Delta Air Lines is one of the best airlines in the country and has received a multitude of awards in 2025 alone — the Wall Street Journal named Delta the Top U.S. Airline, and Cirium named Delta the most on-time North American Airline. No matter what fare class you’re flying in, you should expect a certain level of comfort and sophistication.
Delta Comfort+ is essentially a slightly upgraded economy ticket. It’s somewhere in the middle of economy and premium economy, but it remains an economical choice for many travelers. Here’s everything you need to know about flying Delta Comfort+ and how to save money on your next trip.
What to know about flying Delta Comfort+
The most important thing to realize before flying is that Delta Comfort+ is its own unique product. It’s different from Premium Select, which is Delta’s premium economy cabin, and is also slightly different from the main cabin, which is the classic economy class.
Whether you’re flying on a 45-minute regional or 13-hour international flight, Delta Comfort+ can make a lot of sense. It’s an affordable way to be a little bit more comfortable throughout your journey. Aside from a bit more space at your seat, it gives you some simple perks over the main cabin, like the ability to board and deplane earlier.
What are the main differences between Delta Comfort+ and Delta Premium Select?
Delta Premium Select is only available on limited long-haul routes. Most of these are international, but you will find Premium Select on some domestic long-hauls, like the flights from New York to Los Angeles. Although still an economy seat, it’s much more refined than Comfort+ with extra legroom, a more spacious seat, elevated in-flight service, and Sky Priority at check-in. Flights that offer Premium Select will still offer Comfort+.
Comfort+ features slightly more legroom than the main cabin, earlier boarding and deplaning, and dedicated overhead bin storage. A Comfort+ ticket will cost more than a main cabin ticket but far less than a Premium Select ticket. For example, a one-way, 10-hour flight from Atlanta to Buenos Aires, Argentina, could cost $908 in the main cabin, $1,083 in Comfort+, or $1,468 in Premium Select.
The best routes to fly in Delta Comfort+
Delta flies to 290 destinations on six continents, operating around 5,000 daily flights. It’s safe to say that you can get almost anywhere you want with Delta. The screenshot below includes the routes operated by Delta but doesn’t include all the destinations you can reach with SkyTeam Alliance partner airlines. For instance, even though Delta doesn’t currently operate a flight to India, Air France (a SkyTeam partner) does.
All domestic and international Delta flights offer Comfort+, which is typically located at the front of the main cabin and behind the first-class or premium economy cabins. Since Comfort+ is on every flight, the “best” route to experience Delta Comfort+ in action are the long-haul flights.
What to expect when flying Delta Comfort+
When you fly Comfort+, you’re flying in the economy cabin, but you’ll notice a bit more space and a few nice add-ons over the main cabin.
At the airport
The main perk at the airport is that Delta Comfort+ passengers board in Zone 3, so you’ll get on the plane pretty early in the boarding process. This is actually earlier than Platinum, Gold, and Silver Medallion members and those with a Delta credit card flying in a lower class of service.
On domestic flights, Comfort+ passengers without a Delta credit card or elite status will pay the same amount for a checked bag as those in the main cabin: $35 for the first checked bag and $45 for the second. Both main cabin and Comfort+ passengers receive their first checked bag for free on international flights. If you have any questions, use the baggage calculator on Delta’s baggage policy page to calculate your estimate.
You won’t receive luxury benefits like the Sky Priority suite of services or lounge access. However, this is to be expected — you aren’t paying for a luxury experience. Comfort+ is designed for travelers who want extra comfort while keeping airfare costs low.
In the air
A Comfort+ ticket is an elevated main cabin ticket. The seats are essentially the same, but you’ll notice additional legroom and pitch. You’ll also get small perks like earlier boarding and deplaning, dedicated overhead bin space, and the ability to select your seat prior to departure. You’ll also receive a pillow, blanket, and basic amenity kit on long-haul flights.
