My Delta One Suites Experience Didn’t Quite Go As Expected…

My Delta One Suites Experience Didn’t Quite Go As Expected…

86

Unlike Ben, for whom international flights are a quotidian experience (although less so lately), I take maybe ten international flights per year. For me, each one is a big deal, and I still get really excited for them. (Heck, a Southwest flight from Milwaukee to DC still excites me.)

A few weeks ago, I was flying from Atlanta to Seoul in Delta One Suites. Ben has reviewed Delta One Suites before, and I couldn’t wait to try it for myself.

Delta A350-900

Delta’s Atlanta to Incheon flight leaves shortly after midnight, so the timing is a bit odd. But boarding started on time, and they used a weird (creepy?) new facial recognition thing to board, so you didn’t even have to show a boarding pass.

The cabin is super sleek. I loved the lighting and the decor. Everything on this Airbus A350-900 felt (and practically was) brand-new. The cabin is in a 1x2x1 configuration, and I selected two seats in the middle for my boyfriend and myself.

Delta One Suites
Delta One Suites A350-900
Delta One Suites A350 Atlanta to Seoul
Delta One Suites
Delta One Suites ATL-ICN
Ugh, Millennials and their selfies.
Seat power outlet
Seat remote control (and a neat little mirror)
Delta One Suite controls

Storage
Delta One Suites seat controls

For me, the pre-departure beverage ritual marks the beginning of the experience. On this flight, I was offered a choice between champagne, orange juice, or water.

No sooner had I made my choice (“Champagne, please”) than the entire tray of beverages was spilled all over me and my seat. Kind of gives a whole new meaning to the phrase “drinks are on me.” Delta uses glassware for pre-departure beverages (AA and United use plastic), so this also sent shards of glass flying throughout the suite.

Don’t cry over spilled milk.
But spilled champagne? That’s something to cry about.

Here’s the thing: the flight attendant who spilled the tray was more upset than I was about what had happened. He told me that in his 20 years of working as cabin crew, he had never done this. I assured him that it was totally fine and that these things happen. He must have apologized 50 times.

I was so glad I had all my clothes with me and was able to change. While I was changing, the flight attendant spent a good 15 minutes cleaning up my seat and the floor around it. He thoroughly wiped down everything and removed the glass. I felt especially bad because I know what a busy time pre-departure is for the crew — but other flight attendants seamlessly picked up the slack.

Delta A350 business class lavatory

He asked me to check that everything had been cleaned thoroughly and that all the glass had been removed, and it had. He also personally offered to pay for my dry cleaning (I declined). Thankfully, the Tumi amenity kit was wrapped in plastic so it wasn’t affected. Ditto for the noise-canceling headphones (though I don’t like the ones Delta has as I find them really uncomfortable).

The purser and several other cabin crew came over to me throughout the flight and told me they were sorry for what had happened, and thanked me for being a “good sport” about it.

Was it a smooth flight after departure? Not totally.

About 30 minutes after we took off, I tried to recline my seat. I pressed several of the buttons on the seat controls and nothing happened. Thinking I was probably just an idiot who was doing something wrong, I asked my boyfriend if he was able to recline his seat. He pressed a button and it reclined with no problem.

I flagged down a flight attendant and asked what I was doing wrong. She tried pressing the buttons and saw that it didn’t work. She said they would try to reset my seat. One flight attendant came by to try to find a reset button inside the seat. He spent a good 10 minutes looking for it, to no avail. His colleague suggested resetting the in-flight entertainment system. He said he doubted that would work, but it was worth a try. (At first they accidentally reset my boyfriend’s IFE instead, so we both had to wait for it to reboot.)

It didn’t work. The flight attendants said they were running out of ideas, but they had two possible solutions. First, they were going to have the pilots contact Delta’s maintenance people. The second (and last resort) option was a little more awkward.

The Delta One cabin was full, so there was no empty seat to move me to. However, they explained that there was a Delta employee seated in one of the seats (non-revving), and that I could switch with him. I told them I would feel really bad about making him switch. They said something like, “It’s our company policy to allow passengers to switch with non-revs in these situations.”

I still don’t know what I would’ve done if I had to decide whether to switch seats. I don’t think I could’ve looked that non-rev in the eye. Luckily, the pilots were able to get instructions for resetting the seats (it involved pressing a certain combination of buttons on the seat controls).

The Rest Of The Flight

Anyway, thankfully after the first 90 minutes, the remainder of the flight was drama-free. Here’s the menu.

By the way, they apparently didn’t have enough menus for everyone so we had to share with our fellow passengers. Like animals!

Delta One ATL-ICN Menu
Delta One ATL-ICN Menu
Delta One ATL-ICN Menu
Delta One ATL-ICN Menu
Delta One ATL-ICN Menu
Delta One ATL-ICN Menu

The food on the flight was actually quite good. I ordered the chicken Milanese for dinner.

