After my relatively quick visit to the obscenely full 51st & Green Lounge, it was time to head upstairs to board my Delta One flight from Dublin to Minneapolis.
Not only was this my first Delta flight since I went to Disney World in Orlando as a teen, but it was also my first Delta One experience and I was interested to see how it stacked up against my usual go-to, Aer Lingus, on a transatlantic route – despite being on one of Delta’s elder A330-200’s.
Boarding commenced with pre-boarding, followed by active military, followed by those of us in Delta One – at which point I can’t tell you more, as I lined up and boarded. I will say, this flight was one of the worst I’ve seen in recent times for passengers hanging around the gate area so closely it was almost impossible to get past when it was time to board.
Onboard I was welcomed, and pointed across the galley in the direction of my seat, 3J, right behind the effective ‘first’ window seat row.
Aesthetically, the seats certainly wouldn’t give off luxury vibes like say, an Etihad business cabin, or even a more streamlined modern finish like a British Airways Club Suite – what with Delta's striking mix of industrial grey, Delta navy, white surround and blue trim. Having said that, it was spacious and the lack of door didn’t make me feel particularly exposed.
To the left was an adjustable armest, only suitable for use after take-off, while to the right sat a pair of a headphones on a nook, a bottle of water, and a well-equipped Missoni-branded amenity kit, along with the menu for the flight.
One thing I’ll give Delta top marks for in Delta One, was their bedding. A well-padded and easy-to-install mattress pad, cosy plush duvet, and a generous properly-sized pillow were on offer, along with a pair of slippers I’m still wearing as I write this.
Sitting down, the seat controls, a pull-out remote control, and a pop-out (quite small) monitor adorned the panel in front of me – which came in use later on in the flight for my favourite show, the in-flight moving map. I would say, and you can see it below, the Delta One A330 footwell is a little on the tight side; certainly it felt moreso than usual.
What did surprise me, a lot, was the lack of care around removing the bedding from the seating area and window blinds up during take-off and again at landing; perhaps I’ve grown too accustomed to the almost military-like precision with which both Aer Lingus and British Airways crews seem to insist on adhered to these rules.
Once on-board, pre-departure beverages, generously poured I’d have to say, were offered, including water, sparkling wine and orange juice – including an offer of a Mimosa if you so wished.
Due to the previously mentioned UK ATC failures that morning, we remained at the gate well past our expected departure time, eventually getting underway around 35 minutes late – but thankfully arriving 19 minutes early in Minneapolis, ultimately.
Once underway, an initial drinks service commenced during which I migrated on to a glass of Champagne (Taittinger was being served, as I was politely told and then thanked for helping them get through it), along with a ramekin of nuts.
The starter was a rather unusual, but surprisingly acceptable – and spicy – Thai coconut soup, served with a bread roll and a smoked salmon appetiser. All quite substantial before the main course.
I, needless to say, moved along swiftly to a glass of rosé – which was delicious, and would be followed by many others throughout the flight. Again, drinks orders proved no problem throughout this flight, and the crew were very proactive throughout with offering additional drinks, or snacks, or anything else they could get throughout the flight.
It was a wonderful comparison to many long-haul flights I’ve had over the last couple of years where even in business cabins, crew have more or less vanished into thin air after the meal service.
I’d pre-ordered the main course, which was ‘roasted pork’ apparently designed by Michelin Chef Simon Hulstone. I’ll be honest, I wasn’t completely gone on it – it was quite fatty and slippy, and far less ‘roasted’ than I might have hoped for. It did however go down all the same, alongside a glass of wine.
After that, and a brief indulgence in the ice cream sundae cart, I made use of the rather retro-looking seat controls, made up my bed, opened up the moving map and disappeared off to sleep for a few short hours.
By the time I woke up, we were well over Canada and the pre-landing meal service was getting going.
Typically, on a transatlantic flight, I expect the pre-landing meal to be the absolute lightest thing the airline can get away with serving, so I was very impressed that on offer was a quite substantial cheeseburger; a most unusual in-flight meal offering, too. You almost know what I’m going to say next, but I will anyway – surprise, surprise, it also paired very well with another glass of rosé!
Before long we were in the throes of final descent into Minneapolis, looking out at the usual array of golf courses and industrial areas that every airport worldwide seems to be surrounded by.
At the gate meanwhile, there was a problem – my passport had gone walkabouts. I waited for everyone else in the cabin to disembark, before proceeding to turn my belongings upside down looking. Once again, the crew were over to help in no time and the attendant on my side fished it out of the back of the seat almost as if this was a daily occurrence (it probably is).
After extending my apologies for being so stupid, and sharing how embarassing it was being the person that finally lost something down a business class seat, I was on my way – with plenty of time to spare to visit what would turn out to be the busiest lounge I’ve ever been to.
Overall, this first impression of Delta One, despite the slightly vintage seat and cabin, left me feeling very positively impressed; a great crew, really excellent bedding, pretty solid – if a little uninspiring – F&B offering, along with a good daytime sleep, left me well reminded that there are plenty of very good alternative airline options from Dublin to the US beyond my default.
