It's certainly not a lie-flat bed you'll get flying up in Delta One business class, but it's far better than flying back in economy. Delta Premium Select is a very comfortable seat for your next long-haul flight – if you can get it at the right price.
That's my verdict after flying Premium Select, the airline's name for premium economy. The seats are far more spacious – with more legroom and wider, too – than even Delta Comfort Plus. Extra benefits like Sky Priority access were nice. But after huge pandemic cutbacks, the food and service are still much closer to what you'll get in economy.
Still, there's no doubt in my mind: Premium Select is absolutely worth it when the price is right. It's a big step above a standard economy seat.
Here's my full review after flying both the brand new A330-900neo and an older A330-300 between Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP) and Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG).
How to Book It
Premium Select is Delta's name for the premium economy seats that more and more airlines are rolling out. So go figure the best way to book is at Delta.com. There aren't any great ways to book these seats through Delta's partners – especially if you're aiming to redeem miles.
These days, you'll find these seats on almost every flight heading across the Atlantic Ocean, over the Pacific, and even many flights down to South America.
As you can see, the premium economy fare is a far cut below Delta One. Yet it's typically significantly more expensive than the economy cabin fare classes and even Comfort Plus.
You can also use your Delta SkyMiles to book Premium Select.
If those SkyMiles and cash rates look insanely high to you, it doesn't have to be that way. Amid a slew of cheap premium economy fares abroad, our team at Thrifty Traveler Premium have found some amazing deals flying Premium Select over to Europe for as low as $500 or so.
These Thrifty Traveler Premium deals are no longer available. Make sure you're signed up so you don't miss the next one!
In fact, I wrote this review after booking this exact same deal, flying Premium Select from Minneapolis to Paris and onward to Copenhagen (CPH) for just $677 roundtrip!
At Thrifty Traveler, we don't accept freebies. We use our own points, miles, or cash to pay for every single flight or hotel you see reviewed here – including this one!
If you'd rather use your SkyMiles, we occasionally find great Delta award deals for our Thrifty Traveler Premium members, too.
Checking In & Sky Priority Benefits at the Airport
One of the best features of the Delta Premium Select cabin is you get Sky Priority perks both in the U.S. and abroad.
Sky Priority gives you priority check-in and security here in the states as well as expedited customs and immigration access at participating airports in Europe like Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG) and Amsterdam (AMS).
At Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP), we were able to use the Sky Priority check-in area to get checked in without standing in any line whatsoever.
Here are some more details from Delta about who is eligible for Sky Priority and what it can do for you when traveling.
In addition to the dedicated check-in areas, fast-track security, and priority boarding, Sky Priority also gives you expedited bag service – meaning your bags are the first ones out if you've checked luggage.
Plus, you might even get some free lounge access over in Europe. As we made our way back home from Copenhagen (CPH) to Paris before connecting to our Delta flight to Minneapolis, the gate agent told us we got access to the Aviator Business Class Lounge. While Sky Priority alone won't get you into the Delta Sky Club or guaranteed lounge access in Europe, it was a nice surprise before at least one segment of our trip.
For our connection to and from Copenhagen on Delta partner Air France, we were firmly in economy – and it's just about as simple an economy seat as there is.
It's a bit better if you're connecting within the U.S. on Delta: You'll be seated in Comfort Plus.
The Seats
The seat itself is quite nice and comfortable – especially if you're traveling with someone else.
No matter which plane you're on, you'll find fewer seats in each row of the Premium Select cabin than back in economy or even Comfort Plus – and that's a recipe for wider seats. Delta's Airbus A350s are laid out in a 2-4-2 configuration in premium economy, while A330s have 2-3-2 seating. The Boeing 767s have just six seats in each row in a 2-2-2 configuration.
If you're traveling as a couple or a duo, the two seats on the side are perfect.
The seats come with significantly more legroom than you'll find in economy – though clearly not the nearly limitless legroom you get up in Delta One. On the Airbus A330-300, for example, each Premium Select seat gets 38 inches of legroom compared to the 32 inches of space back in economy.
Your screen is still on the seatback in front of you, meaning the traveler ahead of you can still recline their seat into your space – and these seats have more generous recline than your typical economy seat.