Chicken Milanese Delta One Atlanta to Seoul

My boyfriend had the Korean option of braised beef and banchan. He enjoyed it.

Braised beef and banchan

For dessert I had the sundae.

Sundae for dessert

After the meal, I managed to get a little bit of rest — overall I would say I got about 5 hours. The cabin was a little warm, kind of reminiscent of the temperatures many European and Asian airlines seem to prefer.

Delta One Suite bed
Delta One Suite bed

However, the bedding was very comfortable.

I do like the extra privacy that the door provides. I’ve heard others complain that it’s difficult to open and close, and while this is true to some extent, it’s not as bad as I’d expected. Also, I’m not generally prone to claustrophobia, so sleeping in a relatively confined space doesn’t bother me. However, for people who don’t like feeling closed in, you may prefer a more traditional business class.

Around 90 minutes before landing, breakfast was served. I had the fruit and nut granola, which was good. Stephan had the bibimbap (the inspiration behind Hansen’s hit song) and enjoyed it.

Fruit and nut granola breakfast
Bibimbap breakfast

Toward the end of the flight, another cabin crew member approached me with a smartphone and said that he had heard about the mishaps I’d experienced. He asked if I could answer a few questions on the phone, which would reward me with some SkyMiles for the trouble. It asked about the nature of the incident, the duration of the flight, my Medallion status, and a few other things. At the end, it told me that based on my responses I was eligible for 15,000 SkyMiles.

Although I’ve heard about other situations where miles were proactively awarded for in-flight issues, this was the first time it had happened to me (probably because I usually fly American). I thought that was an awesome touch.

The flight arrived at Incheon Airport around 3:30 am, about a half hour ahead of schedule. An early arriving flight isn’t usually a reason to complain, but in this case there were almost no connections into Seoul at that time, so we basically had to sit in the ground transportation waiting area for about two hours before we could get a bus headed toward our hotel.

Bottom Line

This flight did not go as planned. Between having a tray of drinks spilled on me and my seat malfunctioning, the experience didn’t quite live up to how much I’d hyped it in my head. That said, it’s a nice way to get from the U.S. to Asia, and if you use Virgin Atlantic Flying Club miles, it can be a great value.

Despite the mishaps, I’d recommend Delta One Suites. Just maybe wear a raincoat while you get your pre-departure beverage. 😉

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  1. Chilangoflyer Guest

    @jose phillips Homosexuals are no sinners, so they need neither yours nor Gods forgiveness. There is not one single word in the new testament that Jesus ever blamed or condemned homosexuality, so what?
    (And don't refer to the old testament, which has nothing to do with Jesus and the new testament. The God in the old testament is a vindictive, unfair fighting old guy who cannot be compared with the loving "father" Jesus is preaching....

  2. John Wilbanks Guest

    Interesting that nobody mentioned the noise made from the doors all night long as passengers open them via the emergency latch as opposed to sliding them into the pocket as designed. Just one more privileged complainer :).

  3. Nancy Guest

    As another commenter has said, I also work at an airline and would be more than happy to switch my J seat to allow a paying customer to get the seat they paid for. It's part of our standby policy.

  4. Joey Diamond

    Really enjoyed reading your review. The spilled drinks reminded me of the time when Richard Branson dressed up as a flight attendant (he lost a bet to AirAsia’s Fernandes) and he, too, accidentally spilled a tray of drinks to a passenger (who just so happened to be Fernandes!)

  5. George Guest

    Nice review. I might pack a change of clothes in my carry on bag from now on. If this happened to me, the flight will have to deal with a naked man on board.

  6. DL Insider Guest

    You also are not required to use facial recognition to board.

    They will announce it as "We are using this to board, this is how you use it" and not tell you about the opt out, but it's on the signs in fine print and on the website.

    Basically, you don't look at the camera and tell the GA who is scanning boarding passes that you want to board the traditional way. No problem.

  7. DL Insider Guest

    The "survey" on the device to award the miles is not supposed to be customer-facing. The FA gave Andrew the device too early...

    IIRC, it asks to scan the passenger's boarding pass, and then the system auto fills in status, frequent flyer number, seat, etc. Basically, if a customer has a problem on a flight over 4 hours and either has high status and/or in a premium cabin, the system will award them 15K miles.

    ...

    The "survey" on the device to award the miles is not supposed to be customer-facing. The FA gave Andrew the device too early...

    IIRC, it asks to scan the passenger's boarding pass, and then the system auto fills in status, frequent flyer number, seat, etc. Basically, if a customer has a problem on a flight over 4 hours and either has high status and/or in a premium cabin, the system will award them 15K miles.

    It can vary depending on the nature of the problem - for example, as low as 5K miles for bathroom smells/problems, to 15K miles for INOP VOD, INOP seat, etc.

