Review of Delta Air Lines flight Nagoya Detroit in Premium Eco

Airline Delta Air Lines
Flight DL 630
Class Premium Eco
Seat 13G
Aircraft Airbus A330-200
Flight time 12:30
Take-off 29 Feb 16, 17:35
Arrival at 01 Mar 16, 16:05
DL   #33 out of 96 Airlines A minimum of 10 flight-reports within the past two years is required to appear in the rankings. 826 reviews
NGO85
By SILVER 5631
Published on 1st March 2016
Background:

This series will cover my return to the US. I didn’t book the ticket, so I had no say in the routing or planning. Although not the choice I wanted, the ticket was booked on DL in Y. Fortunately for me, I had picked up ST Elite Plus status through a status match from EY to AZ back in November. I looked into upgrading this flight with miles since I was given a full-fare Y ticket, but laughed at the 80k required for upgrades from full-fare Y to J. They aren’t called SkyPesos for nothing. Fortuitously, DL allows ST Elite Plus status holders access to Comfort+ seats at 72-hours to departure for free. This results in a very simple routing:

Part 1 – NGO-DTW [DL 630, Airbus A330-200, Comfort+] – You are here
Part 2 – DTW-IAH [DL 5109, Bombardier CRJ-900, Comfort+] – http://flight-report.com/en/report-13480.html

This report will cover the only international flight ex-NGO to the US mainland (HNL is served by both DL and JL, along with DL/UA operations to GUM). For those that find this route really weird, keep in mind that Nagoya is nicknamed the “Detroit of Japan” since it is the automotive hub of Japan. This flight used to be daily on a B744 (with a fifth-freedom to MNL), before DL restructured its TPAC operations to move more flights to NRT and subsequently decreased NGO service to 4x weekly on an A332. This will be my second time flying DL long-haul and my first time on their A330s. My only other experience with DL long-haul was in J on DTW-NGO on the B744, which was one of my worst ever TPAC experiences.

Without further ado, I will start this series by presenting DL’s long-haul TPAC service from NGO to DTW and the KAL Lounge at NGO.


Pre-flight:

I had a leisurely lunch near Nagoya Station with Ms. NGO85 before taking the Meitetsu µSky service from Nagoya to NGO.

photo 1

Arriving at NGO shortly after 15:00, I head off towards the international departures area of the airport. The EY crew was just to the left of this photo heading into town having finished their PEK-NGO sector.

photo 2

DL operates up to 3 daily flights ex-NGO so they have their own ground services. I used the SkyPriority lane after having my credentials checked by an agent at the line entrance. The agent that checked me in was very friendly. Another agent wheeled away my bags and tagged them. It was a very efficient and professional process and was one of the nicest check-in experiences I’ve had in a while. The agent confirmed my seats with me, handed me my boarding passes, and told me that I could use the KAL Lounge.

photo 3

With boarding passes in hand, a quick stop by the FIDS. My flight is showing a 17:25 departure now.

photo 4

Crossing through the shops upstairs.

photo 5

It’s a cold, rainy, and windy day in Nagoya so not great weather for spotting. Also, in the afternoons, there are very few ground movements at NGO. Just a 9C A320, MU A321, KE B739, and CX A333 lined up.

photo 6

The second CX A333. One of the CX A333s operates NGO-HKG and the other one operates NGO-TPE-HKG.

photo 7

EY A332.

photo 8

DreamLifter.

photo 9

KE B739 lifting off for PUS.

photo 10

HO A320 arriving from PVG.

photo 11photo 12

JL B772 arriving from HNL.

photo 13photo 14photo 15

9C A320 lifting off for KWE.

photo 16

FW CRJ-700 taxing by.

photo 17

MU A321 lifting off for PVG.

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CX A333 departing for HKG.

photo 19photo 20

9C A320 arriving from HBE.

photo 21photo 22

Back inside, security and immigration lines were both very short so I was airside in less than 5 minutes. Reaching airside, the duty-free stores.

photo 23photo 24

My plane had just pulled in to the gate as the sun starts to break through the clouds. Since the plane arrived at 16:10 from DTW, I figured there was no way they were going to start boarding at 16:40 as indicated on my boarding pass.

photo 25photo 29

On my way to the KAL Lounge, I’ll point out the power stations and computers at NGO.



The KAL Lounge is accessed by elevators near the duty-free stores.

photo 31

The KAL Lounge entrance. Entering, two KE agents are sitting there. They greet me in English and scan my boarding pass. Even though my BP had my AZ FFP info attached to it, they needed to manually enter in my information from my physical AZ card.

photo 32

The lounge was very full when I arrived since there is a KE flight to ICN leaving. The press in the lounge.

photo 33

The food/drinks offering and more seating in the back.

