Delta Air Lines is updating its cabin finishes. Here's what to expect | Cruising Altitude

ATLANTA − I got an exclusive sneak preview of Delta Air Lines’ new cabin finishes at its Atlanta headquarters last month, and while the fresh look isn’t in service yet, I can already tell it’s going to be a net positive for travelers.

It’s not just that the color scheme is more modern and relaxed, or that branding on the aircraft is getting more subtle. There are substantive changes that passengers will appreciate at their seats as the new interiors roll out over the coming years.

Delta was clear about the fact that it will take years – as many as seven – for the entire fleet to be updated, but here are two things I’m most looking forward to becoming the new standard once that happens, and one thing that I think is cool but probably won’t affect me at all.

1. More pockets

Main cabin travelers, rejoice: A major perk that had been reserved for those who sprung for extra legroom seating is making its way to the back. Delta Comfort+ seats already feature an extra little pocket in the seatback for small item storage, but after the overhaul, regular economy seats will have divided pockets as well.

It sounds like a simple change, but I think it’s a big improvement for travelers. I’m always worried about forgetting or losing something in the big seatback pocket, so access to smaller storage compartments at my seat will make me more likely to take advantage of the amenity, rather than just digging around in my backpack for stuff throughout the flight.

Delta, I never gave you this feedback, but you read my mind.

2. Smoother seat cushions

Another pet peeve of mine when I travel is seat cushion seams. They can create unnecessary pressure points and, especially on long flights, can really become a huge pain in the butt, literally.

As part of the overhaul, Delta is smoothing out its seat cushions. It's getting rid of the textures and seams that can become bothersome in favor of a single surface bonded bottom.

It’s another small but significant improvement that will make those long flights more tolerable in every cabin.

3. Fabric seats in Delta One

Even though I’m a travel writer, I’ve never flown Delta One, so I don’t think this is going to affect me personally, but it’s still a big change. Delta is phasing out leather seats in its business class cabin and moving (back) to fabric. Airline executives told me it will make for a more comfortable sleeping experience when the seat is in bed mode. They acknowledged that it will add some complexity because the fabric covers will require a new cleaning regimen, but they said ultimately passengers are likely to prefer the new surfaces.

Delta’s European partners, Air France and KLM, already have fabric seats in business class, and the airline said it has gotten good advice about what to expect after the change.

“We spent a lot of time with our partners, Air France, KLM and other airlines that are not our partners (and) tend to use fabric in business class,” Mauricio Parise, Delta’s vice president of brand experience, told me. “If you sleep in your bed, your mattress is usually made out of cotton.”

Miscellany

Some of the other tweaks Delta is planning are more subtle, like small, branded seat tags to help signify what cabin you’re in. One Delta executive told me that even crew seats will be marked with their own tags and that a considerable amount of design effort went into getting the emblem of wings right on that accent.

The airline also plans to deploy its triangular Delta “widget” strategically throughout the cabin to keep the branding consistent but muted.

As the son of an electrician who spends an inordinate amount of time thinking about the color temperature of lighting, I was also pleased to hear that the airline plans to move to warmer tones for its cabin lights as part of the overhaul.

It’s going to take a while for all these changes to roll out across the fleet, and not all planes are going to be fully gutted and redone, but small improvements like the ones Delta is planning really do help differentiate carriers from one another, especially in economy, where seating and services are often indistinguishable from airline to airline.

Zach Wichter is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in New York. You can reach him at zwichter@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Delta Air Lines is updating its cabin finishes. Here's what to expect | Cruising Altitude