I am going against the grain here and telling you that price alone should dictate whether to upgrade from Delta’s main cabin to Delta Premium Select class on international flights.
If it is more than $500 more, I would say it’s not worth it.
Upgrade to Comfort Plus instead if available.
Here’s the reasoning:
Most people don’t know it, but Delta international flights do not have first class, per se. It has Delta One, which of course you would think is first class because of the “One,” but no, it’s business class. That’s the one with lie-flat seats, its own cabin, own bathrooms, own boarding and pampering.
Because most people think Delta One is first class, they go for Delta Premium Select seats, which they think is business class. Wrong! It is basically just an upgraded version of Comfort Plus with slightly bigger seats, real silverware and better headphones.
Worth it? I just flew Premium Select both ways between Detroit and Amsterdam. The seat is wider and reclines, but it is not anywhere near flat. The footrest barely works and is extremely awkward. There is no dedicated bathroom, so you are lining up way back in the main cabin with the masses. The food is ok, but nothing to pay $1,500 extra for. The under-seat storage is miniscule. In other words, if you are paying for Premium Select because you think you will sleep better or are getting the luxury treatment, think again.
Premium Select is the purgatory of airline seats – neither heaven nor hell. But its premium price is steep.
A typical fare for a Detroit-Amsterdam round-trip flight in January 2025, non-stop on Delta, shows the cost of the upgrade:
Main cabin: $1,119
Comfort Plus: $1,319
Premium Select: $2,633
Delta One (Business Class): $4,609.
That means that Premium Select is essentially double the Comfort Plus fare. But you do not get double the benefits.
Some reviewers have said they can sleep with the extra angled seat and the little footrest in Premium Select. They love the squishy pillow, larger entertainment screen, nice headphones and the toothbrush kit. If that is you, go for it.
But is it worth $1,500 more than flying main cabin? Not to me. Maybe I will fly economy instead a few times, then splurge on Delta One someday.
The equivalent to Delta One on other airlines varies by name. Some airlines still call it business class. Some have other cute names. But a true business class seat on an international airline should have a “flat bed” or “lie flat” seat. That’s the key.
And Premium Select is not that.