Passengers flying in Comfort+ are served the standard onboard meals. However, Comfort+ seats are typically at the front of the economy section, so you’ll likely receive your food first. This is helpful if you’re hungry but also helps prevent your ideal meal option from getting sold out.
If your flight is more than 251 miles, you’ll receive complimentary Starbucks coffee, beer, and wine for passengers over 21. On flights longer than 500 miles, those over 21 also receive complimentary spirits. All passengers enjoy premium snacks on routes longer than 900 miles when meal service isn’t available.
Seats are typically 17-18 inches wide – the same as the main cabin – with 34 inches of pitch. On average, that’s 3-4 inches more pitch than a main cabin seat.
In addition to these perks, you receive everything standard in the main cabin, like no change fees, an e-credit when you cancel (subject to a possible cancellation charge), and the ability to purchase upgrades.
How much it costs to fly Delta Comfort+
When paying in cash
When paying in cash, the cost of a Delta Comfort+ ticket will vary substantially. Fares are based on several factors, including availability, demand, time of year, distance, and operational costs.
For a shorter domestic flight, like the 1.5-hour long flight from Atlanta (ATL) to Raleigh, North Carolina (RDU), you might pay $124 for a Comfort+ ticket each way. A longer domestic flight from Atlanta to Seattle (SEA) could cost $344 one-way, and the 15-hour journey from Los Angeles (LAX) to Sydney, Australia (SYD) could cost $879.
When paying via points in a credit card portal
When you use your points in your credit card’s travel portal, you receive a fixed rate value, typically between 1-1.5 cents per point. So, a $300 flight could cost 20,000 to 30,000 points. This might not yield the best valuation of your points, so we don’t generally recommend it.
When booking using SkyMiles
Delta uses a dynamic pricing system, but award redemptions will loosely follow cash prices. You can find Comfort+ redemptions for regional flights, like from New York (LGA) to Boston (BOS), for 15,500 SkyMiles each way. Cross-country flights from New York (JFK) to Los Angeles (LAX) will be more expensive, around 40,000 SkyMiles, while shorter international flights, like Atlanta (ATL) to Mexico City (MEX), cost just 34,000 SkyMiles.
An ultra-long-haul flight, like the 15-hour journey from Atlanta (ATL) to Cape Town (CPT), could cost as much as 180,000 SkyMiles each way in Comfort+.
That said, you can find great deals with some searching, so don’t think these estimates are set in stone.
When booking via partner airlines
Delta is a member of the SkyTeam Alliance, which means you can book Delta-operated flights through select airline partners. This is excellent news for anyone who doesn’t have enough SkyMiles in their account to book a ticket.
Virgin Atlantic is a popular SkyTeam partner that provides an award chart for Delta-operated flights based on distance. Unfortunately, the award chart only lists the cost for the main cabin or first class/Delta One. You can book an award flight through Virgin Atlantic Flying Club for the main cabin and then upgrade to Comfort+ through Delta — just be sure you enter your SkyMiles number when checking out.
Here’s how many Virgin Atlantic points you’ll need for most flights in the main cabin:
- 0-500: 7,500 Virgin points each way
- 501-1,000: 11,000 points each way
- 1,001-1,500: 16,500 points each way
- 1,501-2,000: 18,500 points each way
- 2,001-3,000: 22,000 points each way
- 3,001-4,000: 35,000 points each way
- 4,001-5,000: 44,000 points each way
- 5,001-6,000: 49,500 points each way
- 6,001+: 65,500 points each way
Flights to the UK and other parts of Europe are priced based on where you’re departing from and whether you’re traveling during peak or off-peak dates:
- East Coast to UK: 15,000-25,000 points each way
- Central U.S. to UK: 17,500-27,500 points points each way
- West Coast to UK: 20,000-30,00 points each way
- Anywhere US to Europe (excluding the UK): 30,000 points each way
When upgrading after booking
The cost of an upgrade to Delta Comfort+ depends on your route. However, if you have Medallion status or the Delta SkyMiles Platinum or Reserve credit cards, you are eligible for complimentary upgrades to Delta Comfort+.
