Delta Boeing 717-200 Seat Selection Guide (2026)
Delta's Boeing 717-200 is an aviation time capsule — a descendant of the Douglas DC-9 that remains one of the most passenger-friendly narrowbodies flying. Its signature 2-3 layout means only one middle seat per row (seat D on the starboard side), and the port side has no middle seat at all. Rear-mounted Rolls-Royce BR715 engines make the front two-thirds of the cabin remarkably quiet, while the last two rows are loud and hard against the aft lavatories. Delta has stretched the type's life to roughly the end of the decade, though the six oldest frames leave the fleet by August 2026.
Best Delta First: 3A, 3D. Best Delta Comfort: 12A, 12E. Best Delta Main: 21A, 21E — plus 20B, a genuine solo seat with an exit door where your neighbour would be.
No working WiFi on most 717s. The old air-to-ground system was retired in May 2026 and the replacement satellite system isn't expected across the fleet until late 2026 / early 2027. Download entertainment before you board — and don't count on getting online.
Quick Verdict
| Cabin | Seats | Layout | Pitch | Width | Best picks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delta First | 12 seats (rows 1–3) | 2-2 | 37" | 19.6" | 3A, 3D — Zodiac 6810, 7" recline, AC + USB power |
| Delta Comfort | 25 seats (rows 10–14) | 2-3 | 33" | 18.1" | 12A, 12E — perfectly aligned windows, 4" recline |
| Delta Main | 73 seats (rows 15–29) | 2-3 | 31" | 18.1" | 21A, 21E, 20B — two exit pairs straddle row 20 |
| WiFi | None on most aircraft — legacy system retired May 2026, replacement not fleetwide until late 2026 / early 2027 | Download before you board | |||
Total seats: 110. One configuration only — no version lottery.
How to Identify Your Configuration
Delta operates one standard 717-200 configuration. When you see "717" on your booking, you know exactly what you're getting:
- Seat map shows 2-2 in rows 1–3 (Delta First) transitioning to 2-3 for all remaining rows
- 110 total seats; rows 4–9 do not exist
- Row 20 has only three seats — 20B, 20C and 20D — because overwing exit doors occupy 20A and 20E
- It's the only aircraft in Delta's fleet with a T-tail and rear-mounted engines
Delta First
Layout: 2-2 (seats A, B | C, D) • Rows: 1–3 • Pitch: 37" • Width: 19.6" • Recline: 7" • Seat: Zodiac 6810
A solid domestic product: wider seats, USB-A and AC power at every seat, complimentary food and drinks, and a dedicated forward lavatory. The cabin is exceptionally quiet — the engines are behind you, not beside you.
The one structural quirk: there is a single forward lavatory and it sits on the port side, ahead of row 1. Its queue reaches back through 2A and 2B, so the port-side seats in the front half of the cabin take all the traffic.
Best Seats in Delta First
3A and 3D — furthest from the forward galley and lavatory, full recline, normal under-seat storage. The quietest, cleanest seats in the cabin.
| Seat | Why |
|---|---|
| 3A, 3D | Best in cabin. Furthest from the forward galley and the single port-side lavatory. Full recline, normal storage, no bulkhead compromises. |
| 2C, 2D | The strongest alternates. Starboard side, so clear of the lavatory queue that forms alongside 2A/2B. |
| 3B, 3C | Best aisles — last row of First, same distance from the galley and lavatory as 3A/3D. |
Seats to Avoid in Delta First
Row 1 is not uniformly bad — the penalty falls off across the cabin as you move away from the port-side lavatory.
| Seat | Why |
|---|---|
| 1A, 1B | The worst pair on the aircraft in First. Bulkhead (no under-seat storage) plus the forward lavatory immediately alongside — noise, odours and a permanent queue. |
| 1C | Bulkhead with no under-seat storage; the lavatory queue still forms nearby, but it's a clear step better than 1A/1B. |
| 1D | Perfectly reasonable bulkhead window — furthest First seat from the lavatory. Only cost is no under-seat storage. |
| 2A, 2B | Full recline and normal storage, but these sit squarely in the forward lavatory queueing zone. |
Delta First for couples: the 2-2 layout means any row puts you side by side. Row 3 is the sweet spot.
Delta Comfort
Layout: 2-3 (A, B | C, D, E) • Rows: 10–14 • Pitch: 33" • Width: 18.1" • Recline: 4" • Seats: 25
Delta Comfort gives you two extra inches of pitch over Delta Main, complimentary premium snacks and alcoholic drinks, and priority boarding after First. On this aircraft the port side (A, B) has only two seats per row — no middle seat — which makes it one of the better-value extra-legroom cabins on any domestic narrowbody.