    So, the FA is supposed to scan your BP, fill in what was wrong in the next few survey questions, then hand the device to the pax to fill in their email address to receive a compensation receipt.

    If you have trouble on a DL flight, you can always ask a FA nicely to consider going through this process for you. As long as the complaint is legitimate, and the request is made professionally/nicely and not demanded, I have not had one decline.

  8. Ed Guest

    Great writing and pics. I love your sense of humor. I did have to look up the word quotidian, so i'll consider this educational too.

  9. Jack Robson Guest

    Aside from the obvious issue that happened which is why it is always a good reason to bring at least shorts and a T shirt just in case, the cabin looks a little underwhelming. Delta gets so much praise compared to the other two but their delta one is almost as bad as United’s old B/E Diamond seats. The delta one suites have a door but aside from that the cabin on American’s 777-2s look...

    Aside from the obvious issue that happened which is why it is always a good reason to bring at least shorts and a T shirt just in case, the cabin looks a little underwhelming. Delta gets so much praise compared to the other two but their delta one is almost as bad as United’s old B/E Diamond seats. The delta one suites have a door but aside from that the cabin on American’s 777-2s look more stylish with a better color scheme. Delta also engaged in the anti gun shenanigans and almost look their Georgia tax breaks.

    @Chris

    Take it easy there friend. Go live your life how you want but stop hating on others who don’t want your propaganda or bad attitude. We get enough of that on TPG.

  10. Rav New Member

    Interesting review. Sorry the mishap occurred as it did, certainly not ideal. And it sounds like they caught a break in that you were a passenger with a reasonable attitude. Had you overreacted like most people would have, that would not have been fun for anyone. So well done.

    All things considered - it seems that the cabin crew did their best and then some to remedy the situation. Gave some miles, took extra...

    Interesting review. Sorry the mishap occurred as it did, certainly not ideal. And it sounds like they caught a break in that you were a passenger with a reasonable attitude. Had you overreacted like most people would have, that would not have been fun for anyone. So well done.

    All things considered - it seems that the cabin crew did their best and then some to remedy the situation. Gave some miles, took extra care and the whole nine yards - I find the last sentence in the blog in poor taste. I guarantee the aforementioned cabin crew member beat himself up enough. It's like you keep pleading your case to the jury even though the judge has already ruled and case is closed. Really unnecessary and a cheap shot.

  11. Fred M Guest

    My one experience of DL - steerage out, bizzo back - was excellent, thanks largely to friendly and funny cabin crew.

    Can you imagine what would have happened to the poor FA if this had happened on the KAL ‘nuts’ flight? Probably strapped to the tailplane for the rest of the flight.

    I have never been brave enough to try KAL’s bibimbap. After a good steak from London and a terrible one from Incheon last...

    My one experience of DL - steerage out, bizzo back - was excellent, thanks largely to friendly and funny cabin crew.

    Can you imagine what would have happened to the poor FA if this had happened on the KAL ‘nuts’ flight? Probably strapped to the tailplane for the rest of the flight.

    I have never been brave enough to try KAL’s bibimbap. After a good steak from London and a terrible one from Incheon last trip, I have learned my lesson. Next trip. Meantime, thanks for educating me there is also a breakfast version.

  12. Roman Guest

    Excellently refreshing review, as always!

  13. Fabio Feldman Sato Guest

    It’s so sad to read such a biased report. I get it the author is a public figure and must keep “appearances”, but not showing the appropriate unbiased review sure demonstrate some sort of commitment to the industry and not to readers of the blog. Despite the very unfortunate incident, being “rewarded” 15k miles, provided answering a survey to measure how qualified one would be to be “awarded”, is definitely not what a regular customer...

    It’s so sad to read such a biased report. I get it the author is a public figure and must keep “appearances”, but not showing the appropriate unbiased review sure demonstrate some sort of commitment to the industry and not to readers of the blog. Despite the very unfortunate incident, being “rewarded” 15k miles, provided answering a survey to measure how qualified one would be to be “awarded”, is definitely not what a regular customer would expect. I would not refuse flying Delta because of anything that’s been mentioned here and would certainly not yell at any of these unfortunate events should they happen to me. But mostly, I would definitely not diminish what’s to be criticized on airlines for their lack of respect to their customer. After all, just like most of us, I don’t make a living out of doing otherwise...

  14. Carl Guest

    I am fairly certain that the flight attendant who dumped drinks on you did not do it intentionally and probably feels pretty bad about it. Nice job trying to make him or her feel as bad as possible by taking photos of it and plastering them on the internet. (Those photos are probably the best ones you took ironically.) We all make mistakes, and unless the flight attendant was a real jerk about it, I...