If not, you might see an offer in your account to upgrade to Comfort+ using cash or SkyMiles. The amounts will vary, but some frequent flyers have seen upgrade offers on flights from Atlanta to Bogota, Colombia (BOG), for $40, Boston (BOS) to Chicago (ORD) for $20, and Lima, Peru (LIM), to Atlanta (ATL) for $113.
How to book Delta Comfort+ with points
You have several options if you want to pay for your Delta Comfort+ ticket using points and miles. You can book through your credit card’s travel portal, transfer points to SkyTeam partners, or use your SkyMiles to book directly through Delta.
How to book Delta Comfort+ using SkyMiles
Sometimes, you’ll get the best value by booking your Delta flight using SkyMiles. For starters, you won’t always see every Delta-operated flight available for award redemptions through partners. If you’re rigid on the day and time you must fly, your best bet might be booking through Delta.
You can also sometimes find great deals through SkyMiles, and since partners like Virgin Atlantic use a distance-based award chart, there’s less opportunity for rotating deals. For instance, you could fly one-way from Miami (MIA) to Seattle (SEA) in the main cabin for 14,500 SkyMiles, but you’d pay 22,000 to book through Virgin Atlantic. Booking a main cabin ticket through Virgin Atlantic and upgrading to Comfort+ after booking can often save you some miles, but this scenario shows that this hack won’t always work.
To start your search for a Comfort+ award redemption, you can select your departure and arrival airports, dates, number of passengers, and whether you’re flying round trip or one way. Then select “shop with miles” and the best fares for Delta Comfort+.
You’ll be taken to the flexible date calendar, where you can see how much variation there is between different days. If you have a Delta credit card, you’ll also see your 15% discount on award redemptions reflected in the search.
Once you select your flight, you can go through the express checkout to finish your redemption.
How to book Delta Comfort+ using points from a partner airline
There are several scenarios when it could make sense to book your Delta-operated flight through a partner airline to save miles. You could fly one-way from Boston (BOS) to Amsterdam (AMS) in the main cabin for 50,000 SkyMiles, plus $6 in taxes and fees. Or, you could book the same flight for 30,000 Virgin Atlantic points plus the same $6 in taxes and fees. Then, you can upgrade to Comfort+ for a little additional space during your seven-hour flight. Prices to upgrade will fluctuate based on availability but might be around $100 (or less!).
Consider an ultra-long-haul flight, like the route from Atlanta (ATL) to Cape Town (CPT), for even greater savings. A main cabin ticket booked through Delta would cost 145,000 SkyMiles, while the same flight through Virgin Atlantic would cost just 65,500 points. With that much savings, you could essentially book a round-trip ticket through Virgin Atlantic for the same price as a one-way ticket through Delta.
Just be sure to upgrade to Comfort+ as soon as you purchase your ticket so you don’t get stuck without the extra legroom and pitch for 15 hours.
If you don’t already have enough points in your Virgin Atlantic account to complete your redemption, you can transfer points from several credit card point currencies at a 1:1 ratio, including:
- American Express Membership Rewards
- Bilt Rewards
- Capital One
- Chase Ultimate Rewards
- Citi ThankYou Rewards
- Wells Fargo Rewards
Once you transfer your points, you can book your flight as you typically would.
Should you book Delta Comfort+?
Delta Comfort+ is generally offered at a reasonable price point and includes perks that are worth it for many travelers. I’ve flown Comfort+ more frequently than any other Delta cabin, and it’s a generally pleasant experience. It’s nice to be close to the boarding door, and dedicated overhead bin storage is helpful on full flights. Even a couple of extra inches of legroom on international journeys is worth a bit more money. As long as you don’t expect a premium experience, Comfort+ does precisely what it’s supposed to: provide affordable and accessible comfort to Delta flyers.
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