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The food and drink offerings. Very poor food offering and standard Japanese drink options.

photo 35photo 36

As the lounge cleared out with the departure of the KE flight, I took some pictures of the main seating area. There is very little privacy and no windows.

photo 37

My offering and documents.

photo 39

The view from my seat.

photo 38

The bathroom is equally small. Just one urinal and one stall.

photo 40

Near the bathrooms you can opt to use this massage chair in the privacy of this closet.

photo 41

Or if you are a super fancy F passenger, you can use this special desk.

photo 42

The KE Lounge is the worst international lounge at NGO, I round off my stay with a cup of hot chocolate.

photo 43

Across from the KAL Lounge is the Centrair Global Lounge. This is the lounge that the ST carriers (CI, DL, and MU) send their J passengers instead. I covered this lounge when I flew MU last year (http://flight-report.com/en/report-10164.html).

photo 44




——————————-

Delta Airlines, DL 630
Equipment: Airbus A330-200 [N856NW, delivered October 2004]
Departure: 17:35 (ATD: 17:47)
Arrival: 16:05 (ATA: 15:27)
Flight time: 11:40


Back at the gate, our A332 is now catered and cleaned. An announcement is made that boarding is delayed until 17:00.

photo 45photo 46

At 17:00, boarding starts with Premium passengers (DeltaOne and DL elites).

photo 47

This was followed by the rest of the SkyPriority passengers, so down the jetbridge we go.

photo 48

Fuselage shot. Talk about a boring livery…

photo 49

I was greeted onboard by some very cheery FAs. I crossed through the mini-J cabin and arrived at the forward Y cabin. The first 4 rows are labeled as Comfort+.

photo 50

My seat for this flight. The middle two seats in my section would remain empty.

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The fancy grey Comfort+ antimacassar.

photo 52

Pre-placed on the seat were a pillow and blanket.

photo 53photo 68photo 83

The pitch is 35” on the A330s for Comfort+ (31” for normal Y). More than a hand’s length from my knees to the seatback.

photo 54

The IFE was extremely responsive and is the standard one found on all the US legacy carriers. There are headphone and USB jacks below the screen.

photo 55photo 56

Power port is located below the seat. There is only 1 outlet per pair of seats so prepare to battle your neighbor for power (luckily for me, no neighbor on this flight).

photo 57

The forward rows of Comfort+.

photo 58

Seatback contents.

photo 59

Safety card for this A332.

photo 60photo 61

WiFi is available on this flight.

photo 62

The DL long-haul fleet.

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The nonsensical domestic routemaps that US carriers insist on using even though it is impossible to find anything on this map.

photo 64

DL’s Asia operations.

photo 65

As boarding wrapped up, the FAs came through with a basket and distributed comfort kits, menus, and earbuds.

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The comfort kit contains earplugs, eyeshade, toothbrush, and toothpaste.

photo 67

The menu for this flight. You can immediately see the service level DL provides outclasses both AA and UA by a mile.



As we push back slightly behind schedule, the safety video plays. There is a special safety video for the Japanese market.

photo 76

There is no wait to take-off so we are quickly off. The guy at the window in my aisle was recording the take-off. This photo also shows how large the seat pitch is for Comfort+.

photo 77

I catch the DreamLifter through the window as we lift up.

photo 78

After take-off, the IFE starts up. I find Delta Studio to have pretty good content, but the navigation is not the easiest. There is no obvious way to find the moving map. I would have assumed it was “This Trip,” but that was just a survey on the service. The moving map was actually under the “Explore” tab. This was kind of an irrelevant problem since the moving map was not working the entire flight…



A peek backwards as we reach cruising altitude.

photo 84

In-flight service started with hot towels.

photo 85

This was followed by aperitif service. UA had offered cheese and crackers during aperitif service, so getting pretzels/peanuts is pretty meh.

photo 86

About 20 minutes later, the drink carts started another trip down the aisle, which was accompanied by meal service.

photo 87

The correct catering was loaded.

photo 88

I ordered the katsudon. The meal tray as delivered.

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The katsudon. The taste was very good although the portionsize feels to be on the small side.

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The “roast beef and corn medley” wasn’t quite what I was expecting. I just scraped off the corn/mayo off the top and ate the roast beef and tomatoes.

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The standard industrial salad, which was served with a sesame dressing.

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The transparent plastic cutlery.

photo 93

The dessert was a packaged pound cake. It tasted okay, not overly sweet.

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Another beer during the drink pass.

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Not as strong as NH/JL on ex-Japan routes, but much better than AA/UA.

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After dinner, tea and coffee were offered. I requested a coffee and Bailey’s.

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Water bottles were distributed as the lights were dimmed.

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I saw a FA passing from the J cabin and asked him for another coffee and Bailey’s. He promptly returned with my drink with a smile. The crew looked very jovial. The FAs were interacting with passengers (especially children) and were in high spirits. A vast difference from my UA experiences.

photo 101

I settled in and watched some movies for the rest of the flight. The seat reclines, but during the recline it also slides forward. Now while this is not a big deal in Comfort+, this may be an issue in normal economy since your seat pitch shrinks by 1-2”.