    I am fairly certain that the flight attendant who dumped drinks on you did not do it intentionally and probably feels pretty bad about it. Nice job trying to make him or her feel as bad as possible by taking photos of it and plastering them on the internet. (Those photos are probably the best ones you took ironically.) We all make mistakes, and unless the flight attendant was a real jerk about it, I think it was low budget to put so much emphasis on that.

    Also, the overall review is quite positive, and you conclude that it is a positive review, so I think the title of your review is a bit disingenuous, misleading and unnecessarily dramatic.

  15. DONAL Guest

    I have taken this trip (14 hours) and it's an ethereal experience. You can be as interactive or as private as you wish. Delta One Suites are the bomb and I love when it's what I am upgraded to. The staff are the same on all Delta flights, treating the rev customer accordingly. While there are sure to be one or two bad eggs I have yet to find them on my flights (~125-150K/annum). Kudos to them for the 15K but one wonders did they know who you were?

  16. Chuck Lesker Guest

    It is not true that there is no transportation to Seoul at 3am. The AREX train runs, there are a few night buses, and of course there are taxis. A number of flights arrive at that time.

    One of the photos shows a couple of passengers---if they have not given permission, that is a no-no.

  17. Phil Lane Guest

    Old fashioned first-class was just fine! Can't tolerate sitting in those little boxes. Claustrophobic, and the seat was incredibly uncomfortable. They have a lot of nerve to charge extra for torturing you.

  18. Robert Diamond

    chunk of miles coming back i'd hope

  19. Santastico Diamond

    Ok, it must be a technicality but unless Delta changed their mode of operation for this specific route I don't think they spilled champagne on you but sparkling wine. I fly Delta One once a month to Europe and the Delta FA's make very clear that the pre-departure beverage is sparkling wine and champagne will be served with dinner.

  20. Brad Guest

    After a luxury flight you waited around four two hours and took a bus? Oy! Have you ever heard of black car services?

  21. Donald Guest

    I really like the new Delta One suites. I've flown them three times overseas and was able to score ATL to LAX a few times too. Delta's food is usually good, but the portions are too small! You can see the tiny, lone, flat little chicken breast with a few cherry tomatoes around it in your photo. That's supposed to be dinner after your "oh so filling" 2 shrimp appetizer. Ridiculous. I'm always hungry. I'm...

    I really like the new Delta One suites. I've flown them three times overseas and was able to score ATL to LAX a few times too. Delta's food is usually good, but the portions are too small! You can see the tiny, lone, flat little chicken breast with a few cherry tomatoes around it in your photo. That's supposed to be dinner after your "oh so filling" 2 shrimp appetizer. Ridiculous. I'm always hungry. I'm never hungry on any other carrier.

    I too received 15K unsolicited mileage points on my last Delta One suite flight. Mine was only a transcon trip, but my entertainment system kept freezing. The FA must have reset it at least 5 times. Finally about 2 hours into the flight he came over and asked me if I was a Delta Skymiles member, and looked at my ticket for my membership number. After about a minute of typing he told me he'd given me the 15K points for my trouble. That was good enough for me! But it was very nice not to ask or made to feel like a begger. BTW, I've got zero status with Delta, so it wasn't based on that either.

    Great reviews Andrew. I follow you on IG too. I wish you'd post more. :)
    Obviously from the mountain of responses you've got a lot of fans here too.

  22. Michael New Member

    “We had to share the menus, like animals” I don’t know why but that bit killed me!! Great writing.

  23. mauipeter Guest

    Just took Delta One from SEA to AMS, food was pathetic, to put it mildly, bland, tasteless, 'marinated' chicken breast was like cardboard, and to top it off they offered a choice between bacon and pretty dry quiche and a micro croissant for breakfast. Had to ask for a special order of yogurt in order to be able to eat anything. Thank godess I ended up half hour later in lounge #25 in AMS, which...

    Just took Delta One from SEA to AMS, food was pathetic, to put it mildly, bland, tasteless, 'marinated' chicken breast was like cardboard, and to top it off they offered a choice between bacon and pretty dry quiche and a micro croissant for breakfast. Had to ask for a special order of yogurt in order to be able to eat anything. Thank godess I ended up half hour later in lounge #25 in AMS, which was pretty amazing and fully stocked with two food and self serve drink stations.

  24. dotti Member

    good u got your entree choice and the rest of the flight went well!!

  25. Chris Guest

    @Jose Phillips - there is not a single shred of evidence that your jesus christ even existed. Your religion is bogus just like all the others. You should get help, there is medication out there that can help with your delusions. Us homosexuals don’t have to repent for anything but you certainly have to for being so narrow minded and judgemental.

  26. David Flick Guest

    Oh, I'm so freaking sorry that you had champagne spilled on you in your well-appointed, private airplane suite, where the electronic reclining seat didn't work at first.

