Delta is making some big changes to its Delta One business class experience. And for once, the seats themselves aren’t the focus.
On October 14, Delta announced what it calls its largest overhaul of the Delta One experience in nearly 30 years. The changes include new menus, upgraded dining service, additional amenities, and more flexibility for passengers who would rather sleep than eat.
The rollout begins this fall on transoceanic Delta One flights departing Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), before expanding across the airline’s global network in early 2027.
What’s Changing in Delta One?
The biggest changes involve dining. Delta partnered with several chefs to redesign its menus, introducing dishes such as a Wagyu beef burger, roasted sea bass, braised lamb, and beef short ribs.
The airline is also refreshing its beverage selection. Blanton’s bourbon joins the menu in December, alongside an expanded Champagne Taittinger partnership and a new wine program featuring 13 wines from 11 different wineries.
Delta One passengers will also be able to preorder their entrées until 18 hours before departure, six hours later than before. The airline is introducing lighter meal options and allowing passengers on long-haul flights to skip the usual pre-arrival meal in favor of a coffee and croissant.
Other changes include:
New amenities: Updated Missoni amenity kits arrive November 3, while additional pillows and Bombas socks will be available on select flights.
More drinks: New cocktails and mocktails, plus premium Japanese sake on flights to and from Tokyo-Haneda.
Updated service: New tableware and changes to how meals are presented.
Expanded Porsche fleet: Delta plans to increase its fleet of airport vehicles from 40 to 70 across 15 airports by 2028. Porsche service is available to Delta One customers who book VIP Select.
A Continued Focus on the Premium Experience
These changes focus on Delta’s soft product (food, service, bedding, and other amenities) rather than its hard product (the physical seats and cabin).
Delta has spent years expanding its premium cabins and opening dedicated Delta One lounges. The latest investment focuses on the onboard experience.
And the rollout will begin with transoceanic flights departing Los Angeles this fall, with the rest of the Delta One network following in early 2027.
Airfares have climbed a lot this year, largely because airlines are paying considerably more for fuel. But travelers hoping cheaper oil will spell cheaper ticket prices might be disappointed.
Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian suggested during the airline’s 2026 third-quarter earnings call on October 9 that recent fare increases could stick around, even after fuel prices return to more normal levels.
Bastian acknowledged that Delta has raised fares by roughly 20% this year to offset higher fuel costs. What surprised the airline, though, was how little resistance it encountered from customers.
Speaking about consumers’ willingness to pay more, Bastian described the response as an encouraging sign for the industry’s future.
And Delta isn’t particularly eager to give up those pricing gains when fuel becomes cheaper.
Airfares Are Up More Than 23% in a Year
The latest government figures show just how much more Americans are paying to fly.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, airline fares increased 23.4% between August 2025 and August 2026, substantially outpacing the 3.4% increase in overall consumer prices during the same period.
August’s airfare index was also approximately 19% higher than in August 2019 (before the pandemic).
The increase hasn’t exactly been steady. Fares reached their highest point of 2026 so far in May before declining somewhat over the summer. Even after that retreat, August prices remained considerably higher than a year earlier.
The government’s airfare index measures changes in ticket prices rather than the average cost of a flight. It also reflects industry-wide pricing, not just Delta’s fares.
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Why Cheaper Fuel Might Not Mean Cheaper Flights
Airlines have traditionally adjusted fares in response to fluctuating fuel costs. When fuel becomes more expensive, carriers try to recover those costs through higher ticket prices.
This year, the industry has also responded by limiting the number of seats available for sale.
Delta kept its capacity essentially flat during the third quarter while increasing revenue by 16%. For the final three months of the year, the airline expects capacity to grow approximately 3%, with fewer Main Cabin seats available than during the same period last year.
Other airlines have also reduced capacity, particularly on routes where profits haven’t been easy to come by.
With fewer seats available, airlines have more room to maintain higher fares.
Bastian believes the industry’s response to elevated fuel costs could have a lasting impact on pricing, even after the immediate financial pressure subsides.
Whether airlines can hold on to those gains is another question.
Competition, weakening demand, or additional capacity could eventually push fares lower. And while Delta reports that customers continue to spend (particularly higher-income households and corporations), that doesn’t necessarily reflect the financial circumstances of every traveler.
