Delta Air Lines First Class Impressions

I like Delta and when practical I will choose them over others. I purchase my upgrades rather than obtaining them complimentary as many do here so I pay attention to the baseline F&J fares on longer routes. I asked this once before sometime pre-Covid and wonder if it will continue as we move forward towards normal operations. Delta, and other airlines, have began to bring the price of premium fares down in a bid to fill the seats with revenue passengers rather than with comps. Given the continued downward trend in points values I can only imagine this will continue. Any thoughts? I for one would love the opportunity to purchase premium tickets for less than astronomical prices.

It’s shocking to see how Covid has harmed all attempts to eliminate single-use plastic.

The A220 is an excellent experience in the cabin with one glaring exception- once the engines start. That’s where it shows it shows its CRJ DNA. The engines do have a tremendous spool-up sound, though. But once you get past that, it reminds me of a CRJ more than an Airbus. So all I’m saying is bring your noise-canceling headphones.

They did a great job on the interior passenger experience. You do feel like you’ve boarded a regular A320 or similar. The overhead bins are normal- a huge plus.

I’ve flown it four times in first. Three of those times pre-Covid and one since then. The first-class experience was 100% consistent with other domestic first-class (aside from the narrowed armrest). The A220 service in first right now is the same as DeltaOne on the 767-400 transcontinental. JFK to LAX same beverages and snacks. Nothing exciting, but it’s safe a practical for the Covid situation, so I understand.

Now the one thing that makes this plane more fun is the window in the bathroom. I still find that amusing.

I think Airbus does an excellent job taking on this product, and its timing was epic. I’m more of a Boeing fan. But Boeing was asleep at the wheel. Boeing’s lawsuit against the partnership ticked off Delta, and Ed Bastian went all scorched earth and pretty much won.

In closing, the A220 is the little jet that could and does. Boeing should focus on the NMA project and find a suitable replacement for the 757-300 before that ship totally sails.

1. You have Delta's boarding policy wrong. ALL FIRST-CLASS PASSENGERS, not just those above gold medallion, can board first. If the gate agent in Chicago said differently that was her or his mistake as it is not consistent with what Delta has done for a year now.

2. The legroom on the A220 in first-class feels cramped. I'd rather be in a CRJ-900 or E175.

3. Some Chicago O'Hare flights used to be so-called exception flights pre-pandemic, meaning they served full hot meals in first-class despite not otherwise being eligible.

4. The Chicago Sky Club is actually quite nice, as you said. It's nicer than some airports with stronger Delta presences. I used to use it a lot pre-pandemic for positioning flights from DTW because international business-class airfares from Chicago to Southeast Asia or Western Europe were significantly cheaper than Detroit and were on par with Toronto. I imagine the Sky Club in Chicago is starting to get crowded on busy days since Delta dropped Chicago Midway. Chicago Midway also another great positioning airport for international trips.

@ FNT Delta Diamond -- Interesting regarding the boarding process, because that's not how it was announced. Good to know.

The A220 is an incredible aircraft. It is actually wider than the DC9/M80 family of aircraft and nobody considered it a hybrid between a regional and mainline jet. Its cabin configuration means less middle seats in coach than the B737/A320.

As for catering, as much as I hate to see all of the extra wrapping that has become the norm in the covid era (like watching a hotel clerk wrapping unwashed apples with cellophane), Delta could serve more food if they wrapped it.

I suspect the reason they don't is because of the perception noted - space is more valuable than food.

Delta has been very consistent w/ service - at whatever level they have chosen - during the pandemic.

I fly Delta first class about 10 times a year. While I understand the limited service due to Covid, I am concerned that after May 1st the seats will fill up and the service will remain "limited". We pay more to sit up front, and I personally have an expectation of a full meal, drinks, and a pleasant atmosphere. Let’s hope these things aren’t a thing of the past.

My experience - Cheez-Its and Biscoffs for First. I guess I haven’t been in a longer flight.

I've flown a handful of DL flights out of ORD since the pandemic began. It's been consistently excellent. I've been happy to sacrifice on-board service that I generally don't care about for additional room that I generally do care about. As you mentioned, the ORD Sky Club is surprisingly very good. Decent size and not typically all that crowded, since ORD is kind of a UA/AA fortress.

It will be interesting to see how DL (and to a lesser extent, some of the other minor ORD players like AS, B6) handles its transition to T5 at ORD; I would guess it'd result in a slightly expanded footprint at ORD as UA/AA partially transition some of their ORD ops into the shared global Terminal 2 that CDA has planned for ORD. My understanding is that DL will be constructing a new SkyClub at T5, but who knows for sure. As an aside, there are also unsubstantiated rumors constantly circulating around the Chicago area that the global terminal construction will include a centurion lounge (finally!) but like I said, they're just rumors circulating at this point.