    Honestly, if more proles like me understood the stupid crap that people with too much money spend it on, the call for higher taxes would come a hell of a lot quicker.

  27. nicolas crocco Guest

    I work for American Airlines but my opinions do not reflect the company's.
    They spilled a tray on you. Thats a big NO NO, but it happened...
    It is the way they responded to it what it counts. And they did a fine job.
    All in all they took care of you through a shitty situation in no small part because you, as a professional traveller, behave like a champ as well.

    I work for American Airlines but my opinions do not reflect the company's.
    They spilled a tray on you. Thats a big NO NO, but it happened...
    It is the way they responded to it what it counts. And they did a fine job.
    All in all they took care of you through a shitty situation in no small part because you, as a professional traveller, behave like a champ as well.
    Beyond that i would have liked that your mention of the incident stopped there.
    The bottom line is the crew went above and beyond to provide comfort and remedy to an awful situation and on top of that you were awarded 15k miles without you having to take action.
    Most probably if you call them they will give you some more.
    The bottom line is a new plane will have these seat glitches.
    The crew most probably was very green on that metal.
    This will not happen on the return flight, I'm certain of this.

  28. colleen Guest

    I'm in total agreement that it's personal choice regarding what to call one's significant other.

    With one exception : I have become increasingly annoyed with news stories describing "Bob, his fiancee Alice, and their children, ages 6, 4, and 1."

    Come on. Step up. This is abuse of the term.

  29. Mary New Member

    the non rev paid between $0 - $200 for their flight. don't feel bad.

  30. Luis Diamond

    Hilarious how many of you took the troll bait from Kevin.

  31. Paul Member

    As an airline employee and nonrev passenger myself I would have totally switched seats with you no questions or hard feelings. Any of my fellow airline colleauges would do the same. In fact, I would even feel terrible knowing a revenue passenger suffered an INOP seat while I enjoyed a working one.

  32. Chingaso New Member

    You already enjoy those things, and I don't care if you cavort with trees, I'm just not interested. I am however interested in travel, to many places where you don't enjoy the freedom you have here.

  33. Chiguy1979 Member

    Kudos for being even more entitled and whiny than Lucky and providing a review with, miraculously, less substance. I'm a gay guy and I'm consistently amazed by the number of times you guys manage to needlessly highlight your identity.

  34. JP in Chicago Guest

    Really nice review, but I think OMAAT needs to get you a proper camera! These photos look like they were taken with an original iPod Touch.

  35. Mark@Sydney Guest

    Wouldn’t kill you to learn to use the flash function on your phone buddy. Didn’t you notice that every food pic was a blurry blue blob? - that kids, is alliteration

  36. ChrisC Guest

    Oh and Andrew can call his partner what ever he wants. He should just be consistent about it and not use his name (Stephen) sometimes and 'boyfriend' other times

    Other than that a good review.

  37. ChrisC Guest

    @ jose phillips

    please take your god bothering nonsense elsewhere. It has ZERO to do with this review.

    Homosexuals don't need your forgiveness. We don't need to repent.

    We just need the same rights as straight people. You know like to marry, not get fired because of our sexuality and to not get assaulted because we hold hands and kiss in public.

  38. Tom Guest

    Thanks for the review, Andrew--alway enjoy your posts! I'm a big fan of the D1S, and find it great for sleeping and even lounging or sitting crosslegged while in bed mode watching TV (yes, I understand I look like a child watching TV on the floor), and quite like the additional privacy.

  39. Shannon Guest

    @Kevin....I would use my lover or my boy friend. Partner seems to be used frequently in Canada and Europe. Though It sound likes as if we were in the same law firm

  40. Paul Guest

    This was a great review, however if you want a great flight in Business class try Qatar Airways, it is in a different class altogether. I was spoiled on such a flight and very disappointed by the other airlines since. If you try it you will see the difference.

  41. PHXFlyer Guest

    Excellent and highly entertaining review.
    It's no one else's business what we choose to call our significant others.
    I enjoyed the selfie!

  42. John Member

    Next month I am going to Barcelona but disappointed to find out my seats are the old Delta One! I hope my flight to Seoul in October will be in the new Delta One!

  43. Steven Guest

    I'm not sure what this flight date was, but I think I may have been the Captain on his flight to Incheon. We had the same seat issue on a recent flight from Atlanta to Incheon and resolved it in the manner he is referring to. Sorry about the Champagne spill. Delta A350 Captain

  44. Norman Member

    For your reference in the future, it usually is a good idea (and a courtesy) to try not include other people’s faces in reviews. Otherwise a good report

  45. Potreroflyr Guest

    Bonus points for using “quotidian” — likely a first in travel blogdom. ;)

  46. Mike Diamond

    As a retired Delta employee I often fly as a non-rev. And there have been a number of times over the years where the purser has asked me to switch seats with a revenue passenger because of seat or IFE issues. I always willingly agree to do this as revenue passengers always come first. Besides like John said the D1 suite is very cramped in bed mode so I end up sitting upright most of the time anyhow.