It's not just the legroom: There's a little extra width and significantly more padding, too. Most seats measure in at about 18 1/2 inches wide, a valuable half-inch more than your standard economy seat flying with Delta.
The seats also come with a footrest which you can see I put out here. It's really nice to take that strain off your legs during a long flight.
Unlike business class seats that recline with the push of a button, these seats are not motorized. The recline, footrests, and leg rests are all analog.
Let's talk about that legroom again, because it's really nice. I'm six feet tall and I had plenty of room to extend and even cross my legs in Premium Select, even when there's something in the pocket in front of me.
On our return journey, we chose bulkhead seats at the front of the cabin with even more legroom and space.
One of my favorite aspects of the seat is the enormous TV screens. Clocking in at 13.3 inches, it's the biggest screen I've ever seen in the sky outside the business class cabin.
Both seats also had access to their own power port, which included a USB and a traditional, universal power socket – plus another USB port on the screen itself.
The entertainment system on both legs of the flight was slick. Each Delta leg of the journey had access to almost 600 movies, 62 TV shows, and 123 different audio offerings as well.
In the bulkhead, the screens must be stowed during takeoff and landing and come out from underneath the middle console for both seats. But they're the same size as the seatback screens, so you're not getting shorted there.
The middle console is also fairly roomy, offering another spot to put your phone or rest a drink.
Underneath the console there are a few different storage areas, including this little space for tablets or books. It also pops up so you can access them more easily.
In the front of the console is a little water bottle holder, too. Next to that is a remote that powers you flight attendant call button, your reading light, and even control your seatback screen. The screen controls are a little clunkier than the touch screen functionality.
Amenities
Beyond the valuable extra legroom, flyers in Delta Premium Select get some extra goodies.
When you get to your seat, you get a business class-style amenity kit for your journey. You also get a decent set of Delta headphones – the same ones they hand out up in business class, in fact – a really comfortable memory foam pillow, and a blanket. That blanket wasn't exactly paper thin … but I wouldn't call it substantial, either.
The amenity kits from Someone Somewhere don't have zippers, which was unusual for an amenity kit – just the cloth topper with the shoelace-like string to hold it together. Inside was a toothbrush, a pen, a sleep mask, some earplugs, and some creams from the Grown Alchemist.
Honestly, the contents of these kits are nearly identical to what you get with a Delta One business class ticket. That's pretty impressive.
The kits did differ from flight-to-flight, however. For instance, the kit given to us on the flight to Minneapolis from Europe also contained socks.
Food, Drink & Service
If you're looking for a premium or luxurious dining experience onboard, Delta Premium Select might leave you wanting.
First, we started with a drink service. My wife and I opted for sparkling wine, which was served in plastic cups. Alcoholic beverages are free flying Premium Select … but that's also true back in a standard economy seat, too.
Soon after, the flight attendants came by with table cloths, napkins, and silverware, along with a box of cheese biscuits from Cooper's Gourmet as an appetizer – a really delicious airplane snack.
Soon after, we were given our dinner service. While it was dropped off on a nice plate, the plating that was once a hallmark of Premium Select was gone. The meal itself was still wrapped and covered in tin foil, much like in economy.
The chicken thigh and mashed potatoes did not look great, though they were completely edible. The vegetable tangine was not my cup of tea, but my wife enjoyed it.
On the flight to Europe, we were given a simple breakfast sandwich and a fruit cup along with a coffee in the morning. On the way back to the States, this Guinea fowl we were served looked … suspect.
The salted caramel ice cream that came with it for dessert, however, was amazing. Later in the flight, we were served another snack – an Asian chicken spring roll – which was very tasty.
Finally, our service wrapped up with a coffee and a warm cookie before landing. Both really hit the spot.
Our flight attendants on both legs of the journey were great and helpful, but you won't get that personalized attention and service that you get in business class. Until Delta ups its game, don't book this seat if you're looking for a high-end dining experience.
Bottom Line
There's a lot to love about flying Delta Premium Select. But that doesn't mean it gets high marks for everything.
The seats are a significant upgrade from economy: wider, more legroom, better padding, and more recline to help you sleep. Extra amenities and Sky Priority benefits sweeten the deal. The food and in-flight service, however, still have a ways to go before you could call them “premium.”
I am debating on PS bulk head or a couple rows behind. What is everyone’s thoughts?
