Delta aims to complete 777 premium retrofits by 2019

Delta Air Lines debuts the first Boeing 777-200 with its new premium products Monday, as it begins to install the on board products on its existing widebody fleet. The carrier is configuring the 777-200 with 296 seats, including 28 lie-flat business class suites, 48 premium economy and 220 economy. Delta succeeded in increasing the density of its 777-200s by 5 seats by shrinking its business class cabin from 37 seats but at the same time maintaining a passenger-preferred 9-abreast configuration in the economy cabin. Delta's first 777 with the new premium products will operate between Detroit and Beijing on alternating days through July. Delta operates 18 777-200s and plans to reconfigure all of them in the new 296-seat configuration by the end of 2019, it says. <br/>