Delta Trades Empty Premium Seats for Coach on Some Jets

Delta Air Lines Inc., seeking a revenue boost from its long-haul jet fleet, is pulling some premium seats that often sit empty on international routes so it can expand the cheaper coach cabin.

The share of premium seats filled by paying passengers on the affected flights averages in the high 60 percent range, Chief Revenue Officer Glen Hauenstein said at a Delta investor meeting today in New York. That figure drops from the low 90s on Saturdays into the upper 40s on midweek days, he said.