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The FAs came through every 1-2 hours offering more water bottles. This was very nice service for Y and is at the level of some J offerings.

photo 103

The lavatories were fairly clean for Y standards.

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At the halfway point of the flight, the FAs came through and passed out snack bags. This was followed by a drink service. I just took another coffee and Bailey’s. The snack bag contained a ham and cheese sandwich, a small cup of fruit, and a Kit-Kat.

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The water just kept flowing as I sat back and enjoyed some movies.

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About 1.5-hours to arrival, the cabin lights came back on and the second meal service started with distribution of hot towels.

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I went for the omelet and asked for a cup of coffee. My breakfast as served.

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The main. The potatoes were dry. The spinach and sausage were okay. The omelet was actually quite good, the texture was actually very surprising since it didn’t have the standard “loaf” feel. There was a ratatouille in the front right corner that added some more flavor to the omelet.

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Fruit cup.

photo 111

When the FAs came through offering tea and coffee, I asked for a beer instead, which was happily delivered.

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Soon, we were entering our final descent into DTW. The cabin was prepared for landing. Unfortunately, the moving map was broken the entire flight and I was left with this blank screen.

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For the landing, I decided to slide over to 14K to take pictures. This seat is in the normal economy section. You can see the seat pitch is okay, but not fantastic for long-haul comfort.

photo 114

The cabin from 14K.

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Dropping into DTW on a cloudy day.

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We touch down over 30-minutes early.

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As we taxi back to the terminal, we pass a DL CRJ.

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DL domestic operations.

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We pull into A24.

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DL tail line-up.

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Deplaning, the FAs thank us for flying as we exit through the J cabin. Signage is simple as we head down into the bowels of DTW.

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Immigration was empty and there was no line to use the automated kiosks. As I waited for the bags to start coming off, I didn’t see any “no photography” signs so I went over and snapped a shot of this tribute to the Detroit automotive industry on the wall.

photo 125

I’ll leave off this report as I clear customs and head back through security for my layover in DTW. Tune into the next segment for the flight from DTW to IAH and peek at 2 of the DL Sky Clubs at DTW. Also, I'll throw in a bonus of Matsumoto (松本) at the end of the next report to make it a little bit more interesting.
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Verdict

Delta Air Lines

8.1/10
Cabin9.0
Cabin crew8.5
Entertainment/wifi7.0
Meal/catering8.0

KAL Lounge

4.5/10
Comfort2.0
Meal/catering2.0
Entertainment/wifi8.0
Services6.0

Nagoya - NGO

9.2/10
Efficiency10.0
Access9.0
Services8.0
Cleanliness10.0

Detroit - DTW

8.1/10
Efficiency10.0
Access6.0
Services8.0
Cleanliness8.5

Conclusion

This was my first ever time flying DL long-haul in Y. I must say that it definitely is the best of the US legacy carriers across the board. As a current AA elite and a former UA elite, I have no problem admitting that. DL is not quite up to JL/NH on ex-Japan offerings, but when you consider how much lower their fares are it's an extremely competitive product.

Cabin comfort: A fairly old A330 (ex-NW), but the cabin still felt fairly fresh. The seats are nicer than UA, but I did start to feel some discomfort near the end of the flight (it is 12 hours long, so that is probably expected). The Comfort+ seats offer plenty of seat-pitch and getting an empty seat next to me made it a very comfortable flight. A sleep kit is always a nice gesture in Y and something that AA/UA don't offer.

Crew: The FAs all generally seemed to be happy and in high spirits, which is always nice to see.

Meal and catering: I thought the meal trays were of decent quantity, but the quality was mixed. The mains on the trays were good, but the salads and sides seemed standard US industrial. Two meals (2 options each) plus a snack mid-flight is excellent service for US standards. The menu card is also a nice touch and the flow of free booze cannot be ignored either. Getting 4 bottles of Evian water in Y is also noteworthy for their service.

Entertainment: No newspapers on offer. IFE is standard, but was very responsive. Content had good variety, but the navigation was not the most user-friendly. Broken moving map hurts the score.

On-time performance: We left the gate a little bit late, but landed over 30 minutes early.

Related

33 Comments

If you liked this review or if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to post a comment below !
  • Comment 158840 by
    whitelight44 346 Comments
    Great FR and great pictures. Thanks for sharing :)
  • Comment 158846 by
    Esteban GOLD 19855 Comments
    Thank you very much for sharing this great report !
  • Comment 158855 by
    marathon GOLD 10117 Comments
    360 yen for a first class rail ticket to the airport? You must be hearing sighs of envy from Flight Reports around the world...

    I was wondering if you would mention the Dreamlifter in the background ;)

    The two flights I ever flew on Juneyao were my strangest and longest domestic flights in China. It was a small airline then... now they even fly to NGO !
    I'm impressed by the number of flights to/from China, in this fascinating plane spotting section.

