Delta A350 fleet renderings with the next-generation Delta One suite cabin.
Courtesy: Delta
Delta Air Lines, the country's most profitable airline, has a problem serving its top-tier customers: not enough Porsches.
The airline uses a fleet of 40 of the luxury vehicles to drive its high-value flyers right to the plane.
"What's happened over the last several years is the demand has continued to rise, and we realized that the 40 cars that we have weren't enough to meet the demand. So we're moving that fleet to 70," Ranjan Goswami, Delta's chief marketing and product officer, told CNBC.
It's just one of many changes Delta is making for customers who fly in its most luxurious and expensive cabin, known as Delta One. The Porsche service is part of a VIP add-on option.
The carrier on Wednesday unveiled new crockery for the cabins, new Missoni mini pillows and fresh food and beverage menus, including Champagne served over sorbet and Blanton's bourbon. Many of the new items will appear on flights originating in Los Angeles later this month and on other routes in the coming months.
Delta is also planning to debut updated suites with a bigger screen and a more cushioned, lighter lie-flat seat when it starts flying its first Airbus A350-1000 planes early next year.
Delta didn't announce changes to the coach and premium economy cabins.
The airline's executives said the company is already thinking about adjustments on other aircraft, including smaller Airbus jets and on Boeing 787 Dreamliners that Delta has ordered and that will come in the next decade.
Delta has invested heavily in premium service for close to two decades, and United Airlines has followed suit for a little over 10 years. Other carriers are also leaning into demand for higher-priced options.
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"You got to keep looking at the next cycle of what customers want, and you got to start planning for it now," Goswami said.
He said Delta focused on details and quality with its latest project for Delta One so that the items, from sliding suite doors to new Delta-logo-emblazoned dinnerware, are made to last. The company tested some of those items to check for chipping, but there are other challenges, like customers liking them too much.
"I think people are going to love a couple of items, although we hope they don't steal them," he said.
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