I like that particular lounge, as one side is all windows, most of the seats are comfortable, and the staff are exceptional. On my last trip ex ORD (January of this year), my plane went mechanical on a sub-zero day, and the agents at the desk had me rerouted within two minutes even though Delta's network was etremely stressed that day. I was flying F, but I have no status, so that was simply standard service.

Once my travel picks up this year, I can't wait to fly the A220. I'm already scoping routes featuring the planed from my home airport.

P.S. Did you know that MDW has CLEAR now? Totally caught me off guard the third week of March.

Great report!!! So many thoughts...

First, I can't believe no one was drinking!!!! I'll have a screwdriver or 2 at 5 am... After all, I paid for it.

2nd, surprised to see self serve alcohol in the club! Is that true for all Delta Clubs? Very rare to see that domestically. Only 2 lounges I can think of are swissport at ORD and Art in EWR.

3rd (non booze related), I agree about the seat width. Looks more like the bulkhead row in coach on some aircraft!!!

Thank for for another great review Ben! I was also wondering if you would consider a review about the top 10 products you are looking to fly once things start to return to some semblance of normalcy?

@Craig unfortunately it looks like the premium fares are creeping back up. Like you, I've taken advantage of the steep discounts over the past year. I've probably flown paid F more in the last 10 months than the past 10 years.

The "discounts" appear to be over, at least on some AA routes. I went to book MIA-PHL for next month, and seats that were typically $267 a month ago are now minimum $367 across almost all flights.

Thanks for the great report. Pre-COVID, that little Skyclub can get pretty full on a Friday evening when there were full flights to LGA, MSP, ATL, DTW, SLC, SEA, and other destinations!

@FNT Diamond
You said what if forgot to. I’ll still take a E175 (on the single A side) any day over any other domestic product. Super comfortable.

You just missed onboard drink service by a few days as I believe most beverage offerings are coming back April 14th on domestic flights.

Know what I find disgusting about first class. It doesn't matter what airline you fly the people up front feel they are better than the people on the back. If the place go down 9 times out of 10 everyone will die, especially in the front. So why not stop thr arcane practice of first class and that bullsh*t business class. We all fly for the same reason....to get to our destination faster.

Forgive the typos please.

Worth noting that there is still essentially no epidemiological evidence of Covid spreading on airplanes in any meaningful amounts. Most of the airlines "Covid precautions" are, and will continue to be, cost cutting measures.

A small qualm, but I believe Silver medallions board with the Gold? Both board with Sky Priority.

The new-ish (or new-ishly renovated) Delta Skyclub at EWR is also pretty nice for being an outstation and arguably better than some of the United Clubs there despite it being a major United hub,

For all the talk of limited service, the plastic bag of snacks in economy is more than some airlines offer even in normal times.

I made it a point of picking Delta the few times I had to fly this past year. And like you observed, the fares were always higher, but worth it for the space.

For as much as you enjoy snarky comments about AA Oasis, I'm surprised you didn't even mention that the Delta first class seat you sat in is the EXACT seat as the AA Oasis planes with the exact same legroom.

Have been loyal to Delta for over 20 years. Although not perfect I have no complains since among the other options in the US it beats all them by miles.

My Delta first class flight from Seattle to Detroit offered drinks and a meal. I had a drink before we left the ground and more once we were at flying level.

I can't agree more about the added plastic during COVID others have mentioned

FNT is correct regarding boarding order. All first class may board at any point in the process (following preboarding).

@ Justin: True but no amount of comparative analysis can overcome the indignity of actually being at EWR, the armpit of American aviation. Just say No.

DELTA'S FLEET IS ANCIENT!
Old 767,757 and old AirTran 717's
The few airbus are nice.
HOWEVER, I prefer an airline with a young modern fleet.
AA IS THE LEADER!

I did 8 weeks of MCI-SLC-GEG-SLC-MCI back in October as a gold medallion. The open seat will be missed but more upgrade space will be nice. Missed the full offering of meals and drinks, especially since MCI-SLC is a nice route out of MCI that receives a meal service typically.

Crews were great all around.