Delta Premium Select dining is THE WORST FOOD I have ever experienced on Delta international travel – hands down. Flew ATL to FRA and return FRA to DTW March 2024. Food both ways was spectacularly awful both in Premium Select and Comfort Plus (our son’s seat). I would recommend stopping at any gas station at 7-Eleven and stocking up on food there for your trip, as it would be much better than Delta’s Premium Select offerings. I’ve flown Delta International for over 30 years and this is a new low.
My BF flew HNL -> ATL in premium select and it was absolute misery for him. I booked him in this seat because he is a plus-sized person and I was hoping to make the trip comfortable for him. Since it was right next to Delta One like all the First segments I had already booked for him, I had thought it was just rebranded “business”. I didn’t read the fine print under the nice picture of the seat–my fault. The only thing “premium” about this was the price tag. The seat is only a tiny 0.5″ wider than regular economy. That’s one finger width. There were no leg rests (that’s only on SOME planes). With bathrooms shared with all of the main cabin passengers, and 15 rows back. No amenity kit. There was a complementary water bottle so that you can glare at it knowing you’ll have 15 rows to fight through to get to a bathroom. The food was good, I guess, but airplane food. Not something I will repeat.
Hi, I’m flying premium select in April from SLC-AMS on A330-900 and am debating between the bulkhead seats versus a few rows back. Can anyone confirm whether the bulkhead seats are as wide as the other rows, since the TV screen is stored in the armrest? I’ve flown in an exit row in economy and the seat was extremely tight for me and don’t want the same experience in Premium Select, but would love not to have someone reclined in front of me. I’ve checked seatguru and there’s no mention of reduced seat width as there is with economy exit row seats. Thank you!
I am wondering the same thing. How was your experience?
Concur with everyone above: just completed a SLC-CDG-SLC trip over the last two weeks and you’re paying for the seat, nothing else. The food was HORRIBLE, so much so that for the 10 hour return to SLC, I just munched on the snack basket offerings and on a couple of pastries I had purchased prior to departure. (However, kudos to one of the FA’s for “stealing” a banana from Business Class after I remarked there was no fruit).
And what’s with the whole aft (business class) lav restriction? The FA’s on both flights in our section said that basically due to the front lav being reserved for crew and for “security reasons”, the aft lav was primary for business class, so Premium Select had to use those further back. What total nonsense, as when I flew frequently in business class on Delta over many years, passengers from what was then just economy would come up and use both besides the “business” folks. I used it (the rear business lav) twice on both flights (as did several others), especially those with limited mobility, and no one was turned away. What a crock….
We’ve flown Delta Premium Select from US to Europe RT twice this year and find the seats much more comfortable than either Economy and Comfort Plus. However the service and wine is comparable to Economy/Comfort Plus, and food is just plain offensive. Consider the added cost for improved seating only, and bring your own food.
I agree. Just flew from Seattle to Tokyo and the service was no different than coach. They ran out of the “premium” food so we basically paid $700 extra for a seat with more recline and a tad wider and more leg room.
Would NOT recommend.
We flew Premium Select from Msp to Ams. The seating was not great, and I wish we would have saved the money and stayed in a comfort plus. The food was horrible…all the way around. That Asian roll….disgusting! That breakfast egg thing…could not even finish it. Deltas food has gotten to terrible over the years. The seat in premium select…I could not get the seat to even go back very far, and the foot thing for my legs was so difficult to move…worthless! Save your money!
How far back do the seats recline in premium select? I’ll be doing ATL-JNB next year. 14 hours and everyone says do Delta One.
As for the Delta One comparison with Premium Select, I have flown in Delta One on two occasions; both occasions were round trips between Seattle and Tokyo. The food was disappointing—reminded me of a Lean Cuisine entree. Also, the cabin attendants did not smile—they walked the aisles like robots. Delta is the Walmart of the airline industry. You might as well stick to Premium Select priced flights.
Do you always get headphones as an amenity? If so are they noise cancelling? I’d rather not bring mine if I don’t have to. Thanks!