Best Seats in Delta Comfort
12A and 12E — the only Comfort windows that are perfectly aligned with the seat. Same pitch as the rest of the cabin, materially better view.
| Seat | Why |
|---|---|
| 12A, 12E | Best Comfort seats. Perfectly aligned windows — 11A by contrast straddles two windows and is no better than 13A or 14A. 12A is on the two-across side, 12E is the equivalent on the three-across side. |
| 11B, 12B | Port-side aisles with only one seat between you and the window, in the quietest part of the cabin behind First. |
| 13A, 14A | Solid port-side windows — average window alignment, but full Comfort pitch and no middle-seat neighbour. |
| Row 10 (all five seats) | Bulkhead: the most legroom in the cabin and nobody reclining into you. The trade-off applies to every seat in the row — tray table in the armrest (slightly narrower seat) and no under-seat storage at takeoff and landing. Great for tall passengers, poor for anyone who wants a bag at their feet. |
Seats to Avoid in Delta Comfort
| Seat | Why |
|---|---|
| Any D seat | D is the only middle seat on the aircraft. The whole appeal of the 717 is having fewer of them — don't volunteer for one. |
| 11A | Not a bad seat, just over-rated: the window straddles two frames, so the view is average. Take 12A instead if it's open. |
Delta Comfort for families: rows 11–13 on the starboard side (C, D, E) give a family of three a complete row at Comfort pitch. Port side rows 11–12 (A, B) are ideal for couples.
Delta Main
Layout: 2-3 (A, B | C, D, E) • Rows: 15–29 • Pitch: 31" • Width: 18.1"
All seats have USB and AC power. Entertainment is streaming-only via the Delta Studio app on your own device — there are no seatback screens, and with WiFi currently out of service on most of the fleet, download before you board.
The exit rows: two pairs straddling row 20
This is the single most misunderstood part of the 717 cabin. There are two pairs of overwing exits, and they sit either side of row 20:
- Row 19 — sits ahead of the forward exit pair. Exit-row legroom.
- Row 20 — sits between the two exit pairs. The doors physically occupy the window positions, so the row has no A seat and no E seat: just 20B, 20C and 20D.
- Row 21 — sits behind the aft exit pair. Extra legroom.
20B is the most interesting seat on the aircraft. It's effectively a solo seat: the exit door replaces the window seat beside it, so nobody climbs over you and you climb over nobody. Direct aisle access with a door for a neighbour is a rare thing on a narrowbody. 20D gets the same benefit on the other side, with extra elbow room where 20E would be.
Best Seats in Delta Main
| Seat | Why |
|---|---|
| 21A, 21E | Best in Delta Main. Extra legroom behind the aft overwing exits. 21A is on the two-across side with no middle-seat neighbour; 21E is the equivalent window on the three-across side. |
| 20B | The solo seat. An exit door where the window seat would be means nobody beside you. Best pick on the aircraft for anyone travelling alone who values not being climbed over. |
| 19B, 19C, 19D | Exit-row legroom without the window problem — 19A and 19E both have badly misaligned windows, so you'd be paying for a view you don't get. 19B is the standout: two-across side, direct aisle access. |
| 15A, 15E | Perfectly aligned windows at the front of Delta Main, in the quiet part of the cabin. The best standard-pitch windows forward of the wing. |
| 25A, 25E | Perfectly aligned windows and the best view seats in the rear half of the cabin — far enough forward to stay clear of the aft lavatories and the worst of the engine noise. |
Seats to Avoid in Delta Main
| Seat | Why |
|---|---|
| Rows 28–29 (all seats) | Worst block on the aircraft. Both rows back directly onto the two aft lavatories — noise, odours, and someone queueing at your shoulder for the entire flight. Rear-engine noise is real here too, but the lavatories are the dominant problem. |
| 29A, 29E | No window at all — the fuselage taper leaves a blank wall. (28A and 28E do have perfectly aligned windows; they're still poor seats, but for lavatory reasons, not the view.) |
| 18A, 18B, 18D, 18E | Restricted recline — the exit row sits directly behind. Note that 18C is fine and reclines normally; it's the one seat in the row worth taking. |
| 19A, 19E | Exit-row legroom, but both windows are badly misaligned. If you want the view, look elsewhere; if you want the legroom, take 19B/19C/19D. |
| Any D seat in rows 22–29 | The only middle seat per row, in the noisier aft cabin. |
Delta Main for couples: port side (A + B) throughout — window and aisle with nobody between you. Rows 15–17 or 22–25 are the best standard rows; avoid rows 27+ for noise and lavatory traffic.
The 2-3 Layout: Why It Matters
The 717's asymmetric cabin is its secret weapon:
- Port side (left, seats A and B): two seats per row. Window + aisle, no middle seat. This is the side you want.
- Starboard side (right, seats C, D, E): standard three-across — aisle (C), middle (D), window (E).
- Port-side passengers never have a middle-seat neighbour
- Couples should default to A + B on the port side
- Solo window-seekers should prefer an A seat over an E seat — fewer neighbours
- Seat D is the only middle seat on the entire aircraft
Seat lettering: Delta First A, B | C, D (2-2). Delta Comfort and Delta Main A, B | C, D, E (2-3).