  47. SD Ron Member

    I was on a AF flight from Montpellier (MPL) to CDG with VERY tight seating. There was a big husky guy on the aisle next to me. After we took off, I suggested that he recline his seat to give him more room. In English with a French accent he said, "that would make the passenger behind very uncomfortable, and the passengers come first." Turns out he was an AF 777 pilot. Yep, the passengers come before the non-revs. I returned my seat to the upright position.

  48. jjmpdx New Member

    Nice review! A less than ideal flight, but it beats sitting in the back. And I agree with @simon: Boyfriend is a term of endearment; Partner sounds so cold.

  49. John Guest

    Cry me a river...grow up! They have apologized, a lot, based on your comments. Stop whining.
    And having to share menus? What a tragedy! I hope you get the sarcasm.

  50. Mario Corona Guest

    Who gives a flying cr-p what he calls his friend. Why not just say the first name and be done with it. Why all the emphasizes he is gay to begin with.

  51. Shawn Guest

    I agree with Bubba on this. They should be trained to go to the non rev and explain and just come to you and say sir we have another seat at x. It shouldn’t be up to you to have a guilt trip placed. With that being said I’d move my butt over there no questions asked compared to a non rev.

  52. john Guest

    The best things about D1 suites are the large high def video monitor and the color scheme. (No more 50 shades of gray.) After a flight or two, the novelty of a door on a business-class seat wears off. The reality that these seats are just plain cramped sets in.

  53. Bradley A Brenner Guest

    I applaud you Andrew, he is your boyfriend. Why do people want all these ridiculous letters or names. Two thumbs up, and great article.

  54. Bubba Guest

    Time to lay down the rules:
    It's a human right to call one's lover what one wants: if someone's identity freaks you out, that's both okay and your problem. So recognize it as your problem, don't beat yourself up, and find a way forward.
    Stuff happens on airplanes. Years ago, during PDBs, I got Champagne spilled on me. FA gave me a bottle to take home. It's not about the amount; it's that...

    Time to lay down the rules:
    It's a human right to call one's lover what one wants: if someone's identity freaks you out, that's both okay and your problem. So recognize it as your problem, don't beat yourself up, and find a way forward.
    Stuff happens on airplanes. Years ago, during PDBs, I got Champagne spilled on me. FA gave me a bottle to take home. It's not about the amount; it's that they make things right. If y'all wanna write after the fact and get 50k miles, that's your call, but I put a premium on the people I'm with treating each other like human beings. When that doesn't happen, the claws come out. Do not make me quantify my discontent.
    Non-revs: your call. Well, to be honest, it shouldn't have been. "We do have a free seat" should have been the end of it. They shouldn't have put the guilt or choice on you.

  55. William J Fulco Guest

    What a great review!, good natured, and in some places hilarious. I fly Delta internationally (out of LAX) several times a year, both transAtlantic and transPacific, and with rare exception always have a great experience. Disclaimer: I do have the AmEx Delta card, and usually have a decent elite status. I also like the partner airlines, especially KLM and Air France, not so much Alitalia. I also enjoy the laid-back style of most of the...

    What a great review!, good natured, and in some places hilarious. I fly Delta internationally (out of LAX) several times a year, both transAtlantic and transPacific, and with rare exception always have a great experience. Disclaimer: I do have the AmEx Delta card, and usually have a decent elite status. I also like the partner airlines, especially KLM and Air France, not so much Alitalia. I also enjoy the laid-back style of most of the flight attendants on Delta itself, but they're rather stiff on some of the partners, especially Korean when the poor flight attendants, 99% women, are forced to have the same facial expression, smile constantly, and even fix their hair identically. Seems to plastic and insincere.

  56. BRMM Guest

    I'm impressed with how the crew handled both situations. When stuff goes wrong, service recovery matters, and it sounds like they were masterful at it. I'm particularly impressed by them CALLING maintenance to learn how to re-set the seat; I just have this feeling most other airlines would say "tough luck" after the FA pressed a few buttons.
    I am also happy that Delta has a corporate policy that a non-rev should move to...

    I'm impressed with how the crew handled both situations. When stuff goes wrong, service recovery matters, and it sounds like they were masterful at it. I'm particularly impressed by them CALLING maintenance to learn how to re-set the seat; I just have this feeling most other airlines would say "tough luck" after the FA pressed a few buttons.
    I am also happy that Delta has a corporate policy that a non-rev should move to a malfunctioning seat if a revenue passenger's seat has a problem; while that stinks for the non-rev, it is the right policy. Finally, kudos to you for handling the drink tray situation gracefully. Nice post.

