Delta Air Traces has lengthy been laser centered on consistency, although as reported by Airline Weekly, the most recent Boeing 737s added to the Atlanta-based provider’s fleet supply an unfamiliar and subpar expertise.
Delta selecting up 33 former Lion Air Boeing 737s
Throughout the pandemic, Delta strategically picked up some used planes. Along with selecting up some used former LATAM Airbus A350-900s, the airline additionally determined to choose up 33 former Lion Air Boeing 737-900ERs.
For these not acquainted, Lion Air is an Indonesia low price provider, and the airline had some pretty new Boeing 737s that it not wanted, because the airline is taking supply of recent Boeing 737 MAXs.
In contrast to different airways, Delta has by no means been significantly centered on flying new planes. Reasonably the provider’s precedence is selecting up planes at value, after which outfitting the planes with trendy interiors that clients will like.
Delta is now within the technique of including these planes to its fleet. The primary of those former Lion Air Boeing 737s began flying for Delta as of mid-November 2022, and that’s the aircraft with the license plate N951DX. It’s a roughly 9 yr previous aircraft, which first began flying for Lion Air in August 2013. All 33 planes needs to be flying for Delta inside lower than a yr, by October 2023.
These 737s don’t have normal Delta interiors
Within the case of those former Lion Air Boeing 737s, Delta has skipped the step of retrofitting these jets with the provider’s normal interiors. Delta has clearly rushed to place these planes into service, as they’re “wanted rapidly to help [Delta’s] operation.”
The explanation Delta rushed a lot to get these planes into service is due to staffing shortages, significantly at regional airways. Delta’s companions are struggling to maintain their full fleet of regional jets flying, as there aren’t sufficient pilots. Whereas a virtually 200 seat Boeing 737-900ER isn’t a perfect substitute for a regional jet, Delta is making an attempt to make the perfect of the scenario.
So, what’s totally different about these used Boeing 737-900ERs?
- They at present characteristic simply 12 top notch seats, somewhat than the usual 20
- They don’t have Wi-Fi or private leisure
- They don’t have a correct Consolation+ cabin, however somewhat simply the primary row of financial system is designated as Consolation+
Delta acknowledges that these planes supply an inferior expertise, so the airline is particularly working these planes out of Atlanta, completely on 18 routes which can be underneath 500 miles. That approach folks don’t get caught on these planes on longer flights.
Delta plans so as to add Wi-Fi and streaming leisure to those jets by the spring of 2023, however don’t count on the planes to be reconfigured with Delta’s normal interiors till 2024.
For instance, take the under flight from Atlanta to Panama Metropolis, Florida. As you’ll be able to see when looking out flights on delta.com, this flight doesn’t characteristic the usual facilities you count on on Delta, like Wi-Fi and seatback televisions.
The seatmap will even present the primary class cabin with simply 12 seats, plus the shortage of a Consolation+ cabin.
Admittedly Delta is dealing with this case in addition to it will probably, deploying these planes on shorter flights out of a single hub. On the similar time, the best way these planes are being put into service actually offers you a way of how desperately Delta wants the capability, because the airline is keen to sacrifice consistency for the sake of including extra seats.
Backside line
Delta has picked up 33 former Lion Air Boeing 737-900ERs. The primary aircraft is now in service, and you may count on all 33 jets will likely be flying by October 2023. These planes have very totally different interiors than Delta’s normal 737s — the primary class cabin is smaller, there’s no devoted Consolation+ cabin, and the planes don’t have Wi-Fi or private televisions in the interim.
If you end up on certainly one of these Delta planes they usually look unfamiliar, now you realize why…
What do you make of how Delta is placing these 737-900ERs into service?
