On May 15, Delta Air Lines officially revamped its fare structure to simplify the booking process and offer travelers more flexibility. While the seats themselves haven’t changed, the fare structure and benefits have — for flights departing on or after October 1, 2025.
The first thing to note is Delta’s seat cabin product names, rebranded to create a more unified identity across its fare classes. Travelers have up to five cabin options:
- Delta Main – formerly Main Cabin
- Delta Comfort – formerly Delta Comfort+
- Delta First – formerly First Class
- Delta Premium Select – remains unchanged
- Delta One – remains unchanged
Breaking Down Delta’s New “Experiences”
In addition to these name updates, the carrier has introduced a new layer to its booking structure: fare “experiences.” These tiers — dubbed Basic, Classic and Extra — determine the flexibility, Skymiles earnings and upgrade eligibility associated with each ticket.
Importantly, these “experience” tiers are separate from the seat class, meaning travelers can mix and match their preferred cabin with the level of benefits that best fits their travel needs.
See below for a closer look at the three tiers:
- Basic (available only with Delta Main): This is the most restrictive option, previously known as Delta’s Basic Economy. It comes with limited flexibility, no mileage earnings and no eligibility for seat upgrades. Refunds are issued only as Delta eCredits and a cancellation fee applies.
- Classic (available in all cabins): The standard option for most travelers. Travelers can cancel or change flights for a Delta eCredit, choose seats and earn miles at the standard rate. It also comes with same-day standby and is eligible for upgrades.
- Extra (available in all cabins): This tier offers the most flexibility with all the benefits from "Classic", in addition to cash refunds, higher Skymiles earning rates (up to seven miles per dollar), flight changes and priority for complimentary upgrades. However, miles cannot be used to book Extra-tier tickets.
These new fare options will be displayed in a redesigned booking interface on Delta Air Line’s website and mobile app. The updated layout makes it easier to compare what’s included with each fare and experience tier — from refund policies and boarding priority to Skymiles earnings and upgrade eligibility.
What It Means for Travelers
For travelers with booked flights already in the fall, no need to worry — the airline will automatically convert existing tickets to their new equivalents. Going forward, however, travelers will need to make more deliberate decisions when selecting their fare class and experience level. Once booked, the selected experience tier cannot be changed, even if a traveler upgrades their seat class.
Additionally, Skymiles members should pay close attention to how these changes affect mileage accrual and upgrade ranking. Remember “Extra” tickets now earn more miles and offer better upgrade priority than “Classic,” while “Basic” fares come with significant limitations.
A Move Toward Greater Transparency
According to Delta, the changes aim to improve transparency and put more control in the hands of travelers.
“As we listen and learn about what our customers want when it comes to their travel, we know that clarity and choice are paramount,” said Eric Phillips, SVP and chief digital officer at Delta. “Our reimagined shopping experience gives customers more options and flexibility to pick the travel experience that works best for them, and a full picture of all the benefits of flying with Delta.”
While the new structure may appear more complex at first glance, the added flexibility and clearer definitions of value could ultimately give travelers more confidence in their booking choices. For more information about Delta’s new travel experience, visit its website here.