  57. Michelle Bevan Guest

    Wow. In April I took a Delta flight from JFK to Amsterdam. Not Delta One, but I did upgrade to Plus. One hour into the 7 hour flight, the guy next to me knocked over both his drinks (one apple juice, one water) on me. Not just splashed, I was soaked. Poured it out of my shoe.
    The flight attendant gave me a wad of paper towels and that was it. I was sticky and cold the rest of the flight. Delta never did squat for me.

  58. A.Man Guest

    Am I the only one who thinks those glasses look inherently unstable, especially for a plane?

  59. Jose phillips Guest

    Jesus Christ died a horrible death on a cross. To save sinners like you and me. Please repent of your homosexuality. He offers full forgiveness for you, and for Ben. I love you.

  60. Classcair Member

    Great review. I get tired of reading about entitled bloggers (on other sites) who would have never forgiven the FA for spilling the drinks. Life happens. Your perspective makes the story more relatable and interesting.

  61. Icarus Guest

    Mach81. A delay 10 years ago. Lol.

    Following my last delay on them from Barcelona , I got my eu compensation of eur 600 within 72 hrs of submitting a claim as well as a eur300 voucher to use on delta Air France KLM and Virgin.

    They put me in a nice hotel during the stay and were genuinely apologetic.

    I was delayed on another US carrier and it took 5 weeks...

    Mach81. A delay 10 years ago. Lol.

    Following my last delay on them from Barcelona , I got my eu compensation of eur 600 within 72 hrs of submitting a claim as well as a eur300 voucher to use on delta Air France KLM and Virgin.

    They put me in a nice hotel during the stay and were genuinely apologetic.

    I was delayed on another US carrier and it took 5 weeks for a response , despite my elite status and despite a 6 hour delay they gave me a $100 voucher as it was not from the EU

    There is no picture of the cacio Did you try it on board ?to be fair I would not expect “la cucina della nonna” on a flight given the limitations. Pasta can’t be fresh However the offering on delta is pretty good and they are really trying to improve their product

  62. Joe Chivas Guest

    My life partner and I both prefer window seats, so we never get to sit together.

  63. JRMW Guest

    “bibimbap (the inspiration behind Hansen’s hit song)”

    Classic! Turned a very good review into a fantastic review!

    As others have said, ignore the negative comments. They add no value and only reflect the unhappiness of the posters.

    Please write more reviews.

  64. Donna Diamond

    @MACH81 - Agree! I just noticed that “Calcio e Pepe” abomination. The Roman people should sue Delta and it’s “chef” for the cold blooded murder of the Roman cuisine....

  65. lk Guest

    "Like animals!" Amazing, great review.

  66. M Guest

    @Neil -- "I much prefer the idea of being compensated with coupons (essentially cash) as opposed to miles."

    If you have a Delta credit card, miles are essentially cash. And sit there in your account with no worry about expiration dates.

    ----

    @CJ "Just a PSA: booking DeltaOne with Virgin is nearly impossible given the sparse availability. On a refurbished 772 maybe. A350 next to never. It is essentially nonexistent on ATL-ICN."

    Yes, but...

    @Neil -- "I much prefer the idea of being compensated with coupons (essentially cash) as opposed to miles."

    If you have a Delta credit card, miles are essentially cash. And sit there in your account with no worry about expiration dates.

    ----

    @CJ "Just a PSA: booking DeltaOne with Virgin is nearly impossible given the sparse availability. On a refurbished 772 maybe. A350 next to never. It is essentially nonexistent on ATL-ICN."

    Yes, but bloggers need to tout this hypothetical over and over because it's a 'good deal'.

  67. CJ New Member

    Just a PSA: booking DeltaOne with Virgin is nearly impossible given the sparse availability. On a refurbished 772 maybe. A350 next to never. It is essentially nonexistent on ATL-ICN.

  68. MACH81 Member

    As a Roman born Italian, that cacio & pepe version makes me want to erase Delta from the planet . More than the 10 hrs delay the last time I’ve Flown with them, some 10 years ago

  69. Chris Guest

    Andrew, please write more often. I love your reviews and your style and you have a great sense of humor. Ignore all the negative comments above, you’re the best.

  70. Brian Kusler Guest

    I usually carry a spare change of clothes in my carry-on, but I never thought of this as one of the reasons to do so! Dang. I'm glad everyone was good sports about it. I wonder if all of the champagne somehow shorted out the seat? Anyway, great review, but make Ben buy you an iPhone 10s so you can get better low-light pictures :P

  71. Donna Diamond

    Excellent review! Back in my college days, I worked as a waitress in a high end steak house and there is a real talent to balancing a tray of stem glasses and walking briskly through a crowded dining room. In this case, I’m sure it’s a bit more complicated onboard an aircraft in flight. The key is to never lean in near the customer with a tray, much better to have the try positioned low...

