL)
- Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP) to Seoul (ICN) and Tokyo-Haneda (HND)
- Seattle (SEA) to Seoul (ICN), Tokyo-Haneda (HND), Shanghai (PVG), and the new route to Taipei (TPE)
In fact, there are just three flights across the Pacific that won't feature Delta One Suites at the pointy end of the plane, according to Cirium's data on the airline's current schedules:
- Delta's winter seasonal flights from Los Angeles (LAX) to Tahiti (PPT) operate on a Boeing 767-300
- In addition to its mainland hubs, Delta also flies to Tokyo-Haneda (HND) from Honolulu (HNL) … but also on a 767-300
- While Delta's nonstop from Los Angeles (LAX) to Auckland (AKL) routinely uses a suite-equipped A350, the airline is currently scheduled to swap in the inferior, suite-less version of the plane from early December until early February 2025.
Africa & The Middle East
Most – but not quite all – of Delta's flights to the Middle East and throughout Africa operate on planes equipped with Delta One Suites.
- All of Delta's flights from Atlanta (ATL) all the way down to Cape Town (CPT) operate on an Airbus A350-900 with suites onboard
- Ditto for Atlanta to Johanneburg (JNB)
- To date, Delta has only restored service to Tel Aviv (TLV) from New York City (JFK), but that route now features Delta One Suites on the Airbus A330-900neo
- Same goes for flights from New York City (JFK) to Accra (ACC) in Ghana – at least starting in late October, when an A330-900neo is scheduled to start flying that route.
Tips to Book Delta One Suites
Now you know where to look, it's time to learn how to book – preferably for a bargain.
That's easier said than done. Delta is practically infamous for charging sky-high fares in Delta One – and even moreso when redeeming SkyMiles, where a one-way in business class can easily cost you 400,000 SkyMiles. But the deals are out there … you might just need to be patient.
It just got a bit harder after Virgin Atlantic nuked what was far and away the best method of booking Delta One: 50,000-point Delta business class redemptions to Europe are officially gone. Higher rates and nasty fees of $1,000 each way are here.
But don't lose hope. Here are a few tips to snag that sweet deal flying Delta One Suites:
- Wait for a Delta SkyMiles flash sale. While insultingly high SkyMiles rates are still the norm, we catch Delta discounting Delta One rates at least a few times each year. A few recent alerts we've sent to Thrifty Traveler Premium members include 85,000-mile one-ways to Tokyo-Haneda (HND), roundtrips to Taipei (TPE) for under 150,000 SkyMiles, and flights to Santiago (SCL) for 120,000 SkyMiles roundtrip – all flying Suites!
- We occasionally find and send Thrifty Traveler Premium members discounted cash fares flying Delta One, too, like sub-$2,500 roundtrip tickets to Europe or South America for under $1,500
- Why not take that cheap(er) fare and make it free using credit card points? With credit cards like the *venture x*, *chase sapphire preferred*, or *biz platinum*, you could book those same $1,500 flights for as few as 97,500 points
- These days, the cheapest way to fly a Delta One Suite might be to book a standard economy seat … then upgrade to business class! While it's no sure thing, we've seen countless recent examples of Delta charging $599 (or 59,000 SkyMiles) for a one-way upgrade overseas – and sometimes even less!
Read our full guide on the best ways to book Delta One for less!
Bottom Line
Delta One Suites are the cream of the crop. While finding flights equipped with Delta's latest-and-greatest business class suites isn't quite like finding a needle in a haystack, it's not easy.
This guide should help.