For now, though, Delta’s outlook suggests that falling fuel prices alone may not be enough to bring airfares back down.
Airlines Are Exploring Other Ways to Charge More
Another exchange during Delta’s earnings call touched on a different aspect of airline pricing.
A JPMorgan analyst raised the issue of international airlines beginning to vary fuel surcharges based on the day of the week, with higher charges on peak travel days.
Fuel surcharges are additional charges some airlines impose on tickets, including certain flights booked with miles. Unlike the underlying fare, these charges can carry over even when a passenger uses rewards to cover the ticket.
Delta Chief Commercial Officer Joe Esposito acknowledged the development and described it as a relatively new practice.
He said Delta hasn’t adopted the approach and stopped short of suggesting it would.
For travelers booking with points and miles, it’s something worth watching. Depending on how an airline structures its charges, flying on a Tuesday rather than a Sunday could affect how much cash a traveler has to pay when redeeming miles.
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What Travelers Can Do About Higher Fares
There isn’t much an individual traveler can do to influence airline pricing, but flexibility can help keep costs down.
Flying a day earlier or later, considering nearby airports, or choosing a different airline can sometimes produce substantial savings.
Points and miles can also provide an alternative to increasingly expensive cash fares. Some loyalty programs closely follow cash ticket prices, while others use different pricing structures that can make certain flights considerably cheaper when booked with miles.
Of course, points aren’t always a bargain. Some redemptions require large numbers of miles, and certain international bookings carry substantial taxes and carrier-imposed surcharges.
It’s worth comparing the cash price against the points required, plus any out-of-pocket charges, before deciding how to book.
One lesser-known benefit of redeeming points and miles for flights is that, with some airlines, those trips can still count toward earning elite status.
Yes, it’s possible to fly using your miles and earn credit toward qualifying for elite status at the same time.
Not every airline offers this benefit, but it’s worth knowing about if you’re working toward a new status tier or trying to maintain the one you already have.
Here’s a look at five airline loyalty programs that offer elite status credit on eligible flights booked with points and miles.
Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards
Atmos Rewards is particularly generous when it comes to earning elite status credit on flights booked with points.
Through the end of 2026, members earn 1 status point for every mile flown on eligible flights booked with Atmos Rewards points. That includes flights operated by Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, and eligible partner airlines.
For example, a 2,500-mile flight booked with points could earn 2,500 status points, regardless of how many points you redeemed for the ticket.
But things are changing in 2027.
Starting January 1, Atmos Rewards members will be able to choose how they earn points and status points. And that choice will also determine how much status credit they earn on flights booked with points.
Segments flown: 500 status points per flight segment
For example, a 2,500-mile nonstop flight booked for 20,000 Atmos Rewards points would earn 2,500 status points under the distance-based option, 1,000 under the price-based option, or 500 under the segment-based option.
Of course, the math can change depending on the routes you fly and how many points you’re redeeming. One earning method could be considerably more rewarding than another.
One important distinction is that flights booked with points earn status points only, not additional redeemable Atmos Rewards points.
The earning rate is pretty simple: members earn 1 MQD for every 100 SkyMiles redeemed.
So, a Delta flight costing 40,000 SkyMiles would earn 400 MQDs toward Medallion status. And this benefit also extends to eligible upgrades purchased with miles.
However, Delta’s Main Basic fares are excluded from earning MQDs through mileage redemptions.
Members earn 1 PQP for every 100 MileagePlus miles redeemed, along with one PQF for each eligible United or United Express flight.
For example, a nonstop United flight costing 30,000 miles would earn 300 PQP and one PQF toward Premier status.
Eligible seat upgrades purchased with miles can also earn PQP.
The benefit also applies to United-operated segments on itineraries that include partner airlines. However, flights operated by those partners won’t earn PQP or PQF from the mileage redemption.
Another useful detail is that PQP goes to the person flying, not necessarily the person who redeemed the miles.
So, if you use your MileagePlus miles to book a flight for someone else, that traveler receives the qualifying credit.
United also allows members to use PQP earned from flights booked with miles toward additional PlusPoints, not just Premier status.
Unlike Delta and United, which calculate status earnings based on the number of miles redeemed, Virgin Atlantic awards a fixed number of Tier Points depending on the cabin.
