Comparing Long Haul Business Class of American, Delta, and United – Part 1: The Hard Products
In this two-part article, I will compare the hard products, lounges, and amenities of all major intercontinental US Airlines, American, Delta, and United, on long haul flights. I will break up this post into two separate articles to easily compare all 3 airlines. Please note that I won’t be comparing the food and service in this article, as that can be highly variable flight to flight on each airline. In this first article, I will be comparing the hard products of each airline on board. In the second article, I will compare the lounges of each airline for long haul passengers and some onboard amenities.
The Hard Products:
In this article, I will compare the hard products of each airline on specific aircraft, and what airline is best for what you want.
American:
An American Airlines Embraer E190
All long haul aircraft have flat bed seats with personal on demand entertainment except for 757s/767s which have tablets instead of personal on demand. Long Haul Business Class on American is called Flagship Business Class.
| Type of Aircraft | Configuration | Seat Count | Notes |
| Airbus A330-200 | 1-2-1 | 20 | Ex-US Airways, dated cabin, Reverse herringbone |
| Airbus A330-300 | 1-2-1 |
28
|
Ex-US Airways, dated cabin, Reverse herringbone |
| Boeing 757-200 | 2-2 | 16 | Passengers given tablets, no built in IFE |
| Boeing 767-300 | 1-2-1 | 28 | Passengers given tablets, no built in IFE, staggered |
| Boeing 777-200 | 1-2-1 |
37 45 |
Select aircraft feature forward and rear facing seats |
| Boeing 777-300 | 1-2-1 | 52 | Reverse herringbone |
| Boeing 787-8 | 1-2-1 | 28 | Forward and rear facing seats, will be retrofitted with 20 seats |
| Boeing 787-9 | 1-2-1 | 30 | Reverse herringbone |
Delta Airlines
A Delta Boeing 717
All long haul aircraft have flat bed seats with personal on demand entertainment. Long Haul Business Class on Delta is called Delta One.
| Type of Aircraft | Configuration | Seat Count | Notes |
| Airbus A330-200 | 1-2-1 | 34 | Reverse herringbone |
| Airbus A330-300 | 1-2-1 | 34 | Reverse herringbone |
| Airbus A350-900 | 1-2-1 | 32 | Fully enclosed staggered seats |
| Boeing 757-200 | 2-2 | 16 | |
| Boeing 767-300 | 1-2-1 | 26/36 | Staggered seats |
| Boeing 767-400 | 1-2-1 | 40 | Staggered seats |
| Boeing 777-200 | 1-2-1 | 37 | Herringbone seats, all aisle access but no privacy |
United Airlines:
A United Express Embraer E175
All long haul aircraft have flat bed seats with personal on demand entertainment. Most long haul aircraft will eventually be retrofitted with the new Polaris seats which are currently featured on all Boeing 777-300s and some 767-300s and 777-200s. Long Haul Business Class on United is called United Polaris.
| Type of Aircraft | Configuration | Seat Count | Notes |
| Boeing 757-200 | 2-2 | 16 | |
| Boeing 767-300 |
2-1-2 (majority) 1-1-1 (retrofit) 2-2-2 (>3 aircraft) |
30 30
|
Aircraft in 2-2-2 configuration being refitted with 1-2-1 configuration |
| Boeing 767-400 | 2-1-2 | 39 | |
| Boeing 777-200 |
2-2-2 (ex continental) 2-4-2 (ex united) 1-2-1 (retrofit) |
50 28/40 50 |
All 777-200ERs will be retrofitted with the 1-2-1 configuration |
| Boeing 777-300 | 1-2-1 | 60 | First aircraft with United Polaris seats, staggered |
| Boeing 787-8 | 2-2-2 | 36 | |
| Boeing 787-9 | 2-2-2 | 48 |
Conclusions on the Hard Products:
If you are flying on 757s, the airline does not matter. All airlines have similar configurations in 757 business class with 16 flat bed seats in a 2-2 configuration, so the 757 is practically the same on all airlines.
If you are looking for privacy, book American or Delta. Both American and Delta have flat bed seats with all aisle access on all wide body aircraft, while United has flat bed seats on all long haul aircraft, but only has all aisle access on a few aircraft. What to take out of this is that if you are looking for privacy, avoid the majority of United’s long haul aircraft in business class. This is because American and Delta have more private seats on their long haul aircraft, as all aircraft on both airlines (except for the 757) have all aisle access.
If you are looking for potential upgrades, book United. This is because United has the most seats in business class on any airplane compared to Delta and Untied. While they may not be the most private, if you try to upgrade using miles or status, you have a better chance of getting upgraded on United than on any other airline.
If you are looking for the best experience, book Delta’s A350. Delta is only one of two airlines in the world to feature closed suites in business class, with the other being Qatar Airways. On the A350, you can close a door to your seat to almost completely isolate yourself from the rest of the cabin.
Do not book United’s 777 business class in a 2-4-2 configuration as it has no privacy at all. See more about it on my United Airlines Airline Profile.
Hard Products Ranked:
- 1. Delta Airlines: On all wide body aircraft, Delta features all aisle access seats which can transform into a fully flat bed. I rank Delta as #1 because they have personal IFE screens at every seat on long haul aircraft and due to the fact that they feature closed suites on the A350.
- 2. American Airlines: On all wide body aircraft, American features all aisle access seats which can transform into a fully flat bed. However, I rank them below Delta because on the 757s and 767s, American does not feature built in in-flight entertainment screens, like both Delta and United have.
- 3. United Airlines: Only on select aircraft is there all aisle access on United. This does not compare well to American and Delta which have all aisle access on all wide body aircraft. This means that in business class on United, passengers have much less privacy and space, and sometimes have to climb over a passenger to reach the aisle.
Stay tuned for Part 2 which will compare the lounges of all 3 airlines for long haul business class.