John Luffred,
first, Delta's fleet age dropped by a year and one half over the past year as they retired aircraft. United has the oldest fleet among U.S. airlines. Delta retired its oldest and least efficient fleet, the M80, just months after American.
second, airlines exist to make money, not tout statistics that most customers even know. American has trailed Delta in financial statistics for years; the fleet isn't delivering a bottom line advantage. Delta's "older" aircraft including its 757s are roomier and more updated than any other airlines' that are of similar age. That is just an example.
third, Ben flew on an A220 which is one of Delta's newest fleets; other than JetBlue which just got its first copies, no other U.S. carrier has even bothered with a small mainline jet. Some may think the Ejets are better but, if nothing else, I have had more maintenance delays on E jets (nickname E180) than any other aircraft type. and Ejets don't have mainline aircraft sized overhead bins.

@john you took the words out of my mouth. Age of the airframe rarely matters except when it comes to cycles. Delta has invested heavily on the interior. Also they outright own the majority of their fleet versus finance. For anyone who has never owned a plane, you are better owning an older one free and clear and investing to keep it up to date. Step aboard any of the old NW fleet especially the 757’s. They look like they just rolled out of the shop. The 767-400 has the brand new 4 class interior (minus the sliding door on Delta One). I was on the final flight of the 777 and most of those planes had just undergone a massive overhaul on the interior prior to being shelved. Informed statements are much better than ignorant statements in my humble opinion. When it comes to dollars and cents ask each airline prior to COVID how much their profit sharing check was.

@Lucky free messaging is a moot point when you have WiFi on your laptop - just make your laptop a hotspot and connect your phone and anyone you’re traveling with’s phone.

My wife and I flew Delta First Class in March of this year on a 757. No complaints relating to the seat or legroom. We are both gluten intolerant, so we brought our own in-flight snacks, our decision justified when we were given the plastic bag with goldfish crackers, a Biscoff cookie, and a small bottle of water.

About an hour in, we were offered a choice of two different Flight Fuel Boxes. I always ask if there is a gluten friendly option, however the FA either didn't understand me through the mask and noise of the aircraft or simply didn't know. Certainly no issues with her. I took option #1 which had quite a few goodies, unfortunately only two that I could enjoy. Based on the photo the author included, I should have gone with option #2. Live and learn.

My only complaint would be relating to the beverage options. We were offered a choice of a can of beer or a small bottle of wine. The gluten in beer eliminates that option and I don't care for wine, however I would have loved to have a soda. I honestly can't understand how they can hand you a can of beer or a bottle of wine, both with a plastic cup on top, but not a can of soda.

As Delta slowly brings back the in-flight offerings, I honestly can't see spending the money for FC unless it's a very long flight. I have traveled in their Comfort Plus seating a number of times and feel that's a better fit for my in-flight comfort AND my wallet.

@CRAIG - You are the exact type of premium passenger Delta is targeting. They have been the most aggressive of the big three US carriers to target paid 1st and paid upgrade to 1st by lowering the costs. This has flipped the ratio of paid to upgraded pax in 1st on domestic routes and is part of the reason why Delta was so much more profitable than the others pre-pandemic. As someone who has long enjoyed Delta complimentary upgrades as a Platinum for more than 10 years, I watched my upgrade percentage drop from low 80%'s down to high 30%'s pre-pandemic. During the pandemic I've managed a 90% upgrade rate on a ~20 flights, but expect this to decline over the course of 2021 and beyond back to the pre-pandemic levels. Who knows, maybe I'll start paying for more 1st class seats rather than waiting and praying for upgrades.

I generally go with Delta. I’m a retired free agent but as a 2MM Delta flyer and only .5MM on AA and same on UA my experience with DL has a much lower incidence of FA issues in absolute and relative numbers. As the FA is the front line person with the greatest customer interaction that is most important to me. Older but well maintained aircraft seem to result in greater schedule reliability. Upgrading interiors helps the hard product. I buy first or business so upgrades don’t matter and like you Ben my Amex Plat gets me in the Sky Club. The $29 guest fee for my wife is the only way I find to use the $200 airline fee credit. For my flights two weeks ago the snack box was perfectly fine. The empty seat was reassuring pre vaccination. And the same route is down in price by 30% for full seat sales so that’s a plus.

You've been traveling quite a bit. Is this essential travel? Your readers will survive without posts like this.

Are you honoring all travel restrictions in your destinations? Ignorance isn't a defense, and you are coming from a high risk state, Florida. Don't be a super spreader.

@ nate nate -- a) Yes, I am following all travel restrictions, as I both got tested and was in Chicago for a reason exempt from the quarantine (even though one or the other would have been sufficient) b) My time in Florida was spent entirely with my mom, I wasn't there to party c) I believe in order to be a super spreader you have to, you know, actually get coronavirus, and I neither have coronavirus, nor have I had anti-bodies

You mention "I will say that Delta’s A220 first class feels a bit more like an international premium economy seat than a first class seat." Well, that's because it IS a premium economy seat (which I'm sure you very well know). The Collins Aerospace MiQ seat is the same seat Delta, United, and American Airlines use in their premium economy cabins and is the same seat American Airlines is installing in their forward cabins on their 737 and A321s which you have mentioned you dislike. They are uncomfortable and hard. The only advantage is see is that they are larger than economy.