    Is there a Japanese lounge with a decent food offering ?

    CZ seems to have copied DL's concept of a route map. A Skyteam design ? ;)

    Thanks for this only once every four years report !
    • Comment 335708 by
      NGO85 SILVER AUTHOR 1963 Comments
      Thank you for all your comments Marathon!

      360 yen for a first class rail ticket to the airport?
      - That is only for the seat reservation, I used my IC card to pay the fare, which is another ~900 JPY. The total cost is around 1300 JPY (~11 euros). Not as cheap as you thought ;)

      I'm impressed by the number of flights to/from China, in this fascinating plane spotting section.
      - It is rapidly picking up. With 9C's arrival there will be more competition to break up the CA/CZ/MU monopoly. They also added V-Air, JetStar, and Tiger service to TPE within the past 3 months so there are all kinds of new routes into Taiwan and mainland China showing up.

      Is there a Japanese lounge with a decent food offering?
      - Fair point ;) But no hot food options is definitely at the bottom of the barrel at NGO. When all of the other ST members refuse to send their J-passengers to the KAL Lounge in favor of a third-party lounge, you know it is bad.

      A Skyteam design ? ;)
      - Too bad DL doesn't copy the MU/CZ welcome mat in return ;)
    • Comment 335712 by
      marathon GOLD 10117 Comments
      OK, so roughly the same price as the infamous RER-B line to CDG. Probably not the same quality, though :(

      The number of flights to/from Mainland China will be a measure of the current loosening of Japan's tight visa policy for Chinese nationals.
    • Comment 335861 by
      NGO85 SILVER AUTHOR 1963 Comments
      I've talked to the Japanese about this, they embarrassingly admit that the Chinese singlehandedly are supporting the Japanese economy based on all the spending they do when they come into Japan. Japan can't afford to keep them out, they need their money.
  • Comment 158857 by
    jetsetpanda 2283 Comments
    DL allows ST Elite Plus status holders access to Comfort+ seats at 72-hours to departure for free.
    - A major benefit IMHO and very generous of DL if I might add. I wonder if there are companions in the same reservation, are they allowed the same courtesy?

    The food and drink offerings. Very poor food offering and standard Japanese drink options.
    - It's more of a regional airport lounge than one befitting of top elite members at an international airport.

    There is very little privacy and no windows.
    - That's a double whammy.

    Or if you are a super fancy F passenger, you can use this special desk.
    - Why even bother?

    The pitch is 35” on the A330s for Comfort+ (31” for normal Y).
    - Looks pretty comfortable to me.

    FAs came through with a basket and distributed comfort kits, menus, and earbuds.
    - Not bad at all. A printed menu? I don't think even JL or NH do that anymore. The kit looks very disposable but beggars can't be choosy.

    The taste was very good although the portionsize feels to be on the small side.
    - That's true for most meals in Y. The meal that you received looked good.

    The FAs came through every 1-2 hours offering more water bottles. This was very nice service for Y and is at the level of some J offerings.
    - Excellent service and on top of that Evian water. Wow!

    The snack bag contained a ham and cheese sandwich, a small cup of fruit, and a Kit-Kat.
    - Enought to tied you up until breakfast. ;) No ice cream like AF?

    I went for the omelet and asked for a cup of coffee. My breakfast as served.
    - They don't take out the wrapping from the dish anymore? Breakfast looks very decent.

    Thanks Michael for sharing this great FR with phenomenal pics as usual.
    • Comment 335862 by
      NGO85 SILVER AUTHOR 1963 Comments
      A major benefit IMHO and very generous of DL if I might add. I wonder if there are companions in the same reservation, are they allowed the same courtesy?
      - Not sure about companions. This is not an advertised benefit on the DL website so hopefully this sticks around.

      Why even bother?
      - Because you are an entitled F passenger ;)

      Looks pretty comfortable to me.
      - It felt more generous than UA's EconomyPlus on the B788s. That and the seats are more padded than UA's.

      A printed menu? I don't think even JL or NH do that anymore. The kit looks very disposable but beggars can't be choosy.
      - Yes, the menu and kit are excellent touches that JL/NH don't offer. Amenities are available on demand on JL/NH, but you have to ask for them.

      That's true for most meals in Y. The meal that you received looked good.
      - Small, but tasty. NAC has never disappointed me, all ex-NGO flights are better than average because of them.

      Excellent service and on top of that Evian water. Wow!
      - Same as CX ;)

      Enought to tied you up until breakfast. ;) No ice cream like AF?
      - So, honestly, I never went to the rear galley to see what was available. Any type of mid-flight snack is nice since this is not something that NH does.

      Thanks for stopping by Adan!
  • Comment 158887 by
    KL651 TEAM 4534 Comments
    Thanks for this FR.

