Seats

Please familiarize yourself with the Delta Main Basic (Basic Economy) restrictions to decide if the ticket type best serves your needs. We recommend Delta Main Basic (Basic Economy) for those with firm travel plans, because changes, refunds and upgrades are typically not available. Additional restrictions include:

• No seat(s) assigned until after check-in and seats may not be together
• No changes allowed*
• Cancelable for partial eCredit in most cases (a cancellation fee applies)**
• Last to board and not eligible for upgrades
• No miles earned; no credit toward SkyMiles Medallion Status***

*Ticket changes or refunds not allowed after the Risk-Free Cancellation period.

**Check your ticket along with the Baggage & Travel Fees page to view any fees that may apply to your Delta Main Basic (Basic Economy) ticket, depending on your origin city and destination.

***Not eligible for MQDs to be earned, paid or complimentary access or upgrades to premium seats (including to Delta Comfort or Preferred Seats).

 

We strive to serve every customer’s needs by providing a safe and comfortable flight for everyone onboard. To ensure a smooth travel experience you are encouraged to make additional seating arrangements in advance of your travel day if:

• Based on the seat dimensions of our Aircraft, you will encroach into the seat next to you while seated
• The seat armrests cannot stay down while you are seated

If you cannot safely and comfortably fit in a single seat in your purchased class of service, some available options are:

• You may purchase an additional seat for each flight in your itinerary.  Please click the “Message us” button on the Need Help page for assistance booking the additional seat; the seat will be sold at the same fare when purchased at the same time. Customers who do not purchase the additional seat in advance risk the need to change seat assignments to another location on the aircraft that provides additional space. In the event of a full flight, customers will be rebooked for a later flight with available seating

• You may purchase an upgrade to Delta Premium Select, Delta First or Delta One®

If seating arrangements cannot be made to ensure safety during flight, including a safe evacuation in an emergency, travel may not be permitted pursuant to the conditions of Delta’s Contract of Carriage.

Preferred Seats include:

• Exit row seats
• Bulkhead window and aisle seats
• Seats in front of Delta Main

These seats are available to eligible customers on Delta and Delta Connection aircraft. Preferred Seats are available for purchase up until the check-in window closes on most Delta-operated flights. Keep in mind that Preferred Seats are non-changeable, non-refundable (except as required by law) and cannot be transferred to a new flight or itinerary. If you cancel your flight, you may receive an eCredit* for the value of your Preferred Seat, as long as you cancel your flight before the 24-hour check-in window.

Delta Main Basic (Basic Economy): Customers who purchase Delta Main Basic tickets are not eligible to purchase Preferred Seats.

Medallion Members: Members are eligible for Complimentary Upgrades to Preferred Seats upon request and subject to availability.

SkyMiles Members: Earn miles, including Medallion® Qualification Dollars (MQDs) toward Medallion Status with the SkyMiles® Program, for Preferred Seat purchases.

*Applies to Delta-operated flights canceled prior to the 24-hour check-in window only. If you cancel less than 24 hours prior to departure, or your flights are operated by another carrier, there will be no remaining value.

Using the My Trips seat map or the offers presented on the Trip Details page, you can select a seat and pay to upgrade your trip to Delta One®, Delta Premium Select, Delta First or Delta Comfort on eligible flights within the U.S. and Canada, from the U.S. to international destinations and on most exit-international flights to the U.S. after purchasing a ticket.*

Paid upgrade seats are: 

• Typically non-changeable and non-refundable, depending on the fare rules of the original booked ticket
• Not eligible to be transferred to a new flight or itinerary
• Unavailable for purchase once the check-in window for the flight has closed

If you need to cancel, you may receive an eCredit* for the value of your paid upgrade if you cancel your flight before the 24-hour check-in window opens.**

In some cases, customers with Special Service Requests (SSR) on their reservation are not eligible for post-purchase upgrades such as exit row seating, to ensure they are assigned to a seat that meets the needs of their request.

*Excludes tickets booked in Delta Main Basic (Basic Economy)
**Applies to Delta-operated flights canceled prior to the 24-hour check in window only.

The ability to select seats will vary based on operating airline. Once your ticket is booked, visit My Trips or contact the operating airline for more information.

If you voluntarily change or cancel your flight before the 24-hour check-in window opens, you may receive an eCredit* for the value of your seat purchase.* Currently, eCredits may only be applied toward future travel, but this is the first step in the direction of offering you more flexibility with eCredits in the future.

*Applies to Delta-operated flights canceled prior to the 24-hour check in window only.

Any time after a ticket is issued until 90 minutes prior to departure or until the check-in window has closed, customers can upgrade to Delta One®, Delta Premium Select, Delta First or Delta Comfort if the product is available on their flight, at any time from the point their ticket is issued until 90 minutes prior to departure (or until the check-in window has closed, if greater than 90 minutes before departure). Delta Main Basic (Basic Economy) customers may not purchase an upgrade.

Customers may use a different method of payment than the method used to purchase the original ticket. Upgrades are add-ons to your purchase and will not require a new ticket to be issued to you.

Customers can go to My Trips and look for the upgrade offers banner located at the top of their trip to purchase a Delta One, Delta Premium Select, Delta First or Delta Comfort seat upgrade as an add-on if available.

Post-purchase upgrades are sold for individual flights and all customers in the reservation must upgrade for the selected flight.

Currently, some Special Service Requests (SSR) are not eligible for post-purchase upgrades such as exit row seating, to ensure that customers are assigned to a seat that meets the needs of their request.

Only itineraries that are wholly operated by Delta or Delta Connection are eligible for post-purchase upgrades at this time. Additionally, Delta Main Basic (Basic Economy) tickets are not eligible to purchase upgrades.

Yes, seat upgrade purchases (before and after ticketing) will earn Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQDs) and applicable mileage accruals when a SkyMiles number is included in the purchase transaction. Please keep in mind, Complimentary Upgrades will not earn additional MQDs.

Yes, you may redeem miles toward an award ticket in a premium cabin at the time of ticketing if seats are available on the flight.

Currently, some Special Service Requests (SSR) are not eligible for post-purchase upgrades like exit row seating to ensure that customers are assigned to a seat that meets the needs of their request. If this does not apply to your reservation, and your ticket is not a Delta Main Basic (Basic Economy) fare, please click the “Message Us” button on the Need Help page for assistance.

Seats that are shown as unavailable on the map may be reserved to accommodate family seating, passengers with disabilities and crew members.