United doesn't fly ORD-SLC?

I've flown Delta in economy two times in the past year and I was actually impressed. They were both relatively short flights (ATL-FLL 1.5 hours; JFK-ATL ~2 hours), but we got a blocked seat in coach and got two snacks, a water bottle, sanitizing wipes, and chocolate (this was around Christmas time). Meanwhile, I inconsistently get wipes on AA and only one snack. Not that I eat it on the plane, but it seems I get more flying on Delta now (just missing the drinks of choice).

Lucky - you mentioned the limited service (which is pretty typical now) but I do have a question. Not sure if you wanted an alcoholic drink but, if you did, is Delta serving them in domestic first class?

I just flrst AA first class LAS-CLT last Friday afternoon. They gave us a snack pack (basically pretzels and a bottle of water) then separately offered a snack (fruit and cheese plate that was previously sold in coach was best option. I was good with this since wasn't expecting much and had a good breakfast in LAS Centurion Lounge. Along with my cheese plate I asked for a gin and tonic since AA states they are available on request. The flight attendant was very friendly and customer oriented throughout the flight. She quickly came back with my drink plus the remainder of the can of tonic an an unopened minibottle for a 2nd drink (done commonly by AA pre COVID but haven't seen in over a year). Later she even asked if I wanted another drink (I didn't as 2 was my limit). Good to see AA first class at least getting back to normal on drink service even though food is still very limited.

Curious if you had any experience on this flight with DL first class drink service.

I just have a difficult time assessing any carrier’s first class on short routes and during a pandemic.

Does anyone really feel this is a true reflection of their product and capabilities?

@Stanton I think this is a great review precisely due to the current environment. I do find it hilarious that Lucky, who's flown billions of miles, is stuck reviewing domestic US carriers!

I just did a trip on Delta in first class NYC to SJU. I usually fly American but I needed to get a connecting flight out of JFK so Delta was the only option. I paid top dollar for the seats at $650 each. The seats seemed to be identical to those on American. The service was a tad bit better than American, but.... those snack boxes were simply awful. First off, they were adult proof. Secondly they had things in them such as Creme Filled Cookies which turned out to be Oreos. One box had Gummy Bears.... Really? The only minimally healthy option was the box with cheese wiz, but either way there were enough Nitrates in those snacks to preserve a Rhino. We’re talking food with an expected shelf life of 50 years. It was like someone took me to the counter of a 7/11 store and said “make yourself dinner here”. Then the drink options were equally bad, but I think that’s already been discussed. Needless to say on the return trip we ate dinner in the Amex lounge before boarding.

@Ben,
As a non-CA resident, and since you are not vaccinated, you should have gotten tested before and after your flight and self-quarantine for 10 days after you arrive, or 7 days if you have a negative COVID-19 test result.

Based on your trip reports, doesn't sound like you did that.

Also, two red herrings you put in your response to me that your readers should know are false:
- You can get Covid even if you don't party
- You can have Covid and be asymptomatic

OMAAT says it does not want to contribute to the spread of misinformation re Covid, so perhaps edit your response to make it consistent with the OMAAT commenting guidelines.

To be honest -- your response suggests that because you (and not the science) deem yourself to be low-risk, travel advisories and restrictions don't apply to you.

@ Nate nate -- Those are advisories, not laws (in the same way the CDC advises against all non-essential travel). There's a difference between actual quarantine and testing requirements (like what New York had, even when it wasn't enforced), which I have consistently followed, and the advisories in California. When it comes to advisories I've used my own best judgment.

Correct, you can get coronavirus without partying, just as you can get coronavirus without going to Florida. I never suggested otherwise. My point is that my trip to Florida was not "high-risk" in practical terms, due to what I was doing. Coronavirus risk isn't black & white -- you can be in a high-risk area doing low-risk things, just as you can be in a low-risk area doing high-risk things.

And of course you can get coronavirus while being asymptomatic, and that's why I stated "I neither have coronavirus, nor have I had anti-bodies" (and you do generally get anti-bodies if you've had coronavirus, so...).

@Ben,
In the past couple weeks, you've posted reviews of hotels in Texas, Tennessee, Chicago, Florida, California, and are now in Utah. I wouldn't be surprised if there was additional travel as well. So seems like you are traveling a fair bit.