    I'm not surprised to see that once again DL offers a better hard product than AA or UA.
    They really have upped their game as they started increasing their fares 2 or 3 years ago.
    However, if for TPAC they may be cheaper than NH or JL but on TATL they usually are amont the most expensive.

    The menu with service description according to the flight sequence reminds me a lot of KL J class menu.
    The food looks high quality for Y class, but that is to be expected ex Japan.

    I've always had bad crews DL long haul, much worse that UA, but maybe I should give them another shot if the price is right.
    • Comment 335863 by
      NGO85 SILVER AUTHOR 1963 Comments
      Merci KL651^^

      However, if for TPAC they may be cheaper than NH or JL but on TATL they usually are amont the most expensive.
      - For TPACs from the west coast, DL fares are often as low as $500-600. I think they are competing against the Chinese carriers on these routes into Asia. As far as TATLs, I don't know the price points, but I figure DL is one of the stronger products since the European carriers provide less competition.

      The menu with service description according to the flight sequence reminds me a lot of KL J class menu. The food looks high quality for Y class, but that is to be expected ex Japan.
      - Nagoya Air Catering (NAC) is always very strong. The menu and catering are a reflection of DL's commitment to fortify a strong product on TPAC routes. It seems their offering on TPAC and TATL routes differ, but I've never flown DL TATL.

      I've always had bad crews DL long haul, much worse that UA
      - My experiences are opposite. I have a strong disdain for UA after a string of bad experiences, but will be flying them TATL this week so when the price is right you take what you can get.
  • Comment 158900 by
    aussenrist 225 Comments
    Thanks Michael for sharing this report with nice pictures!

    The KE lounge is very meh, just like a domestic lounge lol
    This flight seems to be in light load (as I see many empty seats behind you) with good hard product i.e. great seat pitch for Y+ seat with comfort kit (semi-premium economy class :P), together with the responsive IFE. But IMO the broken airshow is very annoying!

    “There is a special safety video for the Japanese market.”
    --> The Japan version looks very formal and boring. I would expect they use those Deltalina’s safety videos :P

    “You can immediately see the service level DL provides outclasses both AA and UA by a mile.”
    --> The menu design looks fantastic and even beats the Asian carriers!

    The catering looks good. 2 full meals were provided together with mid-flight snack. The katsudon looks tasty!
    Good in-flight services with nice crews especially the water bottles (not cups of water!) were constantly provided^^

    BTW, although DL has better products than UA/AA, it seems that DL is not operating well in HKG (may be not a ST hub). Recently DL has huge price-cut for ex-HKG flights to US via Seattle (around USD500). It leads to price war between the 3 legacy carriers in HK @@

    Look forward to your next report!
    • Comment 335864 by
      NGO85 SILVER AUTHOR 1963 Comments
      This flight seems to be in light load (as I see many empty seats behind you)
      - The load was very light in the front Y cabin since it is the Comfort+ and preferred seats (normally reserved for elites). The rear Y cabin was around 90% full so the photos are deceptive. Most importantly for DL is that J was close to 100% full.

      But IMO the broken airshow is very annoying!
      - This aspect really sucked, but you could use your phone to go to DL.com to track the flight for free since there was WiFi available on the flight.

      “The Japan version looks very formal and boring. I would expect they use those Deltalina’s safety videos :P
      - No, it was actually very Japan related, but I only took a picture of the final part where the CEO was talking with a thick Southern accent.

      “The menu design looks fantastic and even beats the Asian carriers!
      - It's the best Y menu I've ever seen.

      2 full meals were provided together with mid-flight snack. The katsudon looks tasty!
      - Better catering than CX, whose flights are often 3+ hours longer^^ The endless supply of water bottles was nice. There might have been other drinks available if you went to the rear galley, but I didn't check.

      BTW, although DL has better products than UA/AA, it seems that DL is not operating well in HKG (may be not a ST hub). Recently DL has huge price-cut for ex-HKG flights to US via Seattle (around USD500). It leads to price war between the 3 legacy carriers in HK @@
      - This is all excellent news for us, since it allows for cheap mileage runs into Asia :) SkyTeam offerings are quite poor in most parts of Asia. They have a good foothold in China (CZ, MF, MU), but are lacking in other parts of Asia since VN and GA are just not well networked.

      Thank you for all of your comments^^
  • Comment 158966 by
    socalnow 976 Comments
    Thank you NGO85 for the considerate, well written, and beautifully photographed report, as always. It was also a trip down memory lane for me as I have flown this route in both directions including the MNL tag on several occasions, albeit on the 747-400.

    I agree totally with your assessment of the KAL lounge. Sad little dungeon, that place.

    Your pictures really illustrate the additional space in the Coach+ seats. I hadn't realized it was that much.

    I'm glad you had pleasant staff attending to you, it makes all the difference.

    Thank you again and happy flying.
    • Comment 335865 by
      NGO85 SILVER AUTHOR 1963 Comments
      It was also a trip down memory lane for me as I have flown this route in both directions including the MNL tag on several occasions, albeit on the 747-400.
      - The restructuring of the TPAC operations will hopefully help DL. Sending the little A332 looks profitable since they can max out the J cabin.