Routes
The 717 flies short domestic routes, almost exclusively from Delta's three major hubs:
- Atlanta (ATL): the 717's home base. Chattanooga, Savannah, Jackson, Asheville, Charleston, Pensacola, Birmingham, Lexington and dozens more
- Detroit (DTW): Grand Rapids, Cleveland, Columbus, Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Louisville
- Minneapolis/St. Paul (MSP): Omaha, Duluth, Madison, Des Moines, Fargo
Range: 1,510 miles — strictly short-haul, typically 1–2 hours.
Known Quirks & Practical Tips
| Quirk | Detail |
|---|---|
| No working WiFi on most aircraft | The legacy air-to-ground system was switched off across the entire 717 fleet in May 2026. Its replacement — Hughes Fusion multi-orbit satellite — was fitted to just one of 80 aircraft as of March 2026 and doesn't ramp up until Q4 2026. Delta Sync on the 717 will run on Hughes Fusion when it arrives. Assume no connectivity and download in advance. |
| Rear engines = loud back rows | The Rolls-Royce BR715s are mounted on the rear fuselage. The front two-thirds is unusually quiet; rows 26+ get progressively louder. |
| Two aft lavatories behind row 29 | Both aft lavatories and the galley sit immediately behind row 29, which is the main reason rows 28–29 are the worst seats on the aircraft. |
| Missing windows in row 29 | 29A and 29E have no window at all. 28A and 28E do have perfectly aligned windows. |
| Row 20 has no window seats | Two pairs of overwing exits straddle row 20, and the doors occupy 20A and 20E. The row is just 20B, 20C and 20D — which turns 20B into a solo seat. |
| 2-3 layout = only one middle | Seat D is the only middle seat in each row; the port side has none at all. |
| No seatback IFE | Streaming only via the Delta Studio app on personal devices. |
| No wheelchair-accessible lav | The 717 has no accessible lavatory. Important for passengers with mobility needs. |
| Retirement stretched to ~2030 | Delta has extended the type to roughly the end of the decade, but the six oldest frames leave by August 2026. The driver of those retirements is the economics of engine overhauls and structural inspections on 26-year-old airframes. |
| Row numbering gap | Rows 4–9 don't exist. Delta First ends at row 3, Delta Comfort starts at row 10. |
| T-tail design | If you see a Delta jet with engines on the rear fuselage rather than under the wings, it's a 717. |
| Former AirTran fleet | All 80 Delta 717s came from AirTran Airways via a Southwest lease. Average age around 24.5 years. |
FAQs
Does the Delta 717 have WiFi?
Mostly no. The old air-to-ground system was retired across the whole 717 fleet in May 2026, and the replacement satellite system isn't expected fleetwide until late 2026 or early 2027. Only a handful of aircraft are fitted. Download entertainment before you board.
Why does row 20 have only three seats?
Two pairs of overwing exits straddle the row, and the doors physically occupy the 20A and 20E positions. That leaves 20B, 20C and 20D — and makes 20B a rare solo seat with nobody beside you.
How quiet is the 717 really?
The front half (rows 1–18) is noticeably quieter than any 737 or A320 because the engines are behind the cabin. Rows 26–29 are among the loudest seats in Delta's fleet, and rows 28–29 also back onto the aft lavatories.
Is the port side (A/B) really that much better?
Yes. Two seats across means no middle seat, more overhead bin space per passenger and a more spacious feel. It's the 717's genuine competitive advantage.
How long until the 717 is retired?
Delta has stretched the type towards the end of the decade, around 2030. The six oldest frames leave by August 2026, driven by the cost of engine overhauls and structural inspections rather than by A220 delivery timing.
Is Delta Comfort worth the upgrade on the 717?
For flights over 90 minutes, yes — especially 12A or 12E, which pair Comfort pitch with a perfectly aligned window. For sub-60-minute hops, a port-side Delta Main seat is perfectly fine.
Are there any seatback screens?
No. Entertainment is streaming-only via Delta Studio on your own device, and with WiFi out of service on most of the fleet you should download content before boarding.
What replaced the 717 on routes where it's been retired?
Primarily the Airbus A220-100 (109 seats) and A220-300 (130 seats). The A220 shares the 717's 2-3 layout — a deliberate choice to keep the same passenger experience.
Comparable Aircraft
If you're comparing similar Delta domestic experiences:
- Delta A220-100 & A220-300 Seat Selection Guide (2026) — the 717's designated replacement. Same 2-3 layout, 109/130 seats, seatback IFE, modern cabin.
- Delta 737-800 Seat Selection Guide (2026) — 3-3 layout (two middle seats per row), 160 seats. Less pleasant cabin, more range and capacity.
- Delta A321neo Seat Selection Guide (2026) — 3-3 layout but the largest Delta Comfort cabin of any Delta narrowbody.