Will Delta’s New DCA-LAX Flight Offer DeltaOne Service and Medallion Upgrades?

Just a few days ago, Delta announced that they’d be removing Salt Lake City from Washington Reagan Airport’s list of destinations, instead swapping it with a daily DCA to Los Angeles flight.

Now, Delta is upping their game even more to provide that service on a 757-200 aircraft, equipped with lie-flat seating in First Class.

“We’re pleased that Delta’s growth and investment on the West Coast has created an opportunity to provide new direct service to and from Washington-Reagan,” said Ranjan Goswami, Delta’s Vice President – Sales, West Region. “We also know that for Delta customers in L.A. and D.C., ‘how’ you get there is important, too. As the only airline to offer full flat-bed seats between these markets, our customers will arrive rested and productive – and it’s that premium distinction in the customer experience that differentiates Delta.”

The new flight has great times:

DL 2036 departing Los Angeles at 8:30a and arriving in Washington Reagan at 4:55p

DL 1913 departing Washington Reagan at 5:45p and arriving in Los Angeles at 8:30p

Will the new flights offer DeltaOne service and Medallion upgrades?

Because the flight is being operated with lie flat seats that are traditionally marketed as DeltaOne, there’s a lot of folks wondering how the service will look, and, perhaps more importantly, how upgrades will look, since they’re restricted on transcontinental flights between JFK and LAX/SFO.

I reached out to Delta for clarification, and got word back.

This flight will have complimentary upgrades and is sold as First class. Despite having lie flat seats, it is not a Delta One flight (I.e., no Delta One meal service, heavenly bedding, Sky Club access, etc.)

So, there you have it – no DeltaOne specific service (just the usual domestic first class service), and complimentary upgrades ARE eligible, which is fantastic.

My Take

I really like that Delta has added a flat bed aircraft out of Reagan – for many, this seems overkill, but Reagan to LAX is a premium market that has competition from Alaska and American, neither of which offer flat bed seats. With many people paying for first class seats, this will offer a true incentive for paid tickets, and I envision few complimentary upgrades to clear here. Since DCA is my home airport, this is a welcome addition.