Review of Delta Air Lines flight Minneapolis Boston in Domestic First

Airline Delta Air Lines
Flight DL154
Seat 2A
Aircraft Airbus A320
Flight time 02:45
Take-off 18 Jan 20, 17:45
Arrival at 18 Jan 20, 21:30
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
Arnan
By 964
Published on 17th April 2020

My Delta Domestic First Class Experience: MSP-BOS


On January 18th 2020 I was flying from DFW to BOS via MSP. My trip occurred in the MLK bank holiday weekend and so I was prepared to navigate through the congested MSP concourse with delightfully long TSA lines. However to my surprise hours prior to my flight to MSP I received a notification that I had been upgraded to domestic First for my second leg to Boston. I was filled with excitement as this was going to be my first time experiencing Delta domestic First Class product and I will share my experience below.


Airport experience


(The A320 which took me to Boston)


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My experience began with the Sky Priority service, which allowed me to skip the painfully long TSA lines, and made the experience through security quick and easy.

I was however disappointed that Delta domestic first-class (and all other US airlines domestic first class) are not allowed access into the lounge. This was something Delta could improve on as their partner airlines in Europe allow any passenger holding a premium ticket lounge access regardless of the route.

The Sky Priority Service allowed me to be one of the first to board the Airbus A320-200 and gain access to the surprisingly spacious overhead bins.  


the product


(My Seat 2A)


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I was very impressed with the size of the seat; it felt like a mini throne with a width of 21’ a good 3’ to 4’ more than in economy and was deeply padded with a good amount recline which more than satisfied the comfort expected for a short flight. The cabin was laid out in a 2-2 configuration with a total of 16 seats, Delta A320 had been recently refurbished so the cabin was very modern and clean I particularly liked the dark blue mood lights (European airlines take note).

My seat already had a blanket and pillow similar to the ones economy passengers on Delta long haul product gets, which I thought was a nice touch even though it was a short under 3 hours, hop to Boston. Furthermore, there was also a mini water bottle, which greets me, which highlighted the attention to detail Delta pay even on their domestic experiences. The legroom was more than adequate with 37’ of the pitch. Every seat also had a USB in-seat power and a power outlet.  


the service


There were 2 flight attendants serving the first class cabin both of which were very lovely and offered a personalised service referring to each customer by their last name, which was another nice touch. Before we pushed back a welcome drink was offered; I went with Delta signature cranberry sprite, which was served in a plastic cup. This was slightly strange as once airborne beverages were served in elegant glassware designed by Alessi. This perhaps could have been done for safety reasons however it would have allowed Delta service to be slightly more uniformed.  

 We pushed back from MSP sharply on time, which is rare when I’m travelling especially as it was the middle of a winter storm (which explains why I was upgraded as most sensible people opted for the earlier flight and so the A320 on this flight was only half full).

About half an hour into the flight the dinner service commenced (Being a foodie this was something I was most looking forward to), with a three-course meal offered on a tray and the option to pre-select your main course prior to the flight I found this to be very impressive and innovative of Delta. I, unfortunately, did not have the chance to pre-select my meal as this must be done 24 hours prior, however, I found the food offering to be satisfying and had the choice between steak in a blue cheese sauce or grilled chicken for the main course. I went with the steak, which was cooked perfectly and paired nicely with the blue cheese sauce and accompanied with sweet potatoes and spinach. The starter, however, was not as appetising as it was a garden salad, which did not taste very fresh and I found it to be very dry. For dessert, I was given a sugar cookie accompanied by a freshly brewed coffee.

All in all, it was a very filling meal, which I enjoyed even though I found the starter slightly disappointing.  


(Pre-departure beverage)


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(Dinner service)


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(Dessert and coffee)


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Inflight entertainment


In addition to the magazines in the seatback pocket, every seat both in the economy and first had personal TV screens offering Delta studio which contained over a 1,000 hours of movies, TV shows, music and live TV. The offering of seatback screens is something of a dying trend in an industry-focused with cost-saving and with the growth of streaming platforms, although I am a fan of the seatback screens and appreciate Delta being one of the few airlines investing more to offer such service across their fleet. In the first-class cabin, the seatback screens were 11’ wide and were controlled via touch with no remote being offered. Earbuds were offered to passengers however they provided poor sound quality so I recommend you bring your own.