Members earn the following amounts on eligible flights booked with points.
Economy: 25 Tier Points
Premium: 50 Tier Points
Upper Class: 100 Tier Points
That means two passengers redeeming different amounts of points for the same flight and cabin could earn the same number of Tier Points.
The benefit applies to eligible Virgin Atlantic-operated flights, not partner airline redemptions.
Qantas Frequent Flyer
Qantas offers a similar benefit, although there’s an additional requirement.
The number of Status Credits depends on the route and cabin. For example, an eligible business-class flight between Australia and the U.S. West Coast earns 72 Status Credits.
However, Qantas is retiring Points Club on December 8, 2026. Existing eligible members will retain their benefits through the end of their next membership year, so this benefit won’t disappear immediately for everyone.
What About Other Airlines?
The majority of major airline loyalty programs don’t offer elite status credit for flights booked with points and miles.
American Airlines AAdvantage, Air Canada Aeroplan, and Southwest Rapid Rewards are among the programs that exclude these flights from their standard flight-based elite qualification requirements.
It’s also worth distinguishing between earning elite status credit and earning additional redeemable miles. Even when a flight booked with points counts toward status, it generally won’t earn more miles for future travel.
If you’re working toward elite status, it’s worth checking whether flights booked with points count toward qualification. Depending on the airline, you could use points for your next trip without giving up progress toward your next status tier.
Delta SkyMiles members planning an international trip early next year could get $100 toward another flight.
The airline is offering a $100 eCredit after a paid Delta Main flight from the U.S. to select destinations between January 15 and March 31, 2027.
SkyMiles members can log into their account to see if it’s available and register before booking.
How to Earn the $100 eCredit
The promotion covers 25 destinations across Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand:
Europe and Africa: Amsterdam, Athens, Barcelona, Paris, Dublin, Edinburgh, Rome, Frankfurt, London, Lisbon, Madrid, Munich, Milan, Marrakesh, Venice, and Zurich
Asia and Pacific: Auckland, Brisbane, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Seoul, Melbourne, Shanghai, Sydney, and Taipei
Some routes only operate during part of the promotional period.
SkyMiles bookings don’t qualify, and neither do Delta Comfort or Delta Premium Select tickets. The flight must be marketed and operated by Delta or Delta Connection.
Members can earn one $100 eCredit, which should arrive within 30 days after the flight and expires six months after it’s issued.
The offer isn’t enough on its own to make a Delta trip worthwhile. But for someone already planning a paid economy trip to one of these destinations, it’s an extra $100 toward a future Delta flight.
American, Delta, and United are all adding new transatlantic flights next year. And a look at the schedules and current pricing turned up three worth knowing about this week, including a trip to Portugal from just 21,000 miles.
But Philadelphia doesn’t have to be the starting point to get that price.
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On March 29, for example, American is selling an itinerary from Boston (BOS) to Porto for 21,000 AAdvantage miles plus $5.60 in economy. The trip connects in Philadelphia before continuing on American’s new nonstop to Portugal.
Change the date to April 4, and the same 21,000-mile price is available out of Los Angeles (LAX).
It’s already bookable with MileagePlus miles, too.
POINTSYEAH
On April 28, the nonstop costs 40,000 United miles plus $5.60 in economy. Eligible United cardholders can book the same flight for 36,000 miles plus $5.60.
Luxembourg probably isn’t the first airport that comes to mind for a trip to Europe. But its location is part of the appeal. The country borders France, Germany, and Belgium, putting the new nonstop within easy reach of several places that might otherwise require a connection anyway.
On July 20, Main Basic starts at 35,000 SkyMiles plus $6 one way. Eligible Delta cardholders get a 15% discount through TakeOff 15, dropping the price to 29,700 miles plus $6.
There is a tradeoff for taking the cheaper option, though.
Main Basic charges a fee to cancel or change the ticket, doesn’t include advance seat selection, and charges for the first checked bag. Main Classic on the same flight costs 45,800 miles, or 38,900 miles with the cardholder discount, and offers more flexibility, advance seat selection, and a free checked bag.
That’s a difference of 9,200 miles for cardholders. On a trip being booked nearly 10 months ahead, paying more miles for the extra flexibility could make a good amount of sense.