      I agree totally with your assessment of the KAL lounge. Sad little dungeon, that place.
      - When all the other ST carriers choose to pay for 3rd party lounges instead of subjecting their premium cabin passengers to that dungeon, you know it's bad. Since I was flying in Y, this was the only lounge I could access, worth a quick stop for a free beer.

      Your pictures really illustrate the additional space in the Coach+ seats. I hadn't realized it was that much.
      - It felt quite generous. I had flown UA EconomyPlus on the B788 last fall and it didn't feel as generous. DL's decision to offer these seats complimentary to elites from other ST carriers is an amazing amenity. I guess they figure that at 72-hours to departure the chance of selling these seats off is low (the low load in Comfort+ also supports this realization that most people don't value the product for the added fee).

      Thanks for stopping by and commenting!
  • Comment 158993 by
    KévinDC TEAM SILVER 6668 Comments
    It's the end of an Era! No more awesome NGO spotting...now it'll be boring LAX spotting!! ^^ Wait...LAX spotting is awesome; nevermind, I'm over it, LOL

    It’s a cold, rainy, and windy day in Nagoya so not great weather for spotting.
    - And yet, the spotting is beautiful. It's a nice send off for your last fight ex-NGO...at least as a resident of Nagoya, anyway.

    This report brought back some good memories for me...feeling nostalgic for DL now. Well, I am and I'm not. DL is faaaaaar superior to AA and UA in Y as you mention, but I do not miss the SkyPesos! I do miss the awesome DL FAs. I rarelyever had a negative experience on DL.

    Menus in Economy are a nice touch. DL definitely makes an effort with Passenger Experience in Y on Asian routes. There are a lot of extra little touches that you don't have on TATL.

    Looks like they're still doing that bagged snack mid flight. I always found that to be a little on the cheap side, but it's nice that they offer anything mid-flight.

    DL was always generous with the booze! It's how I became an in-flight-only Alcoholic :-P

    With that empty middle seat you almost had a true International Premium Economy experience...almost. DL has now decided that Comfort+ is a separate class of service designated as W, much like the majority of other carriers with International Premium Economy, but is not showing any indication of wanting to install true Premium Economy seats. AA is doing it, and I'm kind of excited about it. DL should follow. Yes, I know everyone is worried about their upgrades, but IMO if you have to buy Premium Economy to be eligible to upgrade to J, at least if your upgrade doesn't clear, you'll be relatively comfortable and less cranky than if you were stuck in Y.

    Thanks for a great report as always and Welcome Home to 'Murica! Just in time for me to run away to Canada if Trump becomes president :-P
    • Comment 335916 by
      marathon GOLD 10117 Comments
      - It's the end of an Era! No more awesome NGO spotting...
      - All good things come to an end ;)
      OMG, I had missed the first sentence of this report! 100% agree with your answer, welcome to the Nostalgic Ex Far-East Expats Club ;)
    • Comment 335867 by
      NGO85 SILVER AUTHOR 1963 Comments
      It's the end of an Era! No more awesome NGO spotting...
      - All good things come to an end ;)

      It's a nice send off for your last fight ex-NGO...at least as a resident of Nagoya, anyway.
      - There are quite a few domestic series left that are unpublished.

      This report brought back some good memories for me...feeling nostalgic for DL now. Well, I am and I'm not. DL is faaaaaar superior to AA and UA in Y as you mention, but I do not miss the SkyPesos!
      - We'll see what UA offers this week ;) The SkyPesos situation is just out of control.

      DL definitely makes an effort with Passenger Experience in Y on Asian routes. There are a lot of extra little touches that you don't have on TATL.
      - On one hand, that is sad to hear that they have different in-flight service standards depending on TATL/TPAC. UA is uniformly bad ;)

      Looks like they're still doing that bagged snack mid flight. I always found that to be a little on the cheap side, but it's nice that they offer anything mid-flight.
      - JL/NH don't offer mid-flight snacks. What's the alternative, serve nothing and just have those available in the galley like most carriers? The sandwich was obviously low quality, but getting something is always better than nothing, lol^^

      It's how I became an in-flight-only Alcoholic :-P
      - Very, very generous indeed. And they didn't run out of Japanese beers by the end of the flight.

      DL has now decided that Comfort+ is a separate class of service designated as W, much like the majority of other carriers with International Premium Economy, but is not showing any indication of wanting to install true Premium Economy seats.
      - I wonder if this will signal the end of complimentary access to ST elites.

      AA is doing it, and I'm kind of excited about it. DL should follow. Yes, I know everyone is worried about their upgrades, but IMO if you have to buy Premium Economy to be eligible to upgrade to J, at least if your upgrade doesn't clear, you'll be relatively comfortable and less cranky than if you were stuck in Y.
      - I agree, it will help make the other cabins more premium by not making everything so watered down. If you think about it from a non-elite viewpoint, having an affordable premium product is also attractive for the casual traveller.