I think everyone thinks what they are doing is low-risk. I think everything I do is low-risk as well. But we probably aren't the best judges of our own risk-taking. That's why there is guidance from the CDC and state health authorities.

Also, you are probably eligible for the vaccine in at least one of the states you have visited. If you want to travel freely, it may be time to get the vaccine.

@ Nate nate -- I posted reviews recently from all the hotels I've stayed in since I returned to the US last November. Just because I'm posting all the reviews at once doesn't mean I'm constantly moving around. I explained in this post why I'm only posting my reviews now:
https://onemileatatime.com/living-in-hotels/

And I have been vaccinated, but thanks for the heads up. You have no clue why I was in Chicago, and I decided to take a trip to an outdoor destination with my vaccinated mother, who has had the toughest imaginable battle with cancer for the past two years. If this is where your self righteousness is going to kick in, then please spare me.

I'm curious, have you taken a single flight or stayed in a single hotel since the start of the pandemic?

I've taken two flights since the pandemic began (one leaving NYC last March to go to California, one returning to NYC months later). I have not stayed in a hotel since the pandemic began. I am fortunate that I can work behind a computer screen, so there is no reason for me to travel. I'm a consultant and while my work is lucrative, its not essential.

Even if I had to travel for work, I wouldn't call it "essential" because that is disrespectful to those who put themselves as risk by doing essential face-to-face work in the early days of the pandemic to make sure our critical infrastructure, supply chains, health, safety and security were all maintained.

You are right, I don't know why you were in Chicago, but I never claimed to. You say your travel to "Chicago [was] for a reason exempt from the quarantine". If I had to guess, I would guess the most likely essential reason would be your Mom's medical care, but that is none of my business. I can't imagine what a work-related reason would be for you, but I don't know what else you do.

That being said, my comments were about California, which had a travel advisory when you traveled there. There are lots of outdoor destinations in states that don't have travel advisories (Utah for example), but you chose to go to California. But sounds like you want to direct the conversation to Chicago where I'm getting the sense your travel was more justifiable.

I don't think my previous posts were self righteous, but consider whether your responses have been. Perhaps ask a friend if they get the same vibe of "rules don't apply to me because I'm [...]" as I did.

P.S. Apologies, I thought you recently posted that you weren't vaccinated. I'm glad to hear you are. The sooner more people get vaccinated, the sooner we can return to traveling like normal.

As a frequent Delta flyer, and typically always choosing them over any other airline, I have found their service to still be very good, even with the limited food/snack offering. To be honest, I haven't actually minded the limited food/snack options over the past year with the risk of COVID.

I have flown twice on Delta First Class from LGA to FLL. The service was good but the flight attendants would let the economy passengers lining up to use the 2 toilets dedicated for First Class passengers. Any airlines outside US would never let that happen and would enforce the rule.

Dear Ben/OMAAT,

I’m utterly confused and disappointed by your new website. Is it going to remain this way? It is a total eye-sore, in my opinion, and over complicated.

Why can one no longer read all the comments? Or am I missing something?
(Nice nod to Singapore Airlines with your little logo, though)

I always found your website to be incredibly user-friendly and great to navigate. Sadly...no longer.

Stay well and wonderful 🙂

Time for Delta and AA to bring back service to pre-pandemic levels. Same deal for TSA and the need to remove airport mask restrictions! Of course, that might remove some of the current government control so I am sure they will be last to change. For the airlines, time to stop being cheap and using safety as the catch-all excuse for any form of changes where monetary value is the bottom line.

During my time flying Delta around the USA I was at Platinum level for over 2-years. I found the staff and crew very helpful and I was upgraded to first class often. I flew a number of time from DTW to AMS and the service was once again excellent.

I cannot comment on the restrictions for Covid-19 as I had to stay in my home country.

Flew Delta Airlines from Orlando to Los Angeles (over 5 hour flight each way) round trip. We kept asking ourselves why we paid the extra money for a first class ticket on Delta. Other than the larger, more comfortable seats, the service was dismal at best. Coffee in a paper cup, cocktails in a plastic glass, a boxed breakfast, no pillows, no blankets, no service and flight crew with zero personalities. I have over 2,000,000 miles booked on Delta and was. Diamond Medallion customer for many years. It has always been my airline of choice and I was shocked and very dissatisfied with this airline.

I have been waiting for over a month for someone to contact me regarding a flight on march 13 th! Why is it so impossible for someone to reach out…. Customer service is HORRIBLE

Why does delta schedule flights and then fails to leave on time because they never schrd a full crew, causing people to miss other flights. Ie from slc to LAX to hnl Hawaii. When we
Have other responsibilities thanks for the screw ups.