Travel Advisor

Delta Air Lines Inc. plans to upgrade the seats on its Boeing 747s next summer, while cutting the number of seats in the plane's most expensive cabin.

Delta detailed the changes on September 2, which are part of a $1 billion plan announced in January to overhaul seats and make other customer improvements.

Beginning in the summer of 2011, Delta will add seats that recline flat in its Business Elite cabin on all 16 of its 747s, which mostly fly between the U.S. and Asia. New coach seats will include a nine-inch video screen with on-demand entertainment.

The new seats will be installed by the summer of 2012. Although the vast majority of travelers fly in coach, competition is intense for those travelers in the front of the plane because a single ticket on a long-haul flight can cost thousands of dollars. Delta's 747s currently seat 403 people, including 65 in Business Elite.

The new seating plan will eliminate 17 seats from Business Elite. Delta spokesman Paul Skrbec didn't elaborate on the change, or detail how much the 747 upgrade would cost.

UAL Corp.'s United Airlines, which competes head-to-head with Delta on Asia flights, also removed high-end cabin seats on many of the planes used on international flights, aiming to be able to charge more for those that remain.

Delta said the new 747 coach seats will offer more personal space and under-seat storage because of a new design that uses less space than older, heavier seats they replace. Delta said in January that it would spend $1 billion through mid-2013 to improve customer service, remodel existing aircraft and improve fuel efficiency, rather than buy new planes like some competitors.

Besides the 747, Delta is also adding fully flat seats in premium cabins on its Boeing 777s and 767s. Work on 767s is beginning soon and will run through June, Skrbec said. Work on the 777s begins in October and runs through July.

Delta said it will eventually have the lie-flat seats on more than 100 aircraft that make international flights.

news source: http://www.nydailynews.com

Air travel without a doubt is the fastest and the most convenient means to travel. If you are flying first class or business class, the experience is much better. Unfortunately, many travelers do not have the luxury of flying first class, unless you get a free airline upgrade. Getting your economy class airline ticket upgraded to first class may sound like a fairytale, but it does happen. It is true that getting a free upgrade is very unpredictable but one can increase the chances. For everyone out there looking to get their economy class tickets upgraded to first class here are some tips and tricks.

• The best way to increase your chances is by sticking with one airline instead of flying in different airlines. Join the airline frequent flier program. This way, even if you don’t get a free upgrade you will get access to airline airport lounges and so on.

• The best time to get a free upgrade is early afternoon and late evening.

• Another great way is to book your flight tickets when the economy section is full. You can known whether their economy section is packed or not by going through a false booking on the airline website. As there is so much competition, the airline may squeeze you to first class instead of turning you away.

• How you dress is very important. You need not wear a suit or a tie but at least dress like a business executive as airlines won’t be willing to upgrade a person wearing torn jeans and dirty shoes, to the first class.

• Be polite. Ask the check-in staff, ‘whether you are eligible for an upgrade’. Those traveling alone have a bigger chance of getting a free upgrade than those traveling in groups.