      Just in time for me to run away to Canada if Trump becomes president :-P
      - I've been back 4 days and am already sickened by all of this politics mess. Once the mud starts slinging this summer/fall, it will get real nasty.

      Thanks for stopping by Kevin!
  • Comment 159000 by
    757Fan 632 Comments
    Another great report, NG085! Looks like you had a nice flight with Delta in Comfort+. I fly Delta all the time for pleasure, and for work, and I think their service is the best in the US.

    Fortuitously, DL allows ST Elite Plus status holders access to Comfort+ seats at 72-hours to departure for free. This results in a very simple routing.

    This is a great perk, and after dropping down to Silver this year after being Gold last year, I'm bummed about losing this free perk for international flights. Oh well. There's always a next time!

    I'm impressed by the menus being passed around. On a DL flight my wife and I took from AMS to MSP in 2014, they didn't pass those around. Maybe that's only on TPAC flights?

    I was also amazed at how much water was passed around during the long-haul flight I took. They must stock one of the galleys just with water! :) They honestly came through almost every hour with water bottles. A very nice touch. Food also looked like it was good, and I'd agree in the big difference between DL Y and United Y .. No comparison in my mind.

    Thanks for sharing!

    Matthew


    • Comment 335869 by
      NGO85 SILVER AUTHOR 1963 Comments
      I fly Delta all the time for pleasure, and for work, and I think their service is the best in the US.
      - I have limited experience with DL, but I find it to be much better than the average on AA/UA (much less consistency on these carriers because of more recent mergers).

      This is a great perk, and after dropping down to Silver this year after being Gold last year, I'm bummed about losing this free perk for international flights. Oh well. There's always a next time!
      - The seats aren't available for a discount as a Silver?

      On a DL flight my wife and I took from AMS to MSP in 2014, they didn't pass those around. Maybe that's only on TPAC flights?
      - It seems to be a perk of TPACs, after DL restructured their TPAC operations and made NRT a true hub, I think this their effort to draw more passengers and they definitely seem to offer a nice competition to JL/NH.

      They honestly came through almost every hour with water bottles. A very nice touch.
      - It is almost J level service. I can't think of any other carrier that hands out water bottles mid-flight like this. You normally only get one after the meal.

      Food also looked like it was good, and I'd agree in the big difference between DL Y and United Y .. No comparison in my mind.
      - The upgraded UA catering has better starters and desserts, but the mains on DL are far superior.

      Thanks for your comments Matthew!
  • Comment 159042 by
    Numero_2 TEAM BRONZE 10416 Comments
    Thank you Michael !

    The KE Lounge is the worst international lounge at NGO -> Well, it's a ST lounge...

    If you compare this Y+ to real carriers Premium Economy, there's a whole world between them.

    It's a nice touch to have so many beers onboard.

    A peek backwards as we reach cruising altitude. -> It seems the flight wasn't full at all !

    Not as strong as NH/JL on ex-Japan routes, but much better than AA/UA. -> And you won a DL pen from the crew. ;)

    Overall a good flight but it's a bit tough not to sleep on a night flight...
    • Comment 336085 by
      NGO85 SILVER AUTHOR 1963 Comments
      Well, it's a ST lounge...
      - Not just a ST Lounge... a ST Lounge in Japan ;)

      there's a whole world between them.
      - But this is free^^ I'd happily take this over AF in Y :)

      It's a nice touch to have so many beers onboard.
      - They seemed well-stocked. They ran out of Japanese beers on my UA TPACs.

      It seems the flight wasn't full at all !
      - The forward Y cabin is Comfort+ and Preferred seats, so it was rather empty since these are blocked for selection. The rear Y cabin was very full (90%+). J was also nearly full (95%).

      And you won a DL pen from the crew. ;)
      - Ask and you shall receive ;)

      Overall a good flight but it's a bit tough not to sleep on a night flight...
      - I'm not a human log like you, I can't sleep on planes :(

      Merci Clement for all of your comments!
  • Comment 159063 by
    Rl 777 802 Comments
    Thank you for sharing this FR with us!

    As always, great spotting shots from NGO!

    The menu card looks very attractive with the 777 on the front page.

    The meals didn't look bad but I had expected a bit more attention to detail in the presentation part. They could have used better bowls instead of boring plastic bowls, plastic cutlery in Y+ seems a bit cheap. The overall quality of the meals looked good though, a proper mid-flight snack was nice.

    The cabin looks very clean and nice, seat pitch looks satisfactory in Y+.

    Nice shots upon arrival and from DTW!

    Have a good one, see you!
    • Comment 336207 by
      NGO85 SILVER AUTHOR 1963 Comments
      Thank you very much for your continued support Rl777!

      As always, great spotting shots from NGO!