    Excellent review! Back in my college days, I worked as a waitress in a high end steak house and there is a real talent to balancing a tray of stem glasses and walking briskly through a crowded dining room. In this case, I’m sure it’s a bit more complicated onboard an aircraft in flight. The key is to never lean in near the customer with a tray, much better to have the try positioned low and away from the customer. The food looked great on your flight, much better than the offerings on my recent D1 Suites flight to CDG. As for your photography and your gender references, ignore the noise, your photos are good and the gender references neither offensive or old fashioned.

  72. Jake Member

    Do you think the seat issue could have been caused by liquid damage from the spilt drinks? Judging by the photos the controls seem to be covered in liquid.

  73. Andy 11235 Gold

    Whether or not the spilled champagne is something to cry about depends, of course, on the champagne ;)

    Sounds like both you and the crew handled the situation appropriately. Although, if the seat were truly broken, I wouldn't have thought twice about displacing a non-rev. An upright business class seat is still better than economy and staff understand the conditions of flight privileges -- a paying customer comes first.

    I really hope @Kevin was joking.

  74. neil Diamond

    Two years ago I was in First on a United 747 to London and there were several issues with the IFE system. The purser ended up arranging for several certificates worth a total of $175. I much prefer the idea of being compensated with coupons (essentially cash) as opposed to miles.

  75. Marsh Guest

    Rule #1 on a long haul. Make sure you seat goes down before you leave the gate. I’ve had this happen to me on 2 red eyes when sitting in 1st. They weren’t Int’l biz seats just domestic but still makes the flight frustrating. So I like to make sure it works before we leave the gate.

    Guessing since the whole spilled drink fiasco you prob didn’t have any time to check.

  76. Simon Guest

    As a gay man in my 30s, I find the term "partner" annoying - it sounds so clinical and cold, like business partner or sexual partner. I understand the historical context for its use in the past, but I think using "partner" should be abandoned. Especially in the US, boyfriend/fiancee/husband should be sufficient. What's even worse is hetero couples appropriating "partner" - absolutely ridiculous.

    By the way, @Kevin, regarding your views on gender, I can't...

    As a gay man in my 30s, I find the term "partner" annoying - it sounds so clinical and cold, like business partner or sexual partner. I understand the historical context for its use in the past, but I think using "partner" should be abandoned. Especially in the US, boyfriend/fiancee/husband should be sufficient. What's even worse is hetero couples appropriating "partner" - absolutely ridiculous.

    By the way, @Kevin, regarding your views on gender, I can't tell if you're for real or a troll. Either way, ridiculous.

  77. Ryan Member

    ONLY 10 international flights a year? Your poor under-privileged thing.

    Excuse me as I go throw up in my mouth,

  78. blue mountain New Member

    Hairy legs already convinced me

  79. Icarus Guest

    Couple of stupid comments here

    @ Kevin It’s his boyfriend. There’s no problem hetro couples saying wife or girlfriend

    @ beyounged it’s not just about compensation. It’s about how it was handled. It appears the crew were wonderful so why ask for anymore

    No rev absolutely have to give up a seat for a revenue passenger I’m surprised you were embarrassed to accept the offer Likewise had it been at the gate it’s as if the nonrev was boarded and you refused

  80. Ruy Guest

    I am still crying over the spilled champagne and haven’t been able to read the other paragraphs.

  81. Aztec Guest

    You really need to get a better camera - some of the pictures of the menu were pretty blurry when zoomed in. Otherwise, great review!

  82. Kevin Guest

    Shouldn't you use a more modern and gender neutral word 'partner' or 'theyfriend' instead of old fashioned and gender emphasizing 'boyfriend'?

  83. beyounged Guest

    still, 15k miles for a whole tray of drinks dunked on you seems a bit low... There are folks who got awarded 30k for a half-reclining reverse herringbone.
    incidentally, 3 weeks ago on a HU flight a flight attendant in my J cabin also broke a champagne flute and she scurried around the cabin like a sad child the rest of the journey... what these folks had been through on the frontline of service industry is hard to imagine for me.

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Chilangoflyer Guest

@jose phillips Homosexuals are no sinners, so they need neither yours nor Gods forgiveness. There is not one single word in the new testament that Jesus ever blamed or condemned homosexuality, so what? (And don't refer to the old testament, which has nothing to do with Jesus and the new testament. The God in the old testament is a vindictive, unfair fighting old guy who cannot be compared with the loving "father" Jesus is preaching....

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John Wilbanks Guest

Interesting that nobody mentioned the noise made from the doors all night long as passengers open them via the emergency latch as opposed to sliding them into the pocket as designed. Just one more privileged complainer :).

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Nancy Guest

As another commenter has said, I also work at an airline and would be more than happy to switch my J seat to allow a paying customer to get the seat they paid for. It's part of our standby policy.

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