Search for Your Own Trip
These prices are snapshots of a moment in time and can move up or down as the wind blows. Changing the dates, departure airport, or cabin can also produce very different results.
That’s particularly useful with new routes. United’s Luxembourg flight starts in Newark, while American’s new Porto nonstop starts in Philadelphia. But as the Boston and Los Angeles examples show, itineraries don’t necessarily have to start there.
Delta is adding three new routes to Europe in 2027, with new nonstop flights to Athens, Venice, and Paris.
The airline announced Thursday, September 25, that it will begin flying from Detroit (DTW) to Athens (ATH) and Boston (BOS) to Venice (VCE) next summer. Those flights will join a previously announced route from Austin (AUS) to Paris (CDG), which begins in March.
Delta is also stretching several seasonal Europe routes farther into the spring and fall, giving some destinations a longer window than the usual summer schedule.
Delta Adds New Flights to Athens, Venice, and Paris
Delta will begin flying from Detroit to Athens three times weekly on June 8, 2027. Flights will operate through October 28 aboard an Airbus A330-200.
It will be the first nonstop flight between Detroit and Athens, making Detroit Delta’s fourth U.S. gateway to the Greek capital.
Boston gets a new route of its own beginning May 7. Delta will fly four times weekly to Venice through October 29 using an Airbus A330-300.
That gives Boston another nonstop option to Italy, where Delta has been steadily adding service over the past few years. The airline will also increase its Boston-Milan route to daily service in 2027.
Farther south, Delta will begin daily flights between Austin and Paris on March 27, 2027, giving Austin its first nonstop connection to the French capital. The route will use an Airbus A330-900neo.
All three routes will offer Delta One business class and Delta Premium Select premium economy in addition to economy.
The additions are part of a broader period of international growth for Delta. The airline is also preparing to launch its first flights to Riyadh (RUH) on October 23, 2026, adding Saudi Arabia to its route map.
Delta Is Lengthening the Europe Season
The new routes aren’t the only change coming to Delta’s Europe schedule.
Several seasonal flights will start earlier in 2027, while others will stick around longer.
Flights from Minneapolis-St. Paul and Detroit to Rome will begin in early March, for example, while Seattle-Rome will start in April. Delta is also bringing back several routes earlier in the year, including New York-JFK to Catania, Porto, Prague, and Copenhagen.
Boston and Seattle flights to Barcelona and Atlanta-Edinburgh will return earlier as well.
Some routes are also getting more service. Detroit-Rome and New York-Copenhagen will operate daily when they return, while Cincinnati-Paris will continue three times weekly from January through March.
That makes Delta’s transatlantic network a little less dependent on the traditional summer rush.
On the same day Hyatt announced the end of its exclusive loyalty relationship with American Airlines, it lined up its replacement, too.
Hyatt and Delta Air Lines announced Wednesday, September 9, that they’re forming a new long-term partnership. The relationship will formally launch in the coming months.
World of Hyatt elites will be able to earn Hyatt points on qualifying Delta flights, while Delta Medallion members will earn SkyMiles on qualifying Hyatt stays.
That’s about as specific as Hyatt and Delta are getting for now. The companies haven’t said which elite members will qualify, how much they’ll earn, or even exactly when the partnership will launch.
But the timing clears up at least some of the mystery from earlier Wednesday. Hyatt isn’t walking away from airline partnerships. It’s swapping one exclusive airline relationship for another.
World of Hyatt and Delta SkyMiles Members Will Be Able to Double Dip
The first confirmed benefit is reciprocal earning.
Eligible World of Hyatt elite members will earn Hyatt points on qualifying Delta airfare purchases in eligible fare classes. Delta Medallion members, meanwhile, will be able to earn SkyMiles on qualifying stays at participating Hyatt properties.
Those rewards will come on top of what members already earn through the program they’re doing business with. Naturally, this will create a chance to double dip across flights and hotel stays.
But there are still plenty of blanks to fill in.
Hyatt and Delta haven’t shared which elite tiers will qualify, the earning rates, which Delta fares or Hyatt properties will participate, or exactly when the partnership will launch. Enrollment details are also coming later.
And apparently, reciprocal earning is only the beginning. The companies say additional benefits and experiences will be unveiled later this year.