I flew DL 145 Amsterdam to Seattle in Premium select. I found the space between seats inadequate and only marginally better than economy. Since for me ticket price in Economy was same or similar to premium economy , this was not a big deal but I do not recommend people to spend extra money on this
I have flown Delta premium select three times in the past 6 months ( Seattle-Paris, Zurich-JFk and JFk Paris) and though the seats are comfortable, the food service is not at all what some pictures show. First of all, they serve food in/on cardboard plates not the fancy plastic or china displayed in some pictures. The cutlery is made of metal but that’s it. Food is “economy” food. I mean, there is nothing fancy. No bread, no cheese and on JFK -Europe flights, no ice cream but a funny little tiny small biscuit called dessert. . Breakfast is a McDo egg sandwich, no fruit nor yogurt either. The only positive thing are the wider seats because if you think you will be treated to some nice meal,…forget it. Airfrance has less comfortable seats but their food is 5* compared to Delta’s. The only good thing when travelling premium select on delta is the mileage accrual is better versus Airfrancekm’s. As a platinum Flying blue member I sometimes book delta flights but airfrance operated because of the better mileage . Delta should reconsider their premium select fares because they are too expesive for what you get.
I agree. Just flew from Seattle to Tokyo and the service was no different than coach. They ran out of the “premium” food so we basically paid $700 extra for a seat with more recline and a tad wider and more leg room.
Would NOT recommend.
I agree. Just flew from Seattle to Tokyo and the service was no different than coach. They ran out of the “premium” food so we basically paid $700 extra for a seat with more recline and a tad wider and more leg room.
Would NOT recommend. I’m flying now but am having to pay $30 for wiFI.
You are are correct that it’s all about the seat and nothing else. On my flight it was over an hour between when we finished our meal and it when it was cleaned up. Why because the same flight attendants had to serve comfort and main cabin.
What a pain to get up and stack all the secondary packing just to get to the bathroom.
I just expect more from Delta and was completely disappointed
With close to 4 million miles on Delta I am looking for an alternative
I recently flew on a Delta A330 from Barcelona to Atlanta. I sat in the front row of the Comfort zone, immediately behind Premium Select. I had a sea of legroom, while the clearly visible PS passengers in front of me did not. Still, the space in PS is significantly larger than a ‘normal’ economy seat. Btw, the article is spot on about the advantages of Premium. Beyond that, I can attest that the Premium passengers on my flight received the exact same food as economy. The cart simply moved through. The food was horrifically bad. It was served on a tiny oval tray and consisted of a raw (!!) potato salad and ricotta ravioli swimming in a red oil slick. As the article indicates, the ice cream was the only palatable item. The whole meal would have cost less than €5 at a second rate Spanish grocery. Is this really the Delta Intercontinental product?!!!!
I would have expected at least an equivalent meal service as you would receive on Delta’s first-class transcontinental flight. I was curious about the beverage service. I’m glad you wrote about it. For the price, it looks like the better option for not too much more is Delta One. I tend to get real cold when flying. I was hoping they would offer the same blanket as Delta One. Thank you, for the review, I found it very helpful.
I think that Delta outdoes AA on Premium Economy for only one reason, the foot rest. In the non-bulkhead rows, AA installed pedal style foot rest, yet Delta installed the pop-out foot rest at every seat.
Delta has back pedaled on one of the amenities, they no longer book domestic connections in first class. In fact, all the phone reps deny that they ever did this. So, I am trying it in about 6 weeks, and I wonder what else has been downgraded or eliminated. As the poster stated, the upgrade perk was a feature none of the competition offered. Well, I guess Delta wants to lower themselves to the competition.
I totally agree with this review. My husband and I recently flew from ATL to ICN in Delta premium select cabin and loved it. The enhanced service and extra leg room was wonderful and definitely worth paying extra. For long overseas flights this is definitely the way to go for most of us who cannot afford business class. After this experience I cannot go back to flying regular economy on long flights, it’s too brutal. Thank you Delta!
Thanks for the great review. We will be taking the same routes in 2 weeks. Misc question for you – did you notice the headphone jack? Is it 1 or 2 prong? Another reviewer said Premium Select had 2 prong & economy 1 prong. Weird…
They offer the same headphones in both Delta One and Premium Select and I know for sure Delta One is two prong but I did not take a photo on my flight of Premium Select’s setup. I’d always bring a two prong to one prong adapter to be sure. Super cheap on amazon or ebay.