Furthermore, you could additionally stream Delta Studio on your own device via the GOGO entertainment app, which was slightly unnecessary on this flight.

 In addition, those wanting to work or stay connected while travelling, Delta did offer high-speed Wi-Fi which was a real treat and to make that even sweeter you can stream messaging services for free or T-Mobile customer gained access to an hour free complimentary WIFI. For unlimited Wi-Fi throughout the flight, a daily pass was offered for $16.  


(Seatback Screen, a lot of storage pockets for personal items)


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(Landing in the snowstorm)


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Verdict

Delta Air Lines

8.1/10
Cabin9.0
Cabin crew8.0
Entertainment/wifi8.5
Meal/catering7.0

Minneapolis - MSP

6.5/10
Efficiency7.0
Access7.0
Services6.0
Cleanliness6.0

Boston - BOS

6.8/10
Efficiency8.0
Access5.0
Services7.0
Cleanliness7.0

Conclusion

To conclude this being a complimentary upgrade there was very little to complain about and I had a very comfortable flight to Boston despite a turbulent descent. The crew was perfect and always carried a smile and I found them to be very attentive 5*. The seat was extremely comfortable and spacious and I found more than enough amenities to my needing. The food I wouldn’t go as far as to say its best aeroplane food I had as it did have some drawbacks but was filling and tasty. The one thing to watch out for is that Delta domestic first does not offer lounge access, which for a ticket retailing on average at $300 is the only thing to consider before purchasing. I also would recommend if you’re a medallion member and wanting to experience Delta first-class product to opt for a main cabin or comfort plus seat as Delta as very generous with complimentary upgrades especially outside peak season so there is a good chance to score a complimentary upgrade without breaking the bank.

Related

6 Comments

If you liked this review or if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to post a comment below !
  • Comment 551460 by
    KévinDC TEAM SILVER 6668 Comments
    Hi Arnan, thanks for sharing your first report here with us! Delta is an all around good carrier and service-wise and operationally the best of the big US3 in my opinion. They domestic F cabin isn't the most spacious though, in my experience, with a tighter pitch on average than AA and UA, but service is always consistently good to excellent, in my experience, which I definitely can't say about AA or UA! As this was your first comp upgrade, I imagine you've just reached medallion status fr the first time? If so congrats! Normally, Silver medallions only clear an upgrade once in a blue moon, but that obviously will be different this year with flights being so empty.

    Good job on your first post--well-written with good detail! Welcome to Flight-Report!
    • Comment 551467 by
      Arnan AUTHOR 3 Comments
      Hi Kevin
      Yes I agree with you DL is the best operational wise out of the US big 3. I haven’t experienced UA or AA premium cabin yet but I’ve heard complaints about DL seat pitch especially in the bulkhead row. Thank you I got my silver medallion a while ago but as I’m based France I have only experienced the perks on AF and KLM, till January when I had about 20 flights with Delta. It’s strange I heard silver medallion rarely clear for an upgrade but on all but one of my 20 domestic flights I cleared for Economy comfort or domestic first. Yes you are very right things will sadly be different now with the skies emptier. Thank you very much for your comment and advice I look forward to checking out your content!
  • Comment 551612 by
    paulvdbsfo 3 Comments
    Aran, it would be nice but in the U.S you couldn't open up the lounges for all domestic first class tickets. The lounges would be overwhelmed. There are just to many people flying at the same time.
    • Comment 551621 by
      Arnan AUTHOR 3 Comments
      That’s a very good and true point. However and I know DL do this for domestic Delta One flights but why not give Domestic First passengers on let’s say flights over 5/6hours lounge pass. As those flights customers are paying substantial sums for their tickets in addition to those only being a limited selection of flight
  • Comment 551623 by
    paulvdbsfo 3 Comments
    You do get access if you are flying across the country on AA and Delta. I agree with that, but you couldn't let everyone that's flying on 1-4 hour flights also get access. The lounges would be overwhelmed.

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