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Hyatt Is Swapping American for Delta
Earlier Wednesday, American and Hyatt announced that they won’t continue their enhanced loyalty relationship. American later confirmed to Points Insider that its exclusive Hyatt partnership expires in November and won’t be renewed.
A few hours later, Hyatt described its new relationship with Delta as exclusive.
That explains quite a bit.
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We’ve covered the American breakup separately, including what happens to existing benefits and what AA told Points Insider about the decision. The short version is that a relationship that had already been scaled back in 2025 is winding down, while Hyatt is preparing to launch a new one with Delta.
There’s an interesting reversal here, too. American and Hyatt eliminated reciprocal earning last year. Hyatt and Delta are putting it back at the center of their new partnership, at least for eligible elite members.
However, the full details will determine whether that’s as useful as it sounds.
Delta has an unusual targeted offer that could help some Medallion members get closer to earning status for another year.
Through September 18, 2026, eligible SkyMiles members can earn 1 Medallion Qualification Dollar (MQD) for every $4 spent on Delta gift cards. The offer tops out at 500 MQDs after $2,000 in gift card purchases.
But this isn’t available to everyone. Delta is targeting members based on exactly how many MQDs they’ve earned as of June 30, 2026.
Who Is Eligible?
To participate, members have to hold one of the following Medallion status levels and fall within the corresponding MQD range as of June 30, 2026:
Medallion Status
MQD Balance as of June 30
Silver Medallion
2,442–2,499 MQDs
Gold Medallion
4,800–5,000 MQDs
Platinum Medallion
7,275–7,500 MQDs
Diamond Medallion
13,580–14,000 MQDs
Members who didn’t fall within one of these ranges as of June 30 aren’t eligible for the promotion.
There are a few other requirements. Members must be at least 18 years old and have a valid U.S. address associated with their SkyMiles account.
Anyone who participated or is currently participating in a Delta Status Match, Fast Track, or Reclaim My Status promotion during 2026 is also excluded.
Earn Up to 500 MQDs
For those who qualify, every $4 spent on eligible Delta gift cards earns 1 MQD.
That works out to:
Gift Card Purchase
MQDs Earned
$400
100 MQDs
$1,000
250 MQDs
$2,000
500 MQDs
The maximum is 500 MQDs, so there’s no additional status benefit to buying more than $2,000 in gift cards through the promotion.
The gift cards themselves don’t expire. That could make this interesting for an eligible member who expects to spend money with Delta anyway and could use another 500 MQDs toward status.
There is a tradeoff, though. Delta gift cards are nonrefundable, so buying one means committing that money to future Delta travel.
A valid SkyMiles number and matching member name need to be entered at checkout. Delta says the MQDs can take up to six weeks after the promotion ends to appear in an account.
Gift cards purchased elsewhere don’t qualify.
The eligibility requirements are unusually specific, so this won’t help most SkyMiles members chasing status. But anyone who landed within one of those narrow MQD ranges on June 30 has until September 18 to pick up as many as 500 additional MQDs from money that can eventually be spent on Delta flights.
If you have an eligible Delta credit card, there’s a good chance your next Delta award flight will cost fewer miles than the advertised price.
That’s thanks to TakeOff 15.
This is a benefit that gives eligible Delta American Express cardholders 15% off award flights operated by Delta. The discount is automatic, there’s nothing to activate, and there’s no limit to how many times you can use it.
It’s a surprisingly useful benefit that takes no extra effort to use.
How Delta TakeOff 15 Works
TakeOff 15 is available to primary cardholders of the personal and business versions of the Delta Gold, Platinum, and Reserve American Express cards.
To use the benefit, log into the SkyMiles account associated with your eligible card and search for an award flight on Delta.com or the Fly Delta app. The discount should automatically appear on eligible flights.
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Put differently, if an award normally costs 15,100 SkyMiles, a 15% discount brings it down to 12,800 miles, since Delta likes to round down. On a 412,300-mile award (pricey), you’d save more than 60,000 miles.
That’s pretty wild.
The discount only applies to the mileage portion of the ticket, so you’ll still pay the normal taxes and fees.
There’s no guarantee that a discounted Delta award will be the best option for every trip. But if Delta has the flight you want and you’re planning to use SkyMiles, TakeOff 15 means you can keep 15% of those miles for another trip.