      The menu card looks very attractive with the 777 on the front page.
      - I really like the little timeline with the in-flight service schedule.

      The meals didn't look bad but I had expected a bit more attention to detail in the presentation part. They could have used better bowls instead of boring plastic bowls, plastic cutlery in Y+ seems a bit cheap.
      - You have to remember that for US carriers, Y+ and Y have identical service, the only difference is the larger seat-pitch and some other benefits like priority boarding. Compared to real Y+ product, the meals are bad, but when you think about the price difference between the products its okay. Thankfully this flight was ex-Japan, so the catering is going to be better than an ex-US flight.

      The cabin looks very clean and nice, seat pitch looks satisfactory in Y+.
      - I was worried when I saw the age of the plane, but DL has done well to keep these cabins looking fresh. AA still has the nicest color schemes, but DL has more comfortable seats.
  • Comment 159238 by
    tn92 173 Comments
    Hello! Great FR as usual! And I enjoyed reading it once again!
    I've also read your other reports on both UA and AA, indeed DL really seems to performing much better than the other two.
    Oh, and this flight looks really empty from your photographs, I am guessing many people might have had empty seat(s) next to them.
    That will definitely be a good thing especially on flights more than 10 hours.
    But the lack of a properly-working flight map probably was quite a disappointment.

    Thanks for sharing! Looking forward to your other reports!
    • Comment 336208 by
      NGO85 SILVER AUTHOR 1963 Comments
      Thanks for your comments!

      DL really seems to performing much better than the other two.
      - The attention to details on TPACs helps them separate themselves, but its probably closer on TATL routes.

      Oh, and this flight looks really empty from your photographs
      - The forward Y cabin is Comfort+ and Preferred seats, so it was rather empty since these are blocked for selection. The rear Y cabin was very full (90%+). J was also nearly full (95%).

      But the lack of a properly-working flight map probably was quite a disappointment.
      - I used my phone to track the flight since you can access the flight tracker.
  • Comment 159245 by
    BombieFlyer 93 Comments
    Hi NGO85!

    Thanks for this flight report!

    This flight report brought back good memories when I flew another DL's A332 from PVG to SEA. I shared the same sentiment with you that for legacy US based carriers, DL is probably the best now though I think AA is trying to catch up too. I really enjoyed Comfort+'s leg room and free use of IFE. I think DL has changed the rules but back in 2015, if you were not seated in Comfort+, there were some movies, TV channels, etc in the IFE that you can't access, you have to pay for it. For my flight from PVG to SEA, I sat on 10A, bulkhead row. it was fantastic!

    Just out of curiosity, did you sleep or nap at all during the flight? It seems that you managed to stay awake for the whole 12 hours! That's quite a feat! :) ;)

    Anyway, thanks for this report and I look forward for more trips from you

    -Bombieflyer-
    • Comment 336209 by
      NGO85 SILVER AUTHOR 1963 Comments
      DL is probably the best now though I think AA is trying to catch up too.
      - With AA's 10-abreast on the B77Ws it's hard to take them seriously.

      I think DL has changed the rules but back in 2015, if you were not seated in Comfort+, there were some movies, TV channels, etc in the IFE that you can't access, you have to pay for it.
      - I think it did change because it used to be that only Comfort+ had unlimited alcohol, but I think that also extends to the entire Y cabin now. At least that's what I understood from the cabin announcement before meals.

      For my flight from PVG to SEA, I sat on 10A, bulkhead row. it was fantastic!
      - Unfortunately, the bulkheads were already claimed so I elected a seat that had no seatmate. I like the horizontal space and the ability to use the tray table of the empty seat.

      Just out of curiosity, did you sleep or nap at all during the flight? It seems that you managed to stay awake for the whole 12 hours! That's quite a feat! :) ;)
      - I can't sleep in Y. I have to be lying flat to sleep, so for long-haul Y, I just sit there the entire time. I'm used to the 12-hour hauls now it makes transcons feel like a short hop ;)

      Thank you for all of your comments BombieFlyer!
  • Comment 159303 by
    Chibcha SILVER 540 Comments
    Awesome pictures!

    DL seems to take passenger hydration quite seriously, last time I flew on DL they kept doing water rounds often. DL has some nice details, like the menu explaining the service throughout the flight. Does someone know if it is like this on the US-Europe runs?

    Thanks for sharing!
    • Comment 336210 by
      NGO85 SILVER AUTHOR 1963 Comments
      Thanks for your comments!

      DL seems to take passenger hydration quite seriously, last time I flew on DL they kept doing water rounds often. DL has some nice details, like the menu explaining the service throughout the flight.
      - These are all the features that immediately make DL standout from its competitors, these small details do make a difference.

      Does someone know if it is like this on the US-Europe runs?
      - I've never flown DL on a TATL, but from what others have said it sounds like the menu is only for TPAC routes. TATL routes will probably be more similar to